Project #1
For the first project of the class, i was tasked with making a corset from Redthreaded. I chose the 1880s corset. It was the first time I made a corset. The goal for this first project was to learn the methodology of making a corset from start to finish. The corset is made with one layer of coutil, one layer of quilting cotton, flat steel bones, spiral steel bones, and German plastic bones. It closes in the front with a steel busk and laces up the back with grommets. The top and bottom of the corset are bound with 1/2" bias.
Corset Class
Project #2
For the final project for the class, I was tasked with making three pieces that would have been period correct. First I decided to go with a corset in Mandy Barrington's Stays and Corsets: Historical Patterns Translated for the Modern Body Vol. 1. I was inspired by the 1730-1750 corset because I was interested in working with a non-metal boning. I wanted to use reed for boning and I was interested in what the corset would look like when using an non-typical material. The corset is made using one layer of coutil, one layer of stiffened linen, boned with split reed, and bound with bias tape.
For the base layer, I know that I needed to make a chemise. I took the pattern from Jean Hunnisett's Period Costume for Stage and Screen: Patterns for Women's Dress 1500-1800. I resized the pattern for my fit model. The chemise is made from linen from Burnley and Trowbridge.
The final part of the project was to make some sort of skirt support. Knowing that my corset would be boned with reed and the idea of going for more a working woman as opposed to a court lady, I decided to go with pocket panniers. I got the pattern from Jean Hunnisett's Period Costume for Stage and Screen: Patterns for Women's Dress 1500-1800. The panniers are made from cotton drill with grosgrain bone channels and flat steel bones.