When you make a corset designed to have fully boned panels there are some very important things you should remember, here are a few pointers for you in regards to making a fully boned bodice…
>Working out how much continuous steel (if your cutting your own corset bones) or how many bones of what length to purchase can be tricky. My solution is not to order bones until you’ve sewn your corset bone channels – then take a dressmakers measuring tape and measure the channels. If your buying continuous steel then measure your first channel, hold onto the spot on the tape where the channel ends and move this to the start of the next so your measuring a continuous meter, tally up your meters as you go. If your using spiral steels don’t forget your U caps for the ends – so you’ll still need to count the number of bones and order double that number of these as you’ll need two per bone.
>You should always bone your panels before cutting them. This sounds like an odd way round, and indeed you may be wondering how one goes about boning an uncut panel. Well when I say don’t cut until they’re boned what I mean is don’t cut too close to your final panel size. Draw on your pattern lines in chalk then give an extra half inch to an inch all round when you cut them. When you sew your boning channels and slip in your corsetry boning the panel will change shape and size slightly. If your corset is intended for corset training it will be very important you get the sizing right so place your paper pattern piece back over the boned panel and now draw the lines for cutting.
TBC…
