The Do-Everything Corset (Black Under-bust)

I made this black under-bust corset for a costume, but it's gotten so much more use than just one costume. I wear it to dress up for a special occasion, I wear it out to the goth club, I wear it for other costumes.

Backstory: Halloween, 2007. We were going to a costume party and I decided to make our costumes to a theme - drinking (since that's what most people do at those parties anyway). I made my husband a pirate coat and he went as Captain Morgan. I made myself this corset and went as the St. Pauli Girl.

How I did it: I made a mock-up out of muslin and heavy-duty cable ties using the Laughing Moon Dore pattern. I drew the basic shape of the corset on the mockup and then cut it down and tried it back on. Once I was pleased with the shaping of the top edge I transferred that shape to the pattern and cut it out of the same black moleskin suede I used for the first corset I made. I also cut out a lining of black fabric.

I sewed it together using the method described by another corsetmaker here, except that I had to do some creative finagling with the final seam as I made it a closed back. I stitched bone channels on each seam and midway through each panel, with a channel on either side of the center back seam. I boned the entire thing in heavy-duty cable ties, because they are easy to get at the home improvement store, are fairly flexible, and I was on a short time frame when making this so I didn't have the time to order spiral and flat steel bones. I applied the binding in a quick-and-dirty way, machine sewing it to the inside, folding it over to the outside, and machine stitching close to the edge. The grommets were applied by hand, using a grommet set and mallet.

What I learned: I can make a corset in a very short time frame that looks pretty good and holds up to the test of several hours of wear and dancing in the club.

What I might try next time: I would like to make another under-bust with steel boning.

Final Thoughts: This corset has lasted almost five years, countless club nights, being worn for hours at a time... Awesome!

 

Other Corset Posts:
My First Corset (Black Mid-bust)
Claymore Corsets (White over-bust)
Rikku/Steampunk Corset (Green mid-bust)
Old Pants Deconstructed Corset (Tan under-bust)