Corset Q&A (DIY and purchasing)

[bound_jenny]

For those who don't want to get their hands dirty and/or punctured (sewing machine hazards), buying one is fine, for occasional wear or for someone who doesn't want a custom one.

I like to make my corsets myself, and a lot of others do too, hence this thread. There is no substitute for making something with one's own hands. I just can't get any satisfaction by throwing money (or plastic) at a problem I could solve myself and have fun doing it.

Jenny.

[bound_jenny]

Nine years ago today, I made and put on my first "Victorian" style corset - and got hooked.

Even if it took six and a half years of occasional corset wearing before I started serious waist training, that first time of being snugly enclosed in that unyielding prison of cloth and metal was an eye-opening experience, and led me to where I am today, and where I am going in the future.

The first corset I made was three weeks earlier, and was an Elizabethan type, that doesn't constrict but supports, especially the bust (they had no bras back then). That also was an eye-opener, but Victorian Corset Number One was the clincher.

One thing is for sure, nine years ago, a twenty-two inch waist as a pie-in-the-sky dream. Today, after two and a half years of patient work, monstrous self-discipline (diet), and dogged determination, it is a reality. Two more inches left to go before I hit my goal of 20 inches. I'm not setting any target date for that because any number of variables can throw that off. The last inch took eight months.

Another thing is sure: I'm not the only one who likes my figure!

Jenny.

[CristyCream]

Pictures Jenny Pictures

[bound_jenny]

Cristy, there are several pictures posted here, including this one from my correction corset construction thread:

http://forum.boundanna.net/forum/viewto ... c&start=60

Also here is a photo of my current waist in my regular, daily wear corset:

http://forum.boundanna.net/forum/viewto ... ight=#8721

Jenny.

[Sam-Ho]

Simply wow. Had I just looked at those pics without reading anything else, I would have just went 'WTF HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE'

[bound_jenny]

'WTF HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE'

That's what the eyes of a lot of people say when they see my waist.

Then the other obvious signs:

- Running into a lamp post or some other fixed object.
- Getting the tongue run over by a passing bus.
- Stumbling off the sidewalk's edge.
- Squirrels running in and out of gaping mouths, storing their nuts for the winter.
- Bruises in men's ribs in the exact shape of their wives' elbows.



Jenny.

[ponylady]

- Running into a lamp post or some other fixed object.

been there, done that. i can tell you it is not a pleasurable, masochistic expereince. required 30 stitches on my forehead.

[bound_jenny]

required 30 stitches on my forehead.

Hmmm, your head must resemble a baseball...

Jenny.

[bound_jenny]

Well, I might as well get started with the basics about the pattern.

Referring to the measuring diagram I posted back on May 30th (please scroll back a few posts to find it), the sizes at all five levels (overbust, underbust, waist, stem and hips) need to be defined first.

My corsets are a little thick, so I need to remember that once wrapped around me, the inside is a little smaller, about an inch, than the actual total width of cloth, i.e. if I measure out 26 inches of fabric, I will actually get 25 inches under the corset, inside. That's because the corset, once worn, describes a circle, with an inner radius and an outer radius. Simple geometry.

Now to some rules that constrain my patterns:

- The waist (and stem) and underbust I consider as symmetrical, i.e. they can be easily described as circles and thus both front and back are essentially the same there.
- The overbust level is basically the same as the underbust, except for some allowance in front for the breasts (I usually put in 4-6 inches extra in front), and a slightly larger size (since it is an extension of the tapering up from the waist).
- The hips are similar to the overbust, but backwards - the extra allowance needs to be in the back. For me, that's about two inches.
- The hips are not compressed. They may be snugly enclosed, but not constricted. Constricted hips are painful.
- All my corsets based on my master design have eight panels, four to a side.

Simplified, I end up with two truncated cones joined at the waist, then I add curves and bulges (the ones you gents are so fond of playing with).

To be continued.

Jenny.

[bound_jenny]

Tight-waisted inspiration of mine, Annalai, has put up another gallery of her astonishing figure in action:

http://www.retroxotique.com/photos/Cele ... Lai/4.html

So if some of you think my figure is eye-popping, there's something that will blow your eyeballs right out of your head.

And that's the kind of figure I'm aiming for, with time and patience.

Jenny.

[Sam-Ho]

Wow. Simply wow. I think if I saw her rl, I'd trip and fall face flat from the shock. Thats simply amazing.

[Amy_Tenchi]

I've been trying to make one with eyelets, and i seem to have 2 problems. One, my eyelet puncher is from the 18th century or somthing, its getting rusted and I think theres an eyelet jammed onto it that won't come off...that could be a problem.

Any suggestions on a puncher, as well as HOW exactly to work the contraption? Also, is interfacing helpful to hold the eyelets in and keep them from ripping?

[bound_jenny]

I've got two eyelet gizmos, one only punches the holes (left) and the other (right) does both the hole and smooshes the eyelet:



The one on the right has one drawback, its short reach. I can only punch holes a short distance "inland" from the edge. That's why I use the one on the left to punch the holes. But its drawback is that it dulls relatively quickly (well, with my corset production rate, it's no surprise...) but it could be sharpened with a fine rat-tail file. The one on the right doesn't dull, though.

Just be sure that the "smoosher" fits the eyelets. In any case, I buy eyelets that come with their own little pounding tool in the package, so I don't worry anymore about the eyelets not fitting the tool. Smack that with a hammer 2-3 times and voila.

Another tip: use two-part eyelets. They are of much better quality than the single-part ones, and they don't split flower-like behind - those sharp edges will fray your laces to shreds in a second. The two-part eyelets also have better resistance to being pulled out and will not damage the fabric either.

Any sort of reinforcement, like interfacing, bias tape, etc., helps to hold the eyelets in place and provides greater resistance to ripping because the load is split between the fabric layers and the interfacing.

Jenny.

[Grinser]

an additional benefit of the left one would be that you can use it to punch holes that are slightly smaller than the eyelets, so that they have more material to hold on to. I once used the device on the right to fix a boot that had lost some eyelets and I found that the new ones would quickly widen the hole if under stress and fall out. The eyelets and the device were bad quality though, maybe that sort of thing does not happen with slightly more expensive tools.

[RADER]

I WAS ABLE TO GET A REAL LACE UP CORSET, BELOW THE BUST TYPE FROM A PLACE CALED LANE BRYANT IN THE U.S. THE COST WAS REASONABLE AT ABOUT $ 35.00 U.S.
IT ONLY TOOK A WEEK TO SHIP, AND IS A LOT EASER THAN MAKING YOUR OWN. THEY HAVE SEVERAL TYPES TO CHOES FROM,AND SIZES
GO UP TO 5X ( ABOUT SIZE 56 ) TRY IT OUT.