Corset Sewing Pattern Drafting: Fixing your Edges

This tutorial explains how I fix up the edges on my corset sewing patterns; that is, how I redraw the top and bottom edges of a corset pattern so they flow seamlessly from one panel to another. Often after a few alterations to your corset mockup, you’ll find that your pattern edges no longer match up. This is normal if you’ve been pinching in seams or letting them out but you will then need to redraw them. This is the best way (in my opinion) to get nice flowing top and bottom lines again. You need to go back to the paper corset pattern, transfer your alterations from the mockup of your corset design, then work on the altered paper pattern. I’ve also recorded a video of the altered corset sewing pattern, which you can check out in the video article Drafting Corset Fashion Designs: How To Get Perfect Edges. For a complete list of all my available patterns check out the corset sewing patterns page.

So first you need to get the edge you’re tackling lined up so you can redraw it.

— Fixing the Top and Bottom Edges of Your Corset Patterns —

In order to get the piece edges lined up, I masking taped the first pattern piece to my table then took each piece in turn and, starting at the waist marks, I matched up the edges from the waist to the top and stuck down the pattern pieces one by one so I had the top edge all stuck down as it will look once the corset is sewn together.

Close up of the top edge stuck down before redrawing.

Here’s the top edge stuck down before redrawing. As you can see it doesn’t match up correctly so we need to fix that!

Close up of the top edge after redrawing.

I could then redraw the top edge so it was one continuous flowing line. You can use a french curve to help with this if you have one. Remember; big sweeping lines!

Bottom edge of corset pattern stuck down.

I then did the same for the bottom edge, matching the pieces up along the seams from waist to bottom and sticking them all down so I could redraw the bottom edge how I wanted it.

The bottom edge redrawn.

I then drew on a second bottom edge for an on the hip/over the hip corset by matching the pattern pieces together slightly further up.

So I hope that helps all those both learning to alter existing patterns to their body measurements and those learning how to make a corset pattern from scratch.