Corset Q&A (DIY and purchasing)

Ideas and instructions how you can make your own bondage toys.
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Charlie tuna
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Post by Charlie tuna »

@Jenny

Thanks for the reply and the link.

That is a very informative site.

Thanks from Copperlady and myself once again.
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Post by iBorg »

When I first found this site, I was trying to learn about rope bondage. After looking at several of the threads, I read this sticky on making your own corset. I’ll admit corsets have a way of piquing my interest so I read each page, many twice. I also read Jenny’s thread about her correction corset. Jenny has shared a lot of information that is very useful. I learned a lot and knew I COULD make a corset. I also realized that there was a lot I needed to know to make a functional corset.

I pm’ed Jenny and asked her several questions. I’ve asked Jenny if it would be okay to share bits of our conversation.

I'm finding your corset tutorial inspiring. I wonder what my wife would say about his and hers?

(Jenny) Your wife might find that a corset is very enjoyable to wear. I had no idea until I tried one and that was a revelation. Not everyone reacts the same way. I suppose that it's a question of introducing someone to it gently. Some people want nothing to do with corsets, though they have never even tried one, or even touched one.



What type of material are you using? Is there a US equivalent that can be easily found? Maybe a heavy muslin?

(Jenny) Coutil is a special kind of twill that is specifically made for corsetry - it does not stretch in any direction. Any fabric that doesn't stretch or otherwise give when tension is put on it will suffice.

My additional research indicates that cotton duck or drill fabric is a very good substitute for the coutil which is available from several on line vendors that service corsetiers. Most on line tutorials (and there are several good ones) suggest not using fancy fabrics for anything more than a decorative corset. For serious waist training or posture control, either the coutil or duck or drill appears to be the best choice.

I do not have the goal of waist reduction. I just view this as an intimate self bondage device. I figure I'd only be able to wear it about one or two days a month As a male, what design would you recommend?

(Jenny) As for your corset requirements, I suggest that you don't exceed four inches of reduction, which about what most uninitiated people can tolerate for short periods. An underbust design (i.e. the top edge just about where a bra band would be) will also do just fine.

But beware! It's addictive.



In looking at Underbust designs, is it something such as this designed for an A cup? Such as the one here: http://www.elizabethancostume.net/corsets/pattern.html

(Jenny) That is exactly where I took the pattern for my first corset back in 1999! Cool

However, that corset is not for shaping the body - it will not give a sexy, feminine hourglass figure. It will shape the chest, from the waist up, into a cone - which was all the fashion rage back in Queen Elizabeth I's time (late 16th century). The hourglass figure wasn't en vogue before the 19th century.

Also, it's totally useless if you don't have boobs. They're also for breast support, since the bra wasn't invented until 1889 and not patented until 1914 (which, not by coincidence, was just about when corsets went out of fashion, alas).


Another consideration is this one: http://darkdiy.blogspot.com/2008/01/sex ... orset.html.

(Jenny) I like her approach to making the pattern. Had I stumbled across this one for my first Victorian corset (also back in 1999), I would have used this method.

If you were to make your own corset, as a first-timer, I would recommend this method. Though I would avoid cutting up plastic jugs for bones - the edges are sharp and not just any plastic will do. I experimented with sheet plastic a while back and it just didn't work. It wasn't stiff enough and once bent, it stayed bent. I recommend long nylon cable ties (check out my correction corset thread on how to cut and prepare them). They're tough, resilient, cheap, and easy to work with.

Important note: the bald young lady does commit one gigantic error: corsets should never, ever be laced in front. There should be a stiff busk (with the studs and loops) joining the front. She's fortunate that her corset is not very tight, or she would be complaining high and shrilly about how the corset bends in at the waist and digs into her. The stiff metal busk also contributes to posture correction. If you make Dark DIY's corset correctly (i.e. with a busk in front and properly prepared bones), you'll have a very nice garment that will shape your body pleasantly into an hourglass shape, improve your posture dramatically, and restrict your mobility somewhat.

And it feels darn sexy, too!


How many stays would you recommend? My goal is to restrict my movements while enhancing my posture.

(Jenny) As for the number of stays/bones (cable ties, as above), I wouldn't exceed two per panel on the sides. In the back, near the lacings, there should be one bone on either side of the eyelets (to help keep the edges straight when pulling the laces). Too many bones and you'll get pressure points which are very uncomfortable on the novice.


As I mentally prepare a shopping list, I thank Bound Jenny for opening my eyes t the possibilities that this type of restriction offers.

iBorg
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bound_jenny
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Post by bound_jenny »

A little Christmas present for all you loyal subjects... :wink:

Here's my latest creation, and in my opinion, the best-looking one yet:
TheCorset.jpg
(the thud you just heard was cdinbonds falling off his chair :P )

This replaces the one I made two years ago - and regrettably doesn't fit anymore :( ... It's just as tight (21 inches), but far more comfortable because it's derived from my master pattern (the old one is pre-master pattern).

It's a tad lumpy over the hips (the little bump on the right side in the photo) but that will be removed once the corset is broken in. The shape of the chest is perfect! And it feels absolutely awesome - tight, unyielding, stiff and crisp to the touch. Oh, bliss... :D

So far I am wearing it in 4-5 hour stretches, but not overnight yet. There is a little phenomenon called bloating that can wake me up very painfully around 1:00 or 1:30 a.m. if I'm wearing a very tight corset. It's better to sleep with a slightly looser corset at night, and tighten up in the morning.

Slow down when you go around these curves! :lol:

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 iBorg »

Jenny:
I'm so jealous. In looking at it, I'm having a hard time seeing all the boning. I see the boning by the busk but not the sides.

I hope to have mine done right after the first. We're on the road until then.

Mike
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cdinbonds
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Post by cdinbonds »

OOWWWW..............my head! (warn me before You do that!):shock:

And i didn't get You anything!:oops:

Thank You Mistress Jenny. That may be the best present this year! :wink:
There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.
The beatings will continue until morale improves.
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons - for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.
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Post by bound_jenny »

cdinbonds wrote:OOWWWW..............my head! (warn me before You do that!):shock:

And i didn't get You anything!:oops:

Thank You Mistress Jenny. That may be the best present this year! :wink:
You are very welcome, my dear slave... :wink:

As for warning you before I display my Divine Figure, no. It wouldn't be as much fun. :P

And it's my job to torture my slaves. :twisted:

Now back on track before this thread deteriorates... :lol:

Since this is a DIY thread, I might as well post details about how this corset is constructed. And since a picture is worth a thousand words (plus a bump on the head for good measure :P ), here is a detailed look at one half of the corset:

Image

@iBorg: the first picture is the rear of the corset, with the lacings (I don't violate my own rules!). The busk goes into the row of eyelets on the right side of the detailed photo above, which would be in front. The busk is missing in the photo because it's now on a corset I'm wearing - the biggest advantage of this busk is that I can transfer it between corsets, reducing the amount of work I put into hardware. This busk is also used in my correction corset.

The pinkish-red marks I added at the bottom of the photo indicate the placement of the bones. Note that there is one bone between the lacing eyelets and the edge (at left), and two rows to the right of the lacing eyelets. This reinforces the back edge so it doesn't warp too much when pulling in the laces.

The eyelets at right are only boned to one side, and are inserted right at the edge of the front panel. The busk plate screws go through those eyelets and acorn nuts are placed over them, locking the corset closed. Use a socket to tighten them, but turn the socket by hand. Tightening the nuts too much will crush the eyelets (no dirty jokes please... :? ).

The side panel bones are placed in the center of the panels. Many corsets have them next to the seams, which makes them difficult to alter: one has to remove the bones before doing anything, and then recreate new bone casings from the seam allowance - a lot of bleeping work.

With the bones in the center of the panels, it's as easy as putting the corset through the sewing machine, ramm-ramm-ramm!, and it's done in under fifteen minutes.

Then I can spend more time wearing my corsets (and dumping people off their chairs :P ).

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 cdinbonds »

bound_jenny wrote:You are very welcome, my dear slave... :wink:

As for warning you before I display my Divine Figure, no. It wouldn't be as much fun. :P

And it's my job to torture my slaves. :twisted:

Now back on track before this thread deteriorates... :lol:
You're right of course, Mistress. (Mistresses are always right :wink:) And Divine is the right word for those curves! :D (We need a "drooling" emoticon!)

Looking at the detailed picture, it's easy to see the high level of craftsmanship. If You ever need a second source of income, You could easily go in business making corsets. You are obviously a skilled seamstress. And a wonderfully evil Mistress! :twisted:
There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.
The beatings will continue until morale improves.
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons - for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.
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Post by bound_jenny »

That's so sweet of you, CD! Thank you! :oops:

Indeed, my skill has improved quite a bit since my first corset nearly ten years ago (yes, ten years, the last three in real waist training). And with my master pattern, I'm spending less time designing and more time actually making my corsets. And with each corset, I learn more.

It will be some time before I venture into making corsets for others. That's a tricky business - pleasing a customer is a lot harder than it seems.

However, in educating people on the true nature of corsets and on how to make their own corsets, I derive a great satisfaction. As the saying goes, give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day. Show him how to fish, and he'll be able to feed himself for life.

Reflecting on the past three years, the anniversary being January 9th, I find it amazing how I have changed physically and mentally.

Tightlacing is a commitment, a way of life, and a very effective method for cultivating patience and self-discipline. You need an iron will to stick to the program. One also learns that the corset and the body work together - you can't fight either one, you have to learn to go with the flow, as it were. Patience, perseverance, and self-discipline.

Physically, it helped me lose nearly 50 lbs in ten months (you don't overeat when you're wearing a tight corset) and kept them lost, made my periodic and debilitating backaches a thing of the past, and I am in better shape now than I have been in the past twenty years, or more.

I realized that it took fourteen months to squeeze the last two inches out of my waist. When I first started waist training, the first two inches were gone in the first two months! Mind you, the diet helped.

I've also realized, in the last three years, that the myths surrounding corsets are, in Mythbusters parlance, totally busted. They do not make you weak and frail. They do not suck the life out of you. They don't wreck your health. They don't mess up your back. They don't prevent you from breathing. They do not impede physical activity - well, maybe a little... Yoga is definitely out. But who needs yoga when a good struggle in a nice, strict hogtie does just fine? :twisted:

Here's to a successful year of tightlacing, and maybe, just maybe by this time next year, I can post another picture of yet another, tighter corset, this time at 20 inches.

So, cdinbonds (and anyone else who might be interested), I suggest you go out and get some padded mats to put on the floor next to your computer station before the year is out. Or tie yourself to the chair. :wink:

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 RADER »

bound_jenny

Wow You are a master craftsman (craftswoman) I wish I had tallent
in fabrics like you have. Rader :D
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Post by Grinser »

I have to admit that I am having a hard time imagining a real person with a waist like the pictures suggest standing in front of me. The shape seems to be impossible.
Good to hear that the corset helped you get rid of your back pain, my bodybuilding did the same thing for me. I actually see a lot of similarities between your development and mine. The gym helped me to get (back) into shape, makes me feel healthier and more attractive and gives my mind power over the shape and limits of my body. Although it takes a lot of time and effort to keep it going, I would not want to miss it ever again.
I get the impression you feel similar about your waist training.
You have my respect for your dedication to your passion (calling it a hobby feels like blasphemy to me) as well as for the remarkable skill you show in creating your corsets.
There is a beast inside man that should be exercised, not exorcised.
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Post by bound_jenny »

Grinser, you are a gentleman! Thank you! :D

Your comparison may be correct, about the similar motives between your bodybuilding and my waist training. It's a question of having control over one's body, and spending time and effort to mold one's self into a shape that is pleasing to both one's self and others. Both activities cultivate the qualities I enumerated earlier - patience, perseverance, and self-discipline.

Add the elation and satisfaction of creating things with my own hands, and yes, you may call it a passion.

And congratulations to you for your efforts in bodybuilding. 8)

@Rader - And a hearty thank you to you too! My passion, as Grinser correctly labels it, fueled my talent. Like everyone, I started sewing from scratch, zero, the beginning. My first corsets were crude, but with each new garment, improvements and innovations were introduced, mistakes committed and lessons learned, until this day, and likely there are still things to be learned in the future. The one I am wearing now, the one in the photo, is the sum total of all that.

Corsets also gave me the impetus to delve into other skills, such as messing around with metal and tools - which obviously has more applications than just corsets. I put my mind and my heart into it, and I learned it. You should have heard me giggle with glee when I tapped my first hole and threaded a screw into it. :lol:

BTW, I slept in my new corset last night, leaving it a little loose. Right after I got up, I tightened it all the way, completely closed in the back.

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 Kaleada »

Image Nice Jenny! Image
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bound_jenny
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Post by bound_jenny »

Thank you! :D

I just love your little smily that falls off the chair. Reminds me of someone... :lol:

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 cdinbonds »

HEY........ i resemble that remark! :wink:
There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.
The beatings will continue until morale improves.
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons - for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.
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Post by Kaleada »

Image That one was for cdinbonds.
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