Corset Q&A (DIY and purchasing)

Ideas and instructions how you can make your own bondage toys.
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bound_jenny
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Corset Q&A (DIY and purchasing)

Post by bound_jenny »

The cost of commercially-made corsets, especially the custom ones (an absolute must for real waist training), is what drives me to make my own. I made my first corset nine years ago, and only started serious waist training two and a half years ago. In all, I have made over a dozen corsets (the first few were crude), so the savings are quite appreciable.

I would suggest that making your own corsets is an economical alternative to buying them, but making a corset requires skill, patience, and a high degree of meticulousness. It will take a few attempts to get the right recipe - and the right appearance. For someone who just wants a nice piece of feminine underwear for occasional wear, for the looks, it's better to buy one that suits one's taste - it will be cheaper than the trial-and-error process of learning the art of corset construction.

In my case, function is more important than appearance. My corsets are not necessarily made to look exceptionally good, they are made first and foremost to be solid enough to relentlessly and unyieldingly mold my body into the shape I want. Since I am progressively reducing my waist and changing my shape, I need to change corsets regularly - so making my own is much more economical (and I can recycle some parts).

Buy what you want, from where you want - eBay is fine, but be sure of what you're getting because you'll have little or no support or advice about what you're purchasing (and little hope of refund). A store is preferable just for the person at the other end who can help you with your selection and make sure you get the right fit, even with an off-the-rack corset.

Jenny.
Last edited by bound_jenny on 26 May 2008, 18:19, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Sam-Ho »

Well, I was wondering how do you make the corset? I can probably make it myself, but seeing as how you have experience in it, it would help to consult someone who's better on the subject
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Post by cdinbonds »

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Post by bound_jenny »

I doubt that my correction corset is what Sam is looking for. :shock:

There are several steps and conditions that are mandatory so a self-made corset fits. The most important one is a question of measurements.

The corset must not only fit horizontally (tightness) but also vertically (neither too long nor too short). If the critical points do not align on the body properly, the corset will not fit properly, and if it is tight, it will be very uncomfortable.

Jenny.
Helplessness is a doorway to the innermost reaches of the soul.
If my corset isn't tight, it just isn't right!
Kink is the spice of life!
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Post by bound_jenny »

I cut my post short earlier - I had to get ready for work.

I'll try to find or make diagrams and post them here, like what to measure and what shape of corset is desired (hourglass is better for beginners than my cone-shaped chest model, etc.), etc.

Jenny.
Helplessness is a doorway to the innermost reaches of the soul.
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Post by cdinbonds »

bound_jenny wrote:I doubt that my correction corset is what Sam is looking for. :shock:
:lol: No, I didn't think it was. But, having read his previous posts about making things, I kind of thought he was creative enough to be able to adapt the basic technique you described to something more in line with what he was thinking about.

On the other hand, I think we all would like a step by step tutorial.
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Post by Sam-Ho »

A step by step tutorial would be very helpful, and it would help save me time rather then enter the "trial and error" phase of making things.
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Post by bound_jenny »

Some basics. Maybe some of you know about this already, but for the benefit of everyone, here they are.

Corsets and history

There has always been some form of corset, mostly for women, throughout history, but the main purpose was bust support, because the bra wasn't invented until about 1889. It wasn't until the middle of the 19th century, or thereabouts, that serious waist constriction became the norm.

The height of waist reduction was in the late 19th century. Any well-to-do lady was waist training since her teens, and the average waist reduction ranged between 6 and 10 inches.

Waist size

It may be astonishing when thinking about a waist of 14 inches, or a reduction of 10 inches, but absolute figures could be misleading, because of individual body frame sizes. A more interesting way of measuring the amount of constriction is hipspring, the difference between the hip and waist measurements. An example from my own figure: my waist is now 22 inches, not very impressive when compared to other ladies with waists of 16 or 18 inches, but considering that my hips measure 38 inches, that is a difference, or hipspring, of 16 inches!

What is an ideal waist size? It all depends on what one wants to do. If serious waist training i.e. "tightlacing" is the goal, then a waist size equal to the size of the upper thigh would be a visually pleasing figure.

For those wishing to just wear a corset occasionally, for romantic occasions, costumes, or cross-dressing, then a reduction of at most 4 inches from the natural waist size is desirable. Any more would be very difficult to endure. In my first couple of weeks of waist training, I was barely able to sustain 4 inches for the minimum four hours I had set each evening. I would have been screaming bloody murder had I tried anything tighter.

Tightlacing

Another word for waist training, but a little more evocative. Tightlacing is first and foremost a commitment, not just wearing something that feels tight. It is a long-term commitment to wearing a corset as long as possible in order to not just reduce the waist but reshape the body. It requires patience, discipline and perseverance to slowly work down the waist and reshape the chest, and to get accustomed to having one's body continuously pressed tightly into a very, very sexy shape. The feeling itself is highly sensual.

Tightlacers do not remove their corsets for extended periods. If I were to stop, now, in a week most of what I have accomplished in the past two and a half years would be lost and I would have to start practically from scratch. Ideally, tightlacers only remove the corset for taking a shower or bath, or changing corsets.

Next post, corset anatomy and materials.

Jenny.
Helplessness is a doorway to the innermost reaches of the soul.
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Post by bound_jenny »

Corset anatomy

1. Busk

This is a long metal plate, either a single piece, in the case of a corset that is closed in front, or a pair of interlocking plates, in the case of a corset that is open in front. Its primary function is to keep the corset straight and stiff over the belly. In both the single-piece and interlocking busks, the plates are inserted between the fabric layers. The interlocking busk has hooks on one side and loops on the other, which protrude from openings in the fabric.

The busk prevents the corset from buckling in front and creating a sharp inward curve at the waistline - which can be very uncomfortable.

Some busks have a spoon-shaped lower section to control the belly, but this is optional and not really necessary.

Usually, the busk is straight, but in some cases, it curves inward at the belly. There are conflicting views on the health aspects of the curved busk, but my personal preference is the straight one - it is more comfortable overall, and I find it very pleasing to have a nice, flat belly.

My busk system is a single aluminum alloy plate, with two parallel sets of drilled and tapped (6-32 thread) holes into which I put short (3/8") round head screws, heads inside. The screws pass through eyelets in the front of the corset, over which I place 6-32 acorn nuts.

Image Image

I got this idea from one custom corsetmaker's site, but adapted it to use inexpensive hardware. It looks weird, but as I already mentioned, my corsets have one function only - to relentlessly press my body into the shape I want. Looking good is ancillary.

Under most clothing, the bumps from the acorn nuts don't even show. If I want to eliminate the bumps, I remove all the nuts and screws and put in a set of 6-32 flat-head screws from the front - the conical heads recess nicely into the eyelets and voila!

2. Boning

The other stiffening device used in corsets (and other "foundation" undergarments) is boning. Bones are long strips of flexible material that bends in and out but not side to side (preferably). Early bones were made of baleen, or whalebone, the stuff that whales have in the mouth to filter out their food. Hence the name "bones". Later, steel was introduced as an economical alternative to baleen.

An interesting anecdote about the demise of corsets: apparently, corsets went out of use during World War I partly because of steel requirements for the war. By some estimates, about 27000 tons of steel was saved alone in corset boning, enough to build a very heavy cruiser or battleship! Of course, other factors influenced the abandonment of corsets, not just building a battleship from corset boning...

I found a very economical and readily available alternative to steel in the form of nylon cable ties, or zip ties. Long ones are sold, up to 48 inches long, and they are about 1/4 to 3/8 inch wide.

Bones are either sandwiched between the inner and outer layers of fabric, or inserted in dedicated channels sewn onto the inside or outside of the corset. When sewn onto the outside of the corset, the channels are often of a contrasting fabric to accent the lines.

How many bones are necessary? It all depends on what you want. Some corsets must be very stiff and so have lots of bones, the limit is how many one can place side by side at the waist. Also, there are bones to either side of the lacing eyelets, in the back, to help keep the edges straight.

3. Laces

This is where the action is. The appropriate way to tighten the laces is to work from the bottom up to the waist, and then from the top down to the waist, progressively tightening and repeating the process until the desired tightness is achieved. Ideally, the spacing between the opposing sides is even; this helps avoid distorting the bones that are to either side of the eyelets.

The eyelets are preferably the two-piece type; the single-piece eyelets split into six or more tabs when pounded, which can catch in the laces and fray them, tear the corset fabric, or make lacing and unlacing the corset a real pain in the gluteus maximus.

Corset shapes

1. Hourglass

The most common one for basic, "bedroom" corsets. The hourglass shape is pleasing and conforms readily to the female figure, or gives a feminine figure to the crossdresser with minimum discomfort.

2. Conical

Basically an inverted cone section down to the waist, then a curved hip section, sort of like an ice cream cone stuck point first into a scoop of ice cream. This is my preferred corset shape and the one most encountered in tightlacing. The hourglass can only go so far in waist reduction before it looks ridiculous.

The ribs are surprisingly malleable and can be reshaped with time and patience.

3. Stem waist

Some corsets, especially the conical-chest ones, have what's called a stem, which is basically how wide the waist band is before the chest section begins to widen. I try to build in a stem of 2 inches in my corsets.

That's enough for now.

Jenny.
Helplessness is a doorway to the innermost reaches of the soul.
If my corset isn't tight, it just isn't right!
Kink is the spice of life!
Come to the Dark Side - we have cookies!
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Post by CristyCream »

found this site in the US

http://www.meschantes.com/

They seem to offer a lot of options. they also sell on ebay for a lot less
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Post by bound_jenny »

Fabrics and materials

Corsets are usually made of a fabric called "coutil", which is a type of twill that is specially made for corsets. Any fabric could do, as long as it is strong and most importantly, does not stretch. Any stretch would defeat the purpose of the corset. And if the fabric is fragile, it could tear where the seams are and the corset will come apart.

I usually use two layers, between which I can sandwich the bones. It's a simple matter to sew the two layers together before assembling the panels, the stitches for the bone channels serving to hold the two layers together. One can either use the same strong fabric for both layers, or use an inner layer of strong fabric and use a decorative fabric for the outer layer.

To sew and hold the thing together, strong thread is required. I use upholstery thread, a thick, very strong one I first discovered long ago when looking for something to sew buttons back onto garments (all buttons I reattached with this are still on).

The eyelets, especially for the laces, must be of the two-piece type. The single-piece type split into "flowers" once pounded/clamped in place, which can definitely snag and fray the laces and eventually damage the fabric where they are installed. If this happens, one must either put in a larger eyelet or remove and replace the entire panel. I use standard brass 1/4 inch eyelets made by Dritz or Tailorform and available in any fabric store or, to my surprise, in the fabric department at Wal-Mart.

Lacing cord can be any thin, strong cord or rope. I found some ideally suited flat cord in the camping supplies department at Canadian Tire, a store that has just about everything from auto parts to kitchen sinks to sports equipment. I can get about 100 feet for $7. A typical corset, in my case, uses from 35-45 feet of cord.

Bones, as mentioned in a previous post, must be flexible yet stiff so they bend in and out but not side to side. Large nylon cable ties are an inexpensive alternate to spring steel corset bones.

Jenny.
Helplessness is a doorway to the innermost reaches of the soul.
If my corset isn't tight, it just isn't right!
Kink is the spice of life!
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Post by Sam-Ho »

Amazing posts. I think I can get most of whats needed at local stores, but I don't think any local sewing shops are for actual hardcore sewing.
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Post by obansmw »

My wife tryed a very nice and expensive one a coupple of years ago, and got immeiately hooked. A german rdlf.com for about $300. I became curious and decided to make one by myself.

The net gave me a working description wich I cant find for the moment. (Try Long Island Staylaced Associations link page.) I made a very nice and comfortable custom made corset from some left over furniture fabric and sheeting. Two layers.

A heavy zipper and boneing, doubble plastic of the kind used to stabilate skirts, from the local store. The cost was about $20. The zipper works realy well since the custom fitting eavens out the forces.

The main idea for making a pattern was to use an left over t-shirt and a roll of broad masking tape. Lace you up whith the tape and then cut it apart in as many panels you need. If someone are interested to try I can describe the process deeper.
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Post by bound_jenny »

Sam-Ho wrote:I don't think any local sewing shops are for actual hardcore sewing
What is hardcore sewing? Sewing is easy if you think about what your next move is first. It's a little tedious at first, but eventually it becomes second nature.

Obansmw: I never use zippers because of the strain my corsets (and myself) endure. For a corset worn occasionally, with little or no stress on it, a zipper is fine. But sewing a zipper properly into a garment is a lot harder than setting eyelets and laces.

Here is a diagram of the basic measurements needed to design a corset:

Image

It may be a little sparse, as many corset makers ask for many more measurements, but over time, I have found that these are the most useful and that the rest are either unimportant or quickly go by the wayside in reality or with artistic licence.

The lengths are just as important as the girths, for if the corset is to fit properly, the points of measurement on your body must coincide with the same points on the corset.

For a basic, occasional wear corset, or for a first training corset (for tightlacing), the waist size must not be smaller than four inches less than the natural waist size, i.e. if your natural waist is 30, you must not make the corset any smaller than 26 inches.

The hips need not be smaller, and the chest (under bust and nipples) need not be more than one or two inches less, if at all (in the case of occasional corset wearing).

The stem, or straight part at the waist, is optional. It doesn't need to be any more than two inches, or the corset will never fit properly (the lower ribs will get in the way).

Next post, calculating a pattern from the measurements.

Jenny.
Helplessness is a doorway to the innermost reaches of the soul.
If my corset isn't tight, it just isn't right!
Kink is the spice of life!
Come to the Dark Side - we have cookies!
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Post by allchainedup »

There are quite a few sites on ebay specializing in fetish corsetry. They all seem to be reasonably priced. I think that the corsets are made in Pakistan. Yes, the global economy has finally outsourced our kinkiness...
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