Mind The Gap

Each of my tattoos holds special meaning for me, although I didn’t always realize it at the time. They are a part of who I am, and something I’m proud of.

The first, a fairy star, the continuous movement of energy, with a waxing crescent moon in blue in the center. The moon symbolized both psychic awareness, and the maiden, the color, peace. This was my attempt to stay connected with you, though you had died three months before.

The second, a tramp stamp of a celtic knot with ivy wound upon it. The points of the knot represent earth, air and water. This was me trying to stay grounded and balanced, although at the same time I was reaching out for the desire and approval of men, to try to fill the void, and sense of abandonment I felt. You were still gone.

The third, the red dragon, the one you drew for me. When you gave it to me, you said it was inspired by the anger I had been carrying when we met. This time it represented the new anger I held at the world for taking you away.

Then, another tramp stamp, a four leaf clover on my hip. While still rooted in a need to feel wanted by men, this was also me trying to force myself into a persona that was happy and carefree. Well adjusted and moved past all that sadness and anger. Yup. Totally okay here people.

Some time later, I started on the phoenix on my back, an ambitious commitment, requirement many sessions over a few years time, and a lot of money I didn’t have when I started. It’s still not totally finished, although it no longer looks unfinished to those that don’t know the vision for the final piece. That first day, when I sat for just the outlines, it was my conscious decision to let you go, to heal, to conquer my circumstances. I still stumbled here and there, but with each session, I emerged with more ink added, and more weight lifted.

When I eventually reached a certain point, I was able to let someone else in, really, and not at arm’s length. After we’d been dating a while, we went on a small vacation, and I got a small tattoo, a skull on my finger. Sure, I like skulls anyway, but this was also me saying goodbye to you, and promising not to forget you.

A while later, he proposed, and I got another tattoo I’d been thinking about, a family of penguins. For me, this symbolized happiness (they are just so darn cute!) as well as teamwork, and ultimately, love. I’ve been fond of penguins since early childhood, and mentally associate them with good things. It all started with one little Christmas ornament from a catalog, which I loved as a toddler and carried around the catalog to show it to pretty much everyone. Despite its expense, my parents ordered it for me. Every time their tree goes up, I put that ornament on it. It’s a little penguin on a pair of skis, with a little scarf and hat. To a toddler of course it’s a pingle on sticks instead of a penguin on skis, but I did eventually get the pronunciation right.

Things go swimmingly with this new man. On a vacation to visit friends I get a new tattoo, this one a trio of orchids. I tend to gravitate toward designs in threes, it seems. I’m literally blooming again and ready to step into it and fully let myself believe it’s real, to love without constant fear it’ll all be gone in one instant, again. I think I chose orchids because my mother had at the time been really into them, she had loved you too, and was left to watch me mourn you.

Last night I had some more work done, a snowflake added to my wintery penguin scene. I have a few more sessions to go to add a couple more snowflakes and blend it all together. This piece marks my upcoming wedding. I also kind of see it as my last big step in cleansing all my old fear and sadness, my final test to pass.

He got his first tattoo last night, a decision on his part to mark the wedding and his own journey to this point. He was in good company with his brother and our friends. Although I’m very sad I was not there with him for it, I know that he did not take the decision lightly, and really understands the commitment of a tattoo, and I am proud.

I’m going to try to make this costume: http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20081215

It’s going to be fun! I have already ordered a hoop skirt off of e-bay (vendor was angelsbridal) that’ll need a few mods but should work nicely. Here’s a pic:

We’re almost done!

Binding

First, we need to bind the edges.

Half inch double fold bias binding should do.  Craft stores have this in a variety of colors.  However, if you’re crafty, or have a need for something specific, other materials can be used.  For instance, you can use satin blanket binding (it’s a bit wider usually), or you can make your own binding out of the same fabric the corset is made in.  If the edges are fairly straight, you may even be able to use nice ribbon to cover the edges.  I’m pretty lazy, so I tend to go for the pre-made binding tape.

So, bind the top and bottom edges of the corset.  The narrower edge of the binding tape is the top, this should be on the outside of the corset.  The underside is a little wider.  This way when you stitch through from the top, if you catch the top edge of the binding tape, you’re also sure to have caught the underside.  Tuck the ends of the bias tape under so they look neat from the outside.

Go very slowly for this part — it’s easy to get in a hurry and then have binding that doesn’t lay flat, with little bits that are puckered, or not caught in the stitching.  If using very nice binding or working on something special, you may want to consider stitching it by hand for the best look.

If you’re going to trim the edges, or add appliques, etc — now is a pretty good time for it.  All I added to mine here was a bit of ribbon to match the black lacing I’ll use later, and the trim on the skirt this corset goes with.

Now, it’s time to set your eyelets (unfortunately I failed to take pictures of this step, but fortunately, eyelet kits seem to always have diagrams, so that should help).

Measure and mark where each eyelet should go so that both sides are the same. (I tend to prefer to make them evenly spaced around an inch apart for simplicity and to reduce the chance I’ll mess it up, but there are some variations that are neat.)

To set eyelets:

• Work a hole with the awl/ice pick
• Put the eyelet through (with the smooth flared end on the outside of the garment)
• Apply fray check to the edges of the fabric around the eyelet (very close to the eyelet itself, or you can wait and do this step after you bind the edges, or you can skip it all together…I personally am paranoid and the fray check is my friend)
• Use the eyelet setting tool thingy to cramp the eyelet down
• Repeat

Once the eyelets are in there, it’s time to bind them.

This accomplishes a few things:

• Covers up eyelets that are ugly or the wrong color.
• Adds extra reinforcement (keeps the eyelets from working out later on).
• Makes the finished garment look prettier.
• Makes other people think you are weird.

Here’s a handy little tutorial for the stitching part — you’re basically doing what they describe there, around the metal eyelet you just put in: http://www.vertetsable.com/demos_eyeletholes.htm

There are also some other ways to handle the eyelets, this is just the habit I’ve gotten into with the last few I’ve made.  Go with what works for you.

A couple photos:

Lacing

Using the cord you bought earlier, lace your new creation up.  Here is a website I found that had a nice explanation and diagram: http://www.waspcreations.com/howtol.htm — A google search for ‘corset lacing diagram’ will turn up several references.

Extra Bonus

Finished corset being worn!

Now that all the pieces are put together and pressed out flat, it’s time to put in the boning channels.  The channels are made of the ribbon that we gathered up earlier.  Place the channels by carefully sewing down one edge of the ribbon while holding it in place (or pinning it, but I find this difficult due to the thickness of the fabric), then sew down the other edge of the ribbon.  Repeat in each place a channel needs to go.

• Add one on each side of each seam.
• Add one in the center of each front panel.
• Add one in the middle of each back panel, about half an inch from the built-in bone channel at the back edge (this provides a place for the eyelets to go that is in between two bones, to help prevent deforming the fabric from the stretching)

Then, trim the top and bottom edges of the corset to even everything up, and stitch along the bottom edge, about 2/8 - 3/8″ from the edge.

Cut boning for each channel.  I usually measure from the stitching line at the bottom to about 3/4″ an inch from the top edge, this seems to leave enough space on either end of the bone to bind the edges of the corset with no problems.  If you’re using metal boning, tip each as appropriate, if using the plastic stuff (easy to get at the local fabric stores) trim the corners to round the ends off a bit.  If the boning is in one of those fabric sleeve things, you probably want to take that off so that the boning will fit in the channel.

Put boning into each of the channels (you may need to use a spare piece of boning to help push them in for the last half inch or so).

Now stitch along the top edge, 2/8 - 3/8″ from the edge.  With all your bones in place and sealed in, you can go have a beer and decide how you’re going to bind the edges and do the eyelets and all that good stuff!

The final installment: Binding, Eyelets & Lacing.

Cutting

Reference the pattern instructions to lay out the pieces on the fabric, being mindful of the grain line, nap, print, and all that jazz.  Cut the pieces from your outer fabric, canvas interfacing, and lining fabric (if desired).  There should be two of each piece, which should mirror one another, from each type of fabric being used.

This part isn’t hard…but sure is tedious.

Interfacing

For corsets, you’re going to want something sturdy for interfacing.  I’ve taken to using heavy canvas, as it seems to work pretty well, and I often run into small bits of it just perfect for this size project in the remnant bin at a nice discount.

I hate fusible interfacing, but I’m also too lazy to baste the edges together on the fabric and interfacing, so here’s what I like to do:

• Match each piece of fabric to it’s corresponding piece of interfacing
• Protect your surface with newspaper or something similar (I’m a fan of a sheet of foamcore)
• Lay the interfacing (canvas) down on your surface
• Spray on the adhesive
• Move canvas to another area of the work surface away from the overspray (sticky side up)
• Smooth the fabric onto the canvas (right side up)
• Set aside
• Repeat

If you’re lining your corset, I think an easy way to do this would be to flip the canvas/fabric pieces over so the canvas side is up, spray the adhesive on, and then smooth on the lining fabric.  I haven’t tried this yet, but it might be easier than trying to make a separate lining with all the pieces stitched together and then having to attach it to the rest of the contraption (which is the normal lining method given in the pattern instructions).

Assembly

Once you’ve recovered from the adhesive fumes, it’s time to move on to assembly.  Pin the pieces together, right sides in/wrong sides out, and stitch with a 5/8″ seam allowance.  Reference the pattern instructions for more detail and diagrams, if you haven’t done much sewing before.

Remembering to keep all the pattern pieces right side up, put them together in this order:

• front to middle front
• middle front to side front
• side front to side back
• side back to middle back
• middle back to middle

Once those are all sewn up, pin the two halves together along the front seam, and stitch that up too.  This will result in a single long piece for the corset, which will lace up the back.

Then, to give a neat look to the back edges, fold each side under about an inch along the edge, then stitch 5/8″ from the fold to create a boning channel at the edge.

Press the seams out flat, and you’re all ready to start the boning channels!

Move on to Boning Channels & Boning!

Seen at a local fabric and craft store by yours truly.

Original Pattern

So here’s the original pattern for the corset, readily available at your local Joann store…or from Butterick’s website directly.  When I bought this, it was on sale for something like 2.99 or 5.99.  If you sew a lot, it’s definitely worth signing up for their emails so that you know when the website has these kinds of sales.  We’re basing our work off of view C from this pattern.

The pattern is pretty straightforward, with 6 pieces for each side of the corset.  The pattern intends for a front busk closure, but in this particular case I’m just stitching the two halves of the corset together at the front and having a solid front panel with lacing in the back.

Alterations for Fit

The pictures below show the original corset after I made some alterations for fit.  I’m a bit too tall/long-waisted/high-busted for the pattern as it’s designed, so I lengthened the waist.  As I suspect this may impact some other folks too (the pattern seems like it’s designed for very short people), I’m going to explain how this was done just in case it might be helpful to anyone that stumbles upon this.

To make this sort of alteration, first find where the waistline is marked on the pattern (in this case it’s on the front panel), using a ruler or similar implement and a pencil, make a horizontal line straight across the pattern piece at the waistline mark.

Now, line up all the pattern pieces, in the order they are sewn together, matching the tops and bottom edges (similar to how they are laid out in the picture).  Using your ruler, continue the horizontal line for the waist across all the pieces.  Cut the pattern pieces on these lines.

To add your length, tape the bottom of a pattern piece to some paper.  Using a ruler, mark the amount of length you want to add at several points (measuring up from the newly cut edge of your pattern piece) across the edge.  Then, line up the top part of the pattern piece with the bottom part and tape it down.  Be careful that the bottom edge of the top piece matches up with the marks you just made so that the amount of length you add is consistent.  Also be sure to line up the left and right edges of the top and bottom pattern pieces.

Now, using your pencil, smoothly connect the lines on each side of the pattern piece from the top half to the bottom half, drawing on the paper you just added in.  Then, make sure everything is securely taped together, and cut out your new piece.  Repeat for all the pieces.

For myself, I originally ordered the pattern in a smaller size with the intent of making a tight lacing corset…then I decided I’d rather make a couple that aren’t so tight until I get the hang of it, so I needed to enlarge the corset a bit.  To do this I just added a bit of width to the front and back side panels.

This affects on the two of the pattern’s pieces.  To do this, tape the pattern piece down onto a piece of paper so that there is extra paper sticking out where the side seam is.  Measure out perpendicular to the pattern edge and mark the amount you want to add, repeat down the side of the piece.  Connect the dots to get the new side edge of the pattern piece, then cut it out.  Remember, the amount you add will ultimately get multiplied by 4 (as you add this amount on both the front side and back side panels, which end up being used on both the right and left sides of your corset) - it’s easy to add too much!  (But, it’s almost always easier to take something in than let it out, for what it’s worth.)

Alterations to Under Bust

Now that those alterations are complete, you’ve got a handy pattern for an over bust corset.  Ah, but we’re working on an under bust corset today, so it’s time to make some more changes.

Converting the pattern to under bust is really pretty easy.  But, you don’t want to cut up your original pattern, so take a break and trace each of the 6 pattern pieces onto some freezer paper, and label them appropriately (mark the grain lines too!).  Cut out the new pattern.

Holding the new pattern front up to yourself, decide where the top of the corset should stop, and mark it in pencil.  Now, using a ruler, mark an even horizontal line across the pattern piece at this mark.  Lay out all the pattern pieces, matching top and bottom edges like you did before, and extend your horizontal line across all of them.  This will make the new top edge of the pattern pieces — cut each piece along the line and discard the tops.

One last thing to check — if you find that the edges of the front pieces (where front meets middle front, in particular) are curving outwards towards the tops, just trim them up a bit to make straight vertical edges — this will help make the front of the corset nice and flat.

Your pattern is ready to go!

And now: Cutting, Interfacing and Assembly

This is the beginning of long-winded documentation of a corset I made, that hopefully may help others interested in making corsets.  I offer no guarantees that my approaches, opinions, etc are any good at all. :)  But hey, maybe they’ll at least be more fun than a dentist’s appointment, eh?

Overview

This blog-o-rama corset min-series is intended to accomplish the following two goals:

• Walk through basic alterations of an easy-to-obtain corset pattern to adjust fit and convert to under bust.
• Walk through the process of constructing a corset from the altered pattern.

Materials

The following materials are used in creation of this corset.

• Pattern
  • Butterick 4254, view C
  • http://www.butterick.com/item/B4254.htm??tab=costumes&page=4
• Fabric of choice for the exterior of the corset
  • 3/4 yard
• Matching thread
• Heavy Canvas or similar fabric
  • 3/4 yard
• Lining fabric, if desired
  • 3/4 yard
• Spray baste or spray adhesive
  • To hold the layers of fabric together during construction
• Lacing Material
  • What you use depends on personal preference and the size of the eyelets you will have
  • Suggested materials: boot laces, strong ribbon, or satin cording
  • Amount: 4-7 yards, depending on how much you’ll need to loosen the corset to get in, and how much extra lacing you like to have to tie it up with.
• Metal Eyelets
  • How many you need depends on how you want to space them and length of corset
  • This corset has 18 eyelets total
• Eyelet setting tool
  • Looks like a cross between the leather punch and a pair of pliers
• Tailor’s awl, ice pick, or similar implement
  • To make holes for the eyelets
• Fray check
• Heavy duty buttonhole thread or top stitching thread
  • Pick a color that matches or coordinates with the outer fabric, this will be visible
• Appropriate needle for the heavy duty thread
• Binding
  • Double fold 1/2″ bias tape
  • One package should probably do it
• Grosgrain ribbon
  • 1/2″ to 5/8″ wide
  • At least 8 yards (2 packages should cover it)
• 1/4″ boning
  • About 8 yards
  • If using metal boning, remember to get the tipping fluid or tip covers as applicable
• Tailor’s chalk
• Measuring tape
• Dress pins

Wooo!

Next up: The Pattern

So, in the days prior to the election, we had 3 separate obama yard signs stolen.  On election night, after the 3rd one was stolen, I made a home made sign and put it up.

Surprisingly, this sign has not been stolen yet.  Today, upon coming home from lunch and errands, we were met with an even more pleasant surprise than just seeing our 4th sign still there:

Someone actually put one of the proper signs in our yard.  I’m amazed.  I’m still postulating as to whether someone gave our sign back, or gave us their sign…I suspect the latter.  Either way, I think it’s adorable.

Today I made an overskirt without a pattern! Tricky, but fun.

Here is a picture of what I was mostly going for: http://trulyvictorian.com/catalog/328.html

And here are pictures of the finished overskirt (with coordinating underskirt): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011096&l=345d5&id=1151202334

As for construction, it is pretty straightforward actually…compared to how it looks. Notes for anyone interested.

• Get a piece of 45″ wide fabric that is 3 yards long (a bit less if the fabric is thicker, else the gathered portion would be too thick).
• Take a strip about 3-4″ wide off of one end (resulting in a piece that is 3-4″ long and 45″ wide) and set aside for the waistband.
• Hem the two short sides of the big piece of fabric, then hem the long side that will be the bottom of the overskirt.
• Prep the waistband by interfacing it, pressing a crease down the center longways, and folding under about 1/2″ down one of the long sides and pressing to crease it. Also trim the waist band to be about 2-3″ longer than your waist measurement.
• Figure out how much of the skirt on each side should be flat (not gathered) by measuring from the middle front to wherever you like (I went to about where a side seam would usually be). Measure and mark this distance on each side of the big piece of fabric.
• Gather the top of of the skirt in between the marks you just made.
• Pin the skirt to the waistband, right sides together, pinning the top of the skirt to the edge of the waistband that wasn’t previously turned under. Pin each side where the skirt isn’t gathered, then adjust the gathers so the gathered section fits in the middle.
• Baste, then stitch, the skirt to the waistband.
• Flip the ends of the waistband so the interfacing is outside, sew across the ends, trim, and flip right side out.
• Pin the waistband down such that the edge you previously folded under now covers the raw edge of the skirt. Stitch down.
• Add button/buttonhole, hook/eye, whatever, as desired.
• Add some pleats to the front edges, if desired (measure and use tailor’s chalk to mark so that the pleats are even on each side).
• Trim skirt edges as desired.
• Add a ribbon loop to the inside of the waistband at center back. The drawstrings will tie to this loop.
• Use wide ribbon to make a horizontal drawstring casing 12-14″ from the bottom hem, across the center gathered portion of the skirt (basically a bit wider than the center third of the width of the skirt should do it).
• Similarly, add two vertical casings on either side of the gathered section, running from about 6″ above where the horizontal casing is, up to 8-10″ from the waistband.
• Add narrow ribbon or cord for drawstrings to the casing.
• Add a tie ribbon at the bottom of each of the vertical casings, pointing towards the center of the skirt.
• Add a tie ribbon just above the center of the long horizontal casing.
• To bustle up the skirt, get a friend to help or use a dress form, so that you can see how everything looks and adjust the drawstrings as needed.
• Pull the two vertical drawstrings, tie them together and tie to the waistband loop.
• Take the tie strings from the bottom of each vertical casing and tie them together.
• These two steps will pull the sides of the skirt back a bit, and will raise the side/back up a bit (very important if you did pleats at the front edges, as this forms the other end of the pannier (sp?) style swags).
• Then, pull the horizontal drawstrings, and tie the ends together and tie to the waistband loop. This should make sort of a long drooping ‘bubble’ at the back of the skirt where everything was gathered back in. If you pull the drawstrings here too tight, or pull them up too high, it’ll pull the front sides back too far, so check for that.
• Grab the tie strings from the center of the horizontal casing, and tie to the waistband loop. This brings the ‘bubble’ back up a bit, without affecting the front sides of the skirt, so that they still lay nice.
• Ta-dah!