In a message dated 8/8/2006 6:20:43 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Good Lord, how complicated!! I make up a corset, in the fabric I intend to use, from a customer's measurements, seam the centre front instead of using a busk, but eyelet the back in the normal way. I fit with the seams on the outside, with plenty of seam allowance. But then I have been doing it for 25 years. ***************** This is what I do. On "Last of the Mohicans" we made up boned mock-up corsets out of muslin using grosgrain ribbon for boning casings, fixed [as in not to be changed] the CF and laced CB and left much seam allowance on the outside when the other seams were based up. This mock up was then fitted. Any changes were marked on the pattern and the real corset of real fabric was then made up from the corrected pattern. The mock up...now taken apart, was covered with a better fabric, sewn up with the seam allowance on the inside, bound, and an extra or day player wore them. Also...for theatre [after my "Mohicans" experience] I would make up the lining of the real corset and bone it, again using ribbon for casings. [An advantage of this is the seam allowances on the outside and the boning on the outside are where they will be in the finished piece.] Then after it was fitted, and corrections marked, the outside fabric would be laid over the lining, now taken apart [but it could be done all put together], with the boning casings [and seam allowances if you want] sandwiched between. Then, using the machine stitched lines of the casings in the lining as a guide, hand stitched the vent lines through all layers to the front. [Now you can put it all back together if it's not already.] You end up with what looks like a hand sewn corset! Perfect for those scenes where you see it. If you don't have time for hand sewing [those already marked straight lines really don't take too long to do...and you can curve the corset a bit as you do it for a really smooth look.] you can just leave it, or do it by machine. I was talking 18th century stays here...where a bone rarely if ever crosses a seam. But you could do it for a 19th century corset too. In fact, later 19th century corsets have the boning casings on the outside. If you use a fancy [but sturdy] ribbon for that, it can look quite fetching. _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
