Spiral steel boning for dressmaking and corsetry

A while ago I wrote a post about how easy it is to use continuous spiral steel boning when making your couture style boned bodices and bombshell dresses, but I am still dismayed to see on blogs around the internet, that people are finding it hard to use and difficult to cut.

It's not hard, it's easy, and it's effortless, so please spread the word!

and if that doesn't convince you ...

Continuous spiral steel boning is much cheaper 

and more economical to use than pre-cut boning

Here's my tutorial again:

Spiral wire boning is used in corsets and in couture garments for strong boning support.  It is made of steel which has been formed into a continuous spring which has then been flattened.  Because spiral wire boning is a flattened spring, it is extremely flexible and can bend horizontally and vertically (backwards, forwards and sideways), making it perfect for boning over and around curves.

The curvy bone channel goes from side to side as well as up and over

In couture garments, it is used in conjunction with 2 layers of tulle or bobbinet which is a very fine and very strong netting material which when layered together, has no stretch but provides a fine, non bulky foundation for a gown.

a corset looks like a skeleton when held to the light

In corsetry, sprial wire boning is used in conjunction with coutil fabric and often in partnership with flat sprung steel bones which are not as flexible and therefore useful when a firmer, straighter support is required.  Both types of steel boning were invented during the Victorian age and used instead of whalebone because it was cheaper and easier.

Spiral wire boning comes in various different widths, from 4mm-15mm, and various different thicknesses making it possible to 'mix and match' your boning to achieve whichever level of support is required for any particular project.  For instance, you may only need a light 5mm wire to bone a net bodice, but you may need a more robust 7-10mm wire to bone a multi-layer corset for tightlacing.  With all boning, there is flexibility!

All types of boning, whether steel or plastic, comes either in pre-cut lengths or in continuous reels.  It is more economical and much more efficient to buy your steel in a roll and cut it yourself but many people are put off by the supposed requirement for 'brute force' with which to cut it. 

Do not fear!  

Spiral wire boning is easy peasy to cut and tip.  

Here is a tutorial to show you how.

To cut and tip spiral wire, you need a pair of wire cutters, and two pairs of pliers, one of which must have flat edges.

my flat pliers are out of shot!

To cut the boning, you need only snip either side of the wire.  When you have snipped the wire either side of the spring, it will come apart naturally.  

Trim any pokeyouty bits with your wire cutters and then apply a metal end cap and push it on so that it feels quite secure.

Now this is the fiddly part - using both pairs of pliers, you need to squish the end cap onto the wire simultaneously from either side and top and bottom.  Like this:

kindly modelled by Mr Marmalade

Now you have a tip which is compressed onto the end of your wire

BUT ... sometimes, if you make a mistake after inserting the bone into a channel and you need to pull the bone out, the cap can come off in the channel leaving you with a nasty conundrum.  To counter this, I use plumbers tape. It's cheap as chips and less messy than glue.  You just wrap a bit on the join between wire and cap, and this holds it all together perfectly and makes it all a bit smoother.  

Easy when you know how!

And if you're wondering where to buy some of this wonderful stuff ... click here:  Spiral Steel Boning

Corset making - 1911 Edwardian corset

One of the reasons I had to find a bigger workspace is so that I can concentrate more on my corset making business and have dedicated space to see clients for bespoke work.  As you know I'm doing corsetry and vintage inspired fashion.  My new space has enabled much ''freedom of mess'' which as you know is essential to the creative process - I can leave my stuff out  before I go to bed at night, and it's as it was where I left it in the morning .. Essential for not losing ones place in the process.

I've been  experimenting with design, so I took an Edwardian pattern from 1911,  from the book "Corsets and Crinolines" by Norah Waugh, and scaled it up according to the scale given.  The real life measurements are bust: 34, waist 24, hips 39.  I changed the hip gussets, added peplums to give a further illusion of hourglass shape, and took off the suspenders.

I used a reversible spotty Thai silk for the outer fabric, but the strength of this corset comes entirely from the coutil layer underneath the fashion layer.

This is an Edwardian style corset characterised by the curved seaming.  The bone channels are straight and usually would be sewn right over the curved seams (which are lapped) ... however, I don't want bone channel lines to spoil my nice curved lines, so i've hidden the bone channels in the coutil layer.

I'm quite pleased with this result and will be refining the design further in order to make some sort of wedding ensemble...

You can try this pattern yourself, by using one of Ralph Pinks scaled up patterns from the same source. Click HERE for more.

Corsets on the table

Furiously trying to finish my book in time for the November deadline.  I'm nearly there but finding it very hard to keep it simple and understandable for beginners, and yet inspirational for intermediates.  

Here is a double layered silk corset which is one of the corsets featured in the book, proudly modelled by one of Lucy's gorgeous girls.

This is what the boning looks like if you could see it

The next project for the book will be the same shape but using a different technique with different fabrics and embellisments.

Also on the table, I'll be making a corset for a friend soon, here are the ideas i've been playing with in scraps..

Antique corset show and tell at Symingtons

The things which struck me most about the Victorian and Edwardian corsets in the Symington collection, was their lightness, their diversity and the innovation of those who made them.  

All of the corsets, how ever many bones or layers, were extremely lightweight.  Many, though not all, were also very stiff keeping their hourglass shape in their boxes even when laid flat.  This can probably be attributed to the manufacturing process where the finished corset would be strapped onto a copper dolly - like a dress form made of copper - pasted with cold starch and then heated via steam in the dolly.  This heat process would dry the corset into it's final moulded shape.  The thought of pasting one of my painstakingly made creations with cold starch makes me shudder!!!

Not all were stiff though and some would have to be laid flat or stretched out to see how their panels were shaped.  This one above from 1911, has the most beautiful curved panels - there are 4 on each side which are gussetted at the bustline to accommodate the bust.  The shaping of the bottom panel means that no gussets are required to accommodate the hips, while the very curved panel in the middle,  seems to support, or anchor, the structure of the corset.

The Victorians are known for their innovation and corsets are no exception.  Here is one with a slotted back system which is tightened by two straps which enclose the waist on the outside - the straps are pulled around the middle and fastened with a buckle to tighten the corset.  This design therefore does not require eyelets or laces - the usual method of back adjustment for corsets of this period.

The corsets were given structure by a number of materials in combination or otherwise - there were flat steel bones, spiral steel bones, whalebone, cane and cording - all of these different materials, in various different widths, gave different levels of support.  The bones - whatever they were made of, were extremely thin, lightweight and flexible.

These bones strapped to the back of one semi 'de-boned' corset, are made from thin cane with ends dipped in what looked like enamel paint.  They are so thin they are almost cardboard like!

The cording on the corsets was so fine and delicate, but made rigid panels!  It was made on special machines and then cut to shape.  The 'cords' were made from a number of materials from something called Coraline which was made from specially woven vegetable fibres, to paper, to hemp twine.

The insides of the corsets were neat and tidy - no raw edges here.  This is because all the seams were lapped, sometimes through several layers - a popular interlining was hessian.  Whether they were interlined or not, most of the corsets were made of either cotton coutil, lasting, or sateen for the outer fabric, and cotton twill for the lining.

There was little mention of this lovely fan lacing on the museum card attached to this corset.  Fan lacing was thought to add back support to the corset - it is tightened by a strap which buckles at the front.

There were a number of "tropical" or lightweight corsets on display proving that a very wide range of materials, techniques and designs were employed in corsetry.  The corset above was a favourite with many in our group, but the one below, invoked the most 'surprise' because it is made of cotton lawn - a material which would seem far too flimsy to make a firm foundation.

There were many different types of busk fastener on display - straight, conical, spoon, and 'unidentified'!  When the two piece front busk fastener was invented  it revolutionised corset wearing for ladies because being able to fasten/unfasten it at the front prior to lacing,  meant that they no longer needed help getting dressed in the morning.

Unlike our modern corsets today, the bones in Victorian corsets - metal or otherwise - were moulded into shape during the manufacturing process.

Last but not least, my very favourite corset style of the day was the deep plunge corset pictured at the top.  There was an identical style in our display room which was so dilapidated, it was difficult to examine.  Both examples are French and from the period between 1905-1910.  It seems like an utter contradiction to suggest that both look remarkably modern, but they really do!

One day I will try to recreate it

In un-corset related news, stay tuned this week when I have an AMAZING giveaway to tell you about.  It's from Dragonfly Fabrics - click the badge on my left hand side bar to have a guess at what they might be donating to your sewing cause.

All pictures (c) Julia Bremble and displayed with kind permission of Leicestershire County Council Museums Service Symington Collection

My first bridal corset commission - Done!

There has been blood, there has been sweat, there have been tears, there has been swearing, and sobbing and also hystericaly euphorical moments, all of which have contributed to the completion of my first ever paid commission ...

It's been a very very steep learning curve.  Even though I have made lots of corsets and been studying the subject for years,  I have learned more than I could ever have imagined by doing this,  and I have made some wonderful corset making friends along the way, some of whom I'll be meeting on 20 August at the Foundations Revealed field trip to the Symington Collection of Corsets.  Details here.

Luckily today was a beautiful sunny day and so I took her outside for a photo shoot.

Now all I need to do is think of a name for my 'label' ... Any ideas?  Anyone?

Corsetry - My Journey

Over the last few months, I've been doing some very deep research into corset making because as some of you may know, I am writing an e-book on the process for Rainbow Disks and I want to make sure that I document the best way to do things with information taken from a wide source.  Although I have been making and wearing corsets for years, I've developed my own methods of doing so - I am entirely self taught and up until now, I haven't really paid much attention to the ways other people do it.

When I started in corsetry, it was for 'costume' purposes - think "Moulin Rouge"-  inspired by burlesque, theatre, sparkle and beauty, I set about making fancy corsets for myself to wear at parties and clubs.  I discovered that corsetry as an artistic medium was a very varied subject indeed, full of creative possibilities and I soon became totally hooked.  

this one is made with silver rubber!

With each new corset I made, inspiration would flood into my mind for the next and then the next and so on.  It seems that for me - and for lots of other people - corsetry provides a very deep well of artistic inspiration and expression but it wasn't until I started getting much deeper into the subject, after first starting up my business and then joining other online communities specifically for corsetheads,  that I began to pay more attention to the history of corsetry and the historical methods of construction specifically in relation to the archetypal shape of the Victorian corset.

This in turn lead me to frequently ponder the purpose of corsetry both in a historical and a modern context, from the most ancient manifestations which took the form of thick leather belts to suppress the waist, to the most modern lycra 'tubes' which claim to suck you in by as much as 2 sizes!  

There has been alot of negative press about corsetry, especially since Victorian times and also there is alot of misconception and prejudice about the effects of corsetry on women both physically and mentally.

image from here

During the periods when heavily boned, waist reducing corsets were worn routinely,  women were much smaller than we are now, and therefore a 20" waist was nothing out of the ordinary for a young woman - girls wore corsets from a very young age and their skeletons reflected this.  

Yes, a corset can and will squash your insides - if you lace it too tight!  If you tie a scarf too tightly around your neck you run the risk of suffocation!  As with everything, when a corset  is worn responsibly, in any century, it's purpose is to  shape and smooth the body into whichever fashion silhouette is desirable for that time,  and to make the wearer feel good.  Nothing more, nothing less.

Corsets these days are worn by many different people for many different reasons.  I do not subscribe to the view that corsets are (or ever were), 'anti-feminist' and 'opressive' to women nor to the opposite veiw that they are  empowering and totally feminine - unless that is what the wearer wants them to be.

In my opinion, the purpose and effect of corsetry in any time and for any gender, boils down to two things

1) A corset is and always has been a fashion item.

2) Using a corset to enhance or shape one's 'assets' is no more dangerous or oppressive, or uncomfortable, than wearing a pair of high heeled shoes.

Interestingly, Gertie has been talking about corsetry recently and today has struck upon something which I have been thinking for a while myself - and which has inspired this very post.  Gertie quoted from the latest V&A book (which I have reviewed here, and here) a quote from Ereli Lynn, the writer:

"It is only since the 1960s that women have been expected to embody the fashionable ideal by way of diet and exercise and without the aid of foundation garments."

Read here what Gertie has to say on this - she writes about it very eloquently.

The reason I've been thinking about corsets as foundations (as opposed to outer party wear) is that it's my 42nd birthday next week and up until this year, during which I seem to have expanded considerably from a small size 8 to a large size 10 (possibly 12 if i'm brutally honest), my body image has never been a problem for me ... However, middle age spread does seem to be taking it's toll in that I don't eat anything different, and yet the effects of food upon my body are very different!  

Right now, we are possibly talking the difference between Kylie Minogue and Christina Hendricks, although I dont mind my new shape, what I don't like is the lack of control I seem to have over it!  

Excess weight has never been a problem for me and being a firm believer in the Joan Collins philosophy that exercise is bad for you (unless picking up diamonds from the floor),  if I am to take matters into hand, then foundations are the way to go.  To the gym I say No No NO!  

See what I mean? this year and last

And so I have been playing with ideas and fabrics and developing a corset pattern for myself, which I can wear underneath my everyday clothes.  This is the first toile .. more details next time!

For more corsetry material, follow these exciting links:

Livejournal Corsetmakers Community 

corset eye-candy, disccusions, and construction techniques

Foundations Revealed

Subscription site with all sorts of 'insider' info but also some free articles

Antique Corset Gallery

Pics and information on different corset shapes through the ages

Sew Curvy Corsetry

Supplies, tutorials and other interesting info!

Corsetry books in review

I've recently treated myself to 2 corsetty books ... and as both have been mentioned in a number of corset related 'places' on the interweb, I thought i'd write about my take on each ...

The first, and my favourite, is the V&A Museum's "Underwear Fashion in Detail".  All I can say is this.. I bought it during a trip to the V&A in London - the book is only available there at the moment - and when I saw it, I couldn't put it down, far less leave it there!!  I don't want to embarrass myself describing bodily functions,  but .. my heart was pounding with every page I turned!  

It is a BIG book, and so inside, the pictures are big.  A good start!

Written by Eleri Lynn, a fashion curator at the V&A Museum,  the book is not dedicated to corsets alone, but I would say that probably 75% is to do with corsetry in some form or another, be it bra's, girdles, corsets, bodices, bustiers, garters, etc.,

It looks at the evolution of underwear dating from the 16th century, right up to the present including pieces by famous designers through the ages, there are nighties, dressing gowns, slips, socks, stockings and pants included aswell - something for everyone!  And for the corsetmakers out there who consternate over their every stitch,  there is even a Mr Pearl "rush job" which shows what happens when a corset is made in a hurry - even by the best in the business!  

There are more  pictures than writing - each peice is described in detail, with diagrams and one or more photos - some of which are shot very close, giving incredible detail - it's almost like looking at the things up close and in person!

Overall, this book is an Inspiration.  I just love it... every time I look in there, my mind is overwhelmed with ideas.  From my own perspective of one who makes corsets, It's an absolute  MUST HAVE

The other book is less pleasing - from the same perspective as before  that is.  It is the new book by Velda Lauder, Corsets:  A Modern Girls Guide..

I guess it's been written to catch the wave of interest in everything burlesque, and if you are a modern girl who knows nothing about corsets, but wants to find out, then this is definitely the book for you.

It is right up to the minute - including details from London Fashion Week which has only just finished -  hence the long delay between it's apparent availability and eventual delivery.  

It is TINY - handbag size - which I was surprised about but this means that the book is not "comfortable", and the pictures are smaller than I like.   I know this might sound shallow but, size definitely matters here and this book just isn't big enough.    

The pictures, unsurprisingly, are mostly of the author's own corsets. This isn't such a bad thing because she does make lovely corsets with a focus on modern, not historical, but there is no detailed information on the famous and elusive "uber curve".  Although the book also covers historical aspects of corsetry, along with  'modern' corsetry against backdrops of high fashion, couture, burlesque, and fetish, the book doesn't tell me anything I didn't know already as somebody who has been obsessed with corsets for a number of years.

In saying that I am dissapointed with this book,  I am not decrying the author's talent or her eye for a good design, or indeed her ability  - I have been laced into one of her corsets by the woman herself, and I can tell you, that whatever her uber curve is, it works!  Velda Lauder corsets are extremely light, extremely strong, and surprisingly sparsley boned for the 'control' they give and this is why they are a constant source of fascination and inspiration for me.

BUT, in my own humble opinion,  this is not a "Must Have"  book. It doesn't do anything better or more interestingly, that Valerie Steele's "The Corset: A Cultural History" .  However,  for beginners on the path to corset obsession, then it is a pretty book to have and  less 'academic' than others.