What you will need…

• Fashion Fabric - 1 yard

• Coutil Fabric - 1 yard

• Busk - 10 inch

• Boning - 3/8 steel, 5 yards

• Boning Tips - 18

• Lacing - 4.5 yards

• Grommets size 00 - 22

Instructions below.

Instructions for Making the Westwood Underbust Corset

• Two-layer construction method

• ½ inch seam allowance

• New 90/14 needle 

• I buy all my supplies from Corset Making Supplies

1. Determine your size and cut out the paper pattern pieces.

2. Cut 4 of each pattern piece (2 from fashion fabric and 2 from coutil (the stiff lining fabric). Using a ruler to make sure each piece is on the ‘straight of grain’. Also if you have patterned fashion fabric put some thought into what pattern will be on each piece. It usually easier to pattern match along the front edge and the back edge (because they are straight). Curved edges are near impossible to pattern match but I usually try to go with some kind of pattern ‘flow’.

3. Carefully cut the notches on each pattern piece. Notches are very important when making corsets. Corset pieces, once cut, look very similar. Notches ensure that you are sewing the correct pattern pieces together.

4. Collect all 4 pattern pieces for each numbered section. Pin the paper pattern piece to each stack. Organization is key here.

Insert the busk

1. I always do this part first because it's the hardest and if it goes wrong you can start again. The loop part of the busk should be on the right side of the finished corset. The raised knobs on the left side.

2. Locate the pieces number 1. Take the two right side pieces (one of fashion fabric, one of coutil) and pin them right sides together along the long straight edge. 

3. Place the side of the busk with the loops on it on top of the two pieces. Center the busk side so that there is ½ inch seam allowance at the top and bottom of the busk. The edge of the loops should be aligned with the raw edge of the fabric.

4. Using a Frixon pen (or other disappearing marker) draw a line down the look side of the busk, skipping over the loops. You’ll end up with a broken line once you remove the busk. Remove the busk.

5. Sew along the line you have made back stitching just before you get to the break. Raise your presser foot and advance to the next part of the line. Back stitch again and continue along the line. Do this all the way to the end of the line. I don’t cut the thread until the end because it saves time but you can cut the threads each time if you like.

6. Press the seam open. Insert the busk loops through the gaps in the seam from the wrong side. Fold the pieces so the wrong sides are together. Now your busk (the loop side) is encased in the right side of your corset.

7. Using a zipper foot, and on the fashion side of your fabric, create a topstitch that is as close to the edge of the busk as possible. This will secure the busk in place and create a neat finish for the front of your corset.

8. Pin the remaining number 1 pieces together with the right sides together. Sew down the straight front edge using a ½ inch seam allowance. Press the seam open.

9. Place the completed right side and the left side next to each other with the loops overlapping the left side. Using the Frixon pen mark in the center of each loop. This is where the knobs of the busk will poke through. 

10. Using an awl gently push a hole in the fashion fabric of the left side where you made the marks. The goal here is to separate the fibres to make a hole big enough for the knobs to go through, not to snap the fibres. A tapered awl works best. At first it will seem like the knob will not go through the hole but with a little manipulation it will. Do this for all the knobs on the busk.

11. Using a zipper foot make a top stitch down the outer edge of the busk, securing it in place.

Assemble the Corset

1. Next locate the pieces numbered 2. Take one lining piece and one fashion fabric piece. Pin the fashion fabric piece right sides together to the fashion fabric piece you have already sewn. Matching notches. Pin the lining piece number 2 to the lining piece you have already sown. Matching notches. You will end up with a kind of sandwich with two fashion fabric pieces (right sides together) on the top. And two lining pieces (right sides together) on the bottom.

2. Sew all four pieces together using a ½ inch seam allowance. Clip the curves and press the seam open. Press from the front and back to create smooth seam.

3. Assemble the other pieces of the corset in the same way until you have all 6 pieces attached. Use a tailor’s ham to press the seams that are very curved and you will start to see the shape of the corset.

4. When you get to the back edge of the corset finish this edge by folding in the fashion fabric and the lining fabric by a ½ inch. Use a seam guide and press. Match the folded edges and topstitch 1/16 from the edge. Your corset is now assembled.

Add Boning to the Corset

1. Topstitch 1/16 from all the seams.

2. Make the boning channels by stitching ⅜ inch away from the topstitching you just created. There are many different ways to do this. Some people measure and draw a line with a Frixon pen or chalk. Others thread stitch the line and then stitch it. I prefer to find some way to eye-ball it as I stitch. Or you can use a stitch guide attachment for your presser foot.  For example, if I use my straight stitch foot and move the needle all the way over to the right (away from the topstitch) that’s about ⅜ inch. It doesn’t matter how you do it but the goal here is to create channels that are the same width every time.

3. On the pattern you will see dashed lines on pieces 4, 5 & 6. These denote extra boning channels that will be in the middle of those pieces. Again it’s up to you how you measure this but I usually measure from an existing channel, pin stitch and then use this line to create another one ⅜ inch away.

4. On piece number 6 (center back) leave ¾ inch between the two boning channels. This is where the grommets will sit.

5. Once all the boning channels have been created, insert your boning making sure to leave ½ inch seam allowance at the top and bottom of each channel

6. You can either buy pre-cut straight or spiral metal boning, or cut your own pieces from a length of spiral metal boning. I tend to cut my own because its cheaper and then bind the edges with plumber’s tape.

Create Grommets

1. Mark the placement of your grommets. Make sure they are centered in the ¾ inch that you have left for grommets and also that they are equidistant from each other.

2. Place the top grommet 1 inch from the top of your corset. Then each grommet ¾ inch away. I can usually fit 10 grommets on each side.

3. Use your preferred method to create holes for your grommets. I then apply a small amount of Fray Check (a liquid fabric glue) to ensure that the raw edges don’t fray. It dries transparent and so won’t be visible on the finished product.

4. Then press your grommets into place.

Add Binding to your Corset

1. To add binding you can either use ready-made binding or you can make your own. I tend to make my own. Sometimes if you try to use the fashion fabric you will find that it’s too thick to use. I usually buy a contrasting high-quality cotton fabric and use a binding maker to make bespoke binding lengths. 

2. Cut a piece of fabric on the bias (at a 45 degree angle to the straight of grain). The reason we cut it on the bias is to give it some flexibility around the curves of the corset. If you make the piece 2” wide then this will give you a piece of binding that is ½ wide when attached to the finished corset.

3. Pin the binding onto the wrong side of the corset and stitch on. I usually hand-crank the machine carefully around the bones to avoid broken needles.

4. Flip the binding to the outside of the corset. Arrange the ends so that they are tucked in neatly (this is quite fiddly but persevere it’s worth it!). And topstitch the binding in place making sure to cover the last line of stitching.

   
   

How to Lace Your Corset

1. Take your 4.5 yards of lacing and fold it in half to find the middle. Put a pin where the mid point is. Next thread each end through the top holes in the corset (see photo). Making sure the pin is centred between each grommet.

2. Next lace the corset like you would do a shoe down to the waist point.

3. At the waist point you need to create the ‘ears’ that you will pull to tighten the corset. On each side instead of bringing the lace over to the other side, this time lace it through the grommet directly below it, leaving a loop (or ear) on each side.

4. Continue to lace the corset in a criss-cross pattern until you reach the bottom. If needed adjust the length of the ears so that the lace finishes neatly at the bottom grommet.

5. Tie the two lace ends together.

You’re done! Congratulations!