All posts tagged: corsets

Ninon’s dress: the lining (and eyelets)

As you may have guessed from yesterday’s post, all the eyelets are done on Ninon’s bodice, and I’ve put the lining in and completely finished the outside. I used some soft white linen that I had in my stash. The white was a little blinding against the dark gold of the duchesse silk satin, so I dyed it. I used exactly the same dye that I used on the silk, but it came out pale yellow. It’s fascinating what dye does on different fibres. The entire lining is stitched down over the boned linen base using running stitches, just like the outer duchesse silk satin. I finished the edges of the front point, and the entire neckline by turning over the edges of the lining and tacking them down to the turned-over duchesse silk satin using an invisible whip stitch, just like the finishing on the Bath dress. Unlike the front point, the tabs don’t get finished in this fashion; they will be bound. In preparation for that, I’ve basted all around the tabs just …

A faux-ribbon corset

Published by The Dreamstress

To go with yesterday’s sparkly pink tipped corset bones, I’m making a little underbust corset. The goal of this corset was to make Jill Salen’s ribbon corset using ribbon the same size as that used in the original. Problem: I couldn’t find fabric ribbon in 2 1/4″ widths Solution: take fabric, cut it into 2 1/4″ strips, and bind the edges. While I was scouring the fabric stores for ribbon, I picked up a cute black and white floral remnant. It went perfectly with some spotted fabric in my stash too! I’d actually had my eye on the black and white floral for a while. It’s a gorgeous 100% cotton grosgrain, so soft and lovely to work with! The cartoon-y aspect of the flowers dissuaded me from using it for a larger project, but I just couldn’t resist the last half metre (and on half off too). To make my ribbons, I cut 2 1/4 strips of the floral, and the polka dots. Then I cut the strips into the correct lengths, as I was …

I don’t paint my nails, I paint my bones

Published by The Dreamstress

Really. See: Yep. I finish those nasty sharp cut edges on my spring steel corset bones with nail polish. I find that it’s a lot easier to use then the ‘official’ boning dip (for one thing, it dries in a few minutes, not overnight!), and it is cheaper, and easier to source. It also works better – rounding the edges without leaving big bumpy drips. Besides, I love knowing that there is a little secret bit of pink sparkly hiding in my corsets 😀 To soften the sharp cut edges, I give them three or four coats of varnish. Then, for a final bit of protection, I dip them in glue. Works perfectly, even when you dryclean your corset. Tomorrow I’ll show you the corset these bones were used in.