How To Make A Corset, Then Master The Finishing Touches

Learning how to make a corset may seem like a daunting task but corsetry isn’t that different to sewing other garments. In fact you can quote me when I say – If you can sew a straight(ish) line then you can sew a corset. Making a corset is one of the most rewarding hobbies you can take up and I’m going to help you get started. So lets jump in!

How To Make A Corset

Making A Corset – Resources

A Free Corset Pattern

So first you need a nice easy beginners corset pattern and I have a great free corset pattern here that will allow you to try your hand at making a waist corset without having to worry about the front closure (known as a busk if you wondered what the knobs and loops at the front of a corset are called). It will enable you to get your head around things like boning channels and eyelet setting without getting overloaded.

The Articles Hub – Learn Corset Making

I put together The Articles Hub as somewhere to navigate through all the articles, how-to’s and videos I have on learning how to make a corset, and everything related. A few I suggest checking out if you’re new to corsetry are Getting To Know Your Corset Making Materials and Equipment, Setting Your Eyelets Straight and my Sewing on Bone Casing Video Tutorial. There are a number of other great articles including a suppliers list for online corset making supplies and advice on corset training.

A 2 Hour How To Make A Corset Express Video Course

This one isn’t free but it’s pretty cheap and there are a heap of corset making freebees that come with it. If you don’t want the hassle of rooting around the internet for incomplete information on corset making then the Express Corset Making Course is perfect for you. The video includes everything in great detail from picking fabric to inserting the front closure to setting the eyelets and binding the edges. You can follow along, rewind, and replay every step. No guesswork or interpreting instructions from a book, perfect! I’ve included a 30 minute bonus video, a corset making manual and a pattern compendium so you’re all set to go! Check it out.

Making a Corset – Bias Binding

Make A Corset It’s Own Matching Bias Binding

Bias binding is what we use to edge the corset at the top and bottom, you can see some examples of corsets with shop bought binding at the very top of this page and the picture directly above shows you a variety of different sized bias bindings. If you think you’ll need a little help applying it then check out my article How To Sew Perfect Professional Level Bias Binding for a complete guide to sewing the stuff.

This however, is a quick tutorial on how to make a corset it’s own matching bias binding. I’ll explain exactly what it is, why it’s so special for corset making and how you can make your very own so you can make and edge your corset patterns in the same fabric if you wish.

What Is Bias Binding?

So firstly what is bias binding? For newbies to corset making and those of you who just haven’t come across it before; it’s the ribbon-like binding material that goes around the bottom and top edge of the majority of professionally finished and well made corsets.

This binding is, as you can probably work out for yourself, cut on the bias (across the grain). Frequently on low quality corsets the top and bottom edge is trimmed with regular ribbon, which creases and puckers. As you work with bias binding more, you’ll notice more and more this type of thing on low grade corsetry garments.

You can get bias binding at most all sewing and hobby/craft stores and of course online. It’s available in all colors and is generally made from either a shiny satin ribbon-like material or a dull cotton. So if it’s readily available why make it yourself? Well, say you have a fancy patterned or elegant fabric, it can often be difficult to get hold of the right color or material binding. Using one that just doesn’t go will ruin the professional appearance of your garment, which would be a shame after all your hard work. Don’t get me wrong, shop bought bias looks fantastic against the majority of materials and its often effective to use a contrasting material or color binding to your major one. However, for the times that you just can’t get the right match or want your bias in the same patterned fabric you’ve used for the body of your corset design, knowing how to make a corset it’s own matching binding in invaluable.

How To Make Bias Binding

Lets begin! First you’ll need at least half a meter of your chosen fabric, a 45 degree angle measure, you’ll find these among the plastic triangles you get in all good children’s mathematic stationary sets (or you can probably Google 45 degree ruler and print off one on paper to cut out), a pair of fabric scissors, a dressmakers chalk or pencil and an iron (this is to iron in the creases).

Lay your material out and start at one edge, then using your 45 degree angle, draw with your chalk a line going across the fabric at a 45 degree angle from that edge. Now choose what width of binding you want; if you want it really small, i.e. half a centimeter once it’s on the corset, you need to cut your strips 2cm wide, a 1cm binding will require 4cm strips etc. When determining the width remember not to measure straight down the material edge, but at a 90 degree angle from the line you have just drawn i. e. across the width of the binding. Now continue to draw lines all the way down the material the same distance apart as the first two. Once this is done cut along all your lines so you have strips and stitch them all together end to end. Do this by lining up the ends of two pieces (not the strips themselves but the diagonal edges), right sides together and fabric grain so it’ll match once they’re opened up, and sew along the edge, leaving a half centimeter seam allowance. Now open out the two piece into one long strip and iron the seam allowance open and flat. Finish off by trimming the seam allowance if it’s a little too bulky for your liking.

Bias binding comes with it’s edges folded in so that they meet, or stop a little way short of, the middle and then the whole thing is folded in half once again along this middle point. To turn your strips into finished bias binding you’ll need to iron these folds in. So folding the strip in half along the middle, press the crease in place. Now open up the strip and fold in one of the raw edges so it almost reaches this middle fold, iron in place. Do the exact same thing with the raw edge on the other side. You’ve now finished making your very own custom, handmade bias binding to perfectly match your corset pattern, simple!