Corset making - fabric and bones

SO! you want to make a corset.  If you sew, it is easier than it might seem, if you get the correct materials and good instruction in the form of a well made pattern and a lot on on line reading or there are now a few on line courses you can pay for that look really good.  

I haven't tried one myself, or know anyone who has, so I'm not going to name any.  But, they are not hard to find.  Just type "make your own corset" into a search engine and they will pop up.  And, please write comments, if you have tried one of these programs or know anything about them.

Today I'm going to talk about different fabrics one can use to make a corset.

The gold standard is called coutil.  It is a fine herringbone weave strong non-stretch cotton ... usually.  This kind of coutil can be purchased many places.  Just Goggle the word and it is not hard to find.  It can be used alone or as an interlining/second layer with a fashion fabric on the outside.

There are fancier fabrics sometimes just called coutils or corset brocades that can be used as well.  These two are from one of the best shops for all corset supplies, Farthingales.

You can even get cotton coutil in neon colors at Richard the Thread, which has a hugh selection of coutils and corset brocades.

Some people find coutil expensive. But if you are making a corset meant to be worn for extended periods for many years, it is well worth the money for all the time that will be spent making the corset. A corset uses very little fabric.

BUT, what if this is a one time costume party corset or budget community theater corset?  There are some other choices. The most important factor is that the fabric has absolutely no stretch.

My mother, who ran a costume shop at a community college used pillow ticking at one point. Strong linen, or twill can work.  I have even used synthetic duck, purchased at a fabric chain store for something that was only going to be worn a short time. For looks, a second fabric can be layered on top and both pieces sewn together.

Please remember there are many reasons people make costumes and corsets, so don't criticize. Sometimes there isn't time to order the perfect fabric and we have to make do with what can be found in the local shops.

And what about boning?  Well, everything said about fabrics can be said about boning.

In most cases the best choice is steal boning, unless you are a super authentic re-enactor and can get your hands on baileen/waleboning ... but that's LOTS of work.

Read about working with baileen at the historic costuming blog Stay-inalive Blog.

But, for most of us ... sprung steel boning is the best choice.  Spiral boning is great, but remember, if you are trying to be historically accurate, it wasn't invented until 1904.  And, as with coutil, you can find basic boning many places, just search on line.  If you want to find something tricky or want to see a large selection, go to either of the two places I've mentioned above.

What if you are on a super budget or time crunch? ... There is plastic boning, sometimes called feather boning. It can be purchased at most fabric stores.  It just doesn't hold up like steel boning.  Although, better quality plastic boning can be found on line.  Linda Sparks at Farthingales, told me she carries a special kind of feather boning that is much sturdier, but I haven't tried it yet.

Some people swear by cable or duct ties ... they are cheap!  This image comes from the blog Yesterday's thimble which has a great blog on this topic.


But, in a pinch ... there IS feather boning at the local fabric store.  It can be replaced later.


More on corsets tomorrow.