r/corsetry

Made using the Annette corset pattern by Madalynne Intimates. Used cotton drill, spiral & flat steel boning. I did not make any changes to the original pattern, however I did shorten the boning as otherwise I would not have been able to sew the bias binding.

I highly recommend it as a beginner corset pattern!

Does anyone have links or recommendations for a corset pattern of this style. I guess this might be considered mid bust? I’m getting married and I want to make my bridal shower gown. Any help would be appreciated!

Hi, I'm still kind of a novice but Idk if this work is novice like ? I made my first corset for an Esmeralda corset ! Hope it doesn't look weird, took me 3 days (and I only had tiktok videos to help)

the grommets I can do but before I bias bind I want to add structure around the edges to keep it a sharp look. how can I keep the sharp look?

Finished the base corset for my current cosplay wip! I’m doing an integrated corset gown following Royal Black Couture’s tutorial. Hardest part has definitely been figuring out how to turn the corset pattern into a princess seam bodice for the fashion overlay. Base pattern is Sylvia from Aranea Black

I need to vent about a corset that almost made me lose my mind.

I’ve been working with corsets for years, but this project really pushed me to my limit.

The client wanted a construction with lacing plus a zipper covering everything. And here was my mistake: I had never actually executed this technique before.

I know it’s possible — but it’s not something you should test under pressure, especially not with a bridal deadline (she’s getting married in May).

Still, I tried.

It didn’t turn out well.

I pushed a bit, but eventually had to accept that this required more study and testing. So I made the decision to unpick everything in that area and rebuild the panels.

So far, just part of the process.

But then, after working through the entire night, at 4:30am I realized I had duplicated one of the panels.

Yes. I unpicked everything… rebuilt it… and made a mistake.

I had to unpick everything all over again.

That moment was rough — especially having to tell the client I had made a mistake and needed to fix it.

But it became very clear: it wasn’t lack of skill. It was exhaustion, pressure, and trying to execute something new without the proper time.

So I stepped back, slowed down, and returned to solid fundamentals, carefully correcting the structure (especially at the back, since she has a fuller bust and needed proper support).

In the end, it worked out.

But this corset was an important reminder: it’s not just about knowing how to make something — it’s about knowing what NOT to test under pressure.

I am making Sonya by Aranea Black, and do not fit one size perfectly, which is obviously the case with most people. I am an experienced sewist, but this is my first true corset, although I did make Spearmint by Mood Sewciety, which is a top labelled as a corset, that I added boning to. I need to lengthen the underbust to waist and shorten the waist to midhip, as well as blend between sizes b to c between the waist and middle hip. What are your tips for altering patterns to fit your measurements? And what is the best way to get an accurate adjustment when blending sizes?

Finally finished my niece's corset - used the Aranea Black Dolores pattern with a gazillion mock ups. I need to move the hook and eye at the top over a little, its not doing anything and shows because its too close to the centre at present.

The very first panel I cut on the grain instead of the bias, I realised my error when sewing but persevered with it but for the final prom version will make sure I cut it on the bias to hopefully eliminate the wrinkles in the first panel.

She loves it and I'm deeply relieved - because my mantra is good enough is good enough on this project. Now to get her to wear it for a few hours before doing it all again for prom and finishing off the modesty panel too.

With thanks to everyone for their support, advice and encouragement in this group, can't believe how much I've learned or how many hours I've spent, thinking, reading, watching, mocking up, sewing, unpicking and dreaming of corsets since this mission started.

Hello!

So I made a corset dress and am very proud! Fully integrated with a whole in built corset as part of the dress all fully lined and pretty on the inside!

While I am overall happy as a proof of concept I am not happy with the cups. I swear I made about TWELVE mockups and they looked ok but then would make them in the fashion fabric and it would buckle?

Details.

Pattern based on waisted creations

Fully lined with steel boning and underwire and foam.

Fashion fabric is Cotten velveteen. Lining is rayon. Interlining/corsetry in coutil.

Used guidance by royal black and couture sewing methods. This is not my first corset but the first cupped corset.

Thoughts.

After googling I think the issue is most of the instruction I found was for small busts. I have a DD/E cup. I think the mockups worked as they had a bit more structure with the muslin and typically when I mockup the seam allowance is on the outside. Although I used foam and underwire I didn’t topstitch all the layers together so I think what’s happening is gravity is impacting and it happens at the seam line…?

Research/strategies

I found some YouTubes/IG of corset/dressmakers for larger busts and they typically make a boned cage for structural support.

I note the cashmerette strapless bra uses bones in it too!

I could also just integrate the layers better OR

Use a bit of interfacing to stiffen it up.

Could go back to pattern drafting?

NOTE. These photos are wrinkly as it was end of the night and a consequence of a wiggle dress. I think also I didn’t stitch in the ditch the layers of fashion fabric and corset together which causes some shifting between the coutil and velveteen. I can move, sit easily. I appreciate all feedback! But cups are the focus please 💖

I am a scientist so typically research pretty deep. I haven’t found too many posts or helpful guides so figure this post may be to help others! I can also post updates or future findings here too! 🤓🤓

So this is Aranea Black bunny suit number 6. I learned a tonnnnnn on this suit. However I'm still not happy with it. A lot of it has to do with the weight loss I experienced between making suit number 5 at the beginning of March and finishing 6 last Friday (6 day turnaround for a new suit). If anyone has tips on sizing for this pattern I would happily take them. 💜

So this has a bit of a story behind it. I last made a pair of stays about 10 years ago, using elizabethancostume.net and was very happy with them. Recently I decided to get back into more historical costuming and my old stays are too big, so I obviously I had to make new ones 😅. Since I love off grid I hand sew everything, so I figured if I was going thru the trouble of making a mock up then I was just gonna go ahead and finish them. My family and I were going to a fairy masquerade ball so I made them to match my train. I added a pic of my costume for fun 😁.

I got clockworkfaerie's 1780's stays pattern and used size 18 and shortened it 1/2" according to her instructions. Coutil for the strength layer, and some quilting cotton for the fashion layer (I live in an area with a lot of quilting stores so that was easiest for matching my train). Petersham ribbon for binding. Plastic needlepoint canvas in the stomacher along with 1/2" steel bone down the center. Plastic boning. 1/2" satin ribbon for lacing. I used white generic buttonhole thread for the eyelets, and white generic all purpose thread and white cotton hand quilting thread for the rest of the sewing.

All in all I learned a lot doing this. My old stays weren't completely handsewn, these took me about a month. I also bought and used a sadiron off eBay because I live off grid and didn't have an iron. Personally I didn't love the plastic boning, I think I'll use zipties again on my next mockup, and maybe spiral steel in the future. I definitely need steel boning on either side of the eyelets. I think the size is too small also, I misread the size chart, I think next time I'll make a size 22, my waist is naturally 24-25". Also maybe try not shortening it.

Does anyone have any tips, or more nitpicking they can see? Sorry about the pics if they're a little frumpy, I borrowed one of my husband's tshirts because I haven't made a shift yet. I am definitely open to any tips or criticisms. Y'all are so inspiring and I love reading this reddit and seeing all the gorgeous creations.

So I purchased the Augusta stays pattern from Scroop Patterns.

I am unfortunately fat with a small bust. My bust measurement with a bra on is 49 inches and my waist is 46. My first question is if I should make the 50 or do I need to grade between the 50 and the 52?

My other my is if the cardboard toile needs the bones (my boning won't arive for a couple of days) or if that instruction is for using fabric.

I’m making a corset for my circus-themed school fashion collection and I’m having a bit of trouble with the bust cups. Initially, I just followed the corset pattern(https://simplicity.com/mccalls/m7306 style C) and didn’t think anything of it until last night when I was looking for videos on how to install underwire into the cup. All of the videos I saw had bra foam in the cups and it made me start to wonder if i should remake the cups with a foam layer. The cups that I made just consist of an interfaced lining layer and an interfaced shell fabric layer. I feel like the cup shape on my corset is very round and flat and when put on a dress form looks like two large circles as opposed to proper cups. For reference, my model wears a size C-D cup and I want to make sure that she is supported and that the cups look flattering. Another problem that I ran into was that the C-D cup underwire I ordered is much longer than the bottom of the cup (see pic 2). I‘m honestly considering re-making the entire cup and cutting the opening where the cup is inserted to be deeper so that the underwire fits or just scrapping the cups altogether. I’m pretty stressed about this whole situation because I only have a few weeks to finish this corset so I hope that I can get the opinions of some of the more experienced sewists here.

I initially posted this on r/sewing but they directed me here. A few people on there said that the gore was much too big and that I should consider buying a proper bra sewing pattern to completely reconstruct the cups. Another suggestion was to borrow a bra from my model to use as reference (which I have done) but I don’t know where to begin with it. I did compare the underwire I bought to the bra my model lent me and it was almost a perfect match. Should I just take out the cups I made and cut the opening under the cup to fit the underwire, then reconstruct the cups (adding a foam layer) to fit into the new opening?

I've never made a corset in my life and have avoided it, however some 1950s dresses that I'm making require foundation support, which really need an internalised corset, otherwise it won't hold. I did want to use a pattern or buy one online, however I have a very small chest (32A) whilst also having 37" hips and 27" waist. This means I can't find any which will fit me, so I bit the bullet and did a duct tape pattern, cut it out and made a very rough draft with 0.5 inch seam allowance.

This isn't sewn and is just pinned. I don't know what happened to the pinning in the centre, I just got tired and will adjust tomorrow. 😔

Seeing as I've never done any cups, I don't think it looks half bad. Tomorrow I'll stitch It together, and some steel boning channels. For the cups, I've purchased some old bras which I'm going to take the cups out of and underwire and resew them into this.

I am worried that the cups will stick out rather than curl to the bust. I don't really know how to stop them from doing this besides using padding.

Doss anyone have any beginner tips e.g. order to sew things together, or any advice? Thanks!

Hey guys, I just downloaded, measured, and cut out the PDF pattern for the IRIS underbust corset and now don’t know the next step. I’ve never made a corset before but I have the materials needed. I don’t know how many panels I should make, if I have to double any of them (for example there is only one back center panel but I believe I need two?), or how to even begin. Please reply with whatever tips and tricks you have, I’d greatly appreciate it!!

It’s been a little while since I’ve made a stay/corset but this was so fun and I love the fabric! Fun fact, I got this fabric a year ago and now it’s no where to be found so I’m lucky I had what I did😅