As you may know, I only stock products at Sew Curvy that I myself would use - and therefore I like to use them too.  I sometimes have so much inspiration that it's hard to focus on one idea at a time - such is the creative mind, and I imagine that if you are reading this, you are like that aswell!  So, for selfish reasons, not least because i've discovered that making things for fun is good for my stress levels, I've decided to indulge myself a bit and make some inspirational blog posts using materials from the shop.

Being a shopkeeper I have to stock practical things as well as pretty things, and sometimes certain colours can seem a bit 'hmm' until you've played about with the possiblities; our Sand herringbone coutil is one of those 'hmm' items and probably one of the most difficult colours to pair up so that's where i've started! 

The sand coloured herringbone coutil on it's own isn't exactly inspirational - It's an odd colour truth be told - made for the medical market to replace what is now the vintage staple corsetry colour "tea rose" which is that salmony pink shade so common in corsets and girdles from the 1940's right up to the 70's, and which was the go to 'nude' of old.  Well this 'sand' colour (also once known as 'nude' and in Europe known as 'skin') is the replacement.  For medical corsetry, this colour was thought to be more compatible with a more multi-racial range of skin colours. 

I call it 'sand' because it isn't like any skin colour i've ever seen, unless you count American Tan, but it is like a rich honey shaded builders sand.  It goes beautifully with ivory and also black as a base 'skin' tone type colour - it can melt away underneath a sheer underlay, and under ivory, becomes a very pretty bridal option. 

In my first project,  i've teamed it up with our floral lingerie net, and two of our pretty guipure trims, along with a white busk and a cute little bra bow from the bra making range.  I like to mix and match shop supplies so that they are good for multiple uses and when I started stocking bra making supplies, I visited the warehouse to ensure that I could pick products that could be used for both bra making and corset making in a number of different ways.

The most exciting thing I have to tell you about this project is that there is NO ROLL PINNING !!  Why?  Because the lace fabric has a slight stretch to it, so if you incorporated turn of cloth as you would a normal non-stretch fabric, you might get a bit of unsightly bagging.  Fabric with a slight stretch can cope very well with turn of cloth so no pesky fiddling about with those seam allowances and no tedious pad stitching as some people do. 

Simply cut out both layers of your corset pattern at the same time, and stitch the coutil and lace together within the seam allowance.  Easy peasy and an excellent place for beginners to start with multi-layer corsetry!

I can't bear waste (ha!), and in my classes I teach what I call "fabric economy".  With this in mind I can literally use almost every single scrap of coutil from half a metre or a metre - whatever i'm using to cut the pattern.  Because 12mm bias strips, which I use for boning channels, are only 2.5cm wide before being processed, you can get alot out of the surplus material around the corset pattern and  when you're paying anywhere between £10-30 for a metre of fabric it pays to be thrifty let me tell you - especially with the more expensive coutils such as the rosebud coutil.

In this picture you can see that i've used self made boning channels from 2.5cm wide coutil strips, and I've used 15mm satin ribbon stitched into the binding as detachable suspender loops. 

Using matching coutil for your boning channels gives a single layer corset a very tidy interior negating the need for a separate lining and therefore making sure you end up with a light yet strong and durable corset.

I use the Prym bias binding maker for making the bone casings because it has a wide gap in the 'nose' - other bias makers can't take the thicker coutils, and I find that this little maker works very very well.  You cut your strip of coutil on the bias OR on the straight grain - it doesn't matter as long as you use a bias strip over particularly curvy bits.  Then you feed your strip through the little thingy, pin the end of the tape to the ironing board, and pull the contraption along your strip until you have a double folded peice. 

I'll be making a video on this as soon as it stops raining!

The bias strips are then used as boning channels and everything is stitched down with my 'wonder thread' - Guterman no 722 - it is literally invisible on a very wide range of fabrics!  Jenni Hampshire of Sparklewren fame discovered this and I've also been a devotee of the colour ever since... It literally disappears into any neutral coloured fabric including a number of the coutil we have at Sew Curvy:   Mink, Sand, Biscuit, ivory/gold rosebud, nude/silver rosebud, dessert orchid brocade, biscuit spot broche and small weave herringbone.  Amazing!

The corset fabrics are all set off rather nicely with a white busk and a little cream bra bow.  Unfortunately, our black and white busks are currently on limited stock as my coloured busk project is on hold - basically the original factory mucked it alot of things up and i've been talking to another local place who have yet to provide samples for me.

Here are some other palette ideas for the sand herringbone - black spot net, with black 'little crowns' guipure and either a Victorian style guipure with our 'latte' satin ribbon woven into it (good for lacing too) or the black tulle 'scrolls' trim.  Both look pretty and all of these options will go with our suspender elastics very well.

SO! if you want to have a go - you can do this with any corset pattern at all, and these are the ingredients I used to make this cute little nude underbust.  All she needs now is a name - I think "Daisy" seems quite apt.

• Sophia Corset pattern 
• Herringbone coutil in sand - an economical choice, this is our cheapest coutil.
• Ivory lingerie net - usually used for bra making but very pretty in corsets
• White busk - subject to availability
• Guterman Sew all thread 722 - magic thread, invisible with most neutral type colours
• Loose eyelets - used without washers - I'll tell you about that another time
• 10mm and 15mm double satin ribbon in Ivory (419)
• Daisy guipure trim
• Little crowns guipure trim
• Spiral and flat steel boning
• Underbusk - our underbusks are extremely sturdy, 20mm wide, 0.80mm thick and as used by Dark Garden Corsetry and Mr Pearl who has tested them personally
• 16mm cotton bias binding in sand - i've used the sand colour narrow bias, it's a bit tricky to apply but gives a lovely neat finish
• Prym bias maker 12mm - not the cheapest bias maker on the market, but certainly the best.

Estimated material cost for a 22" corset approx £40 (excluding tools) if you had to buy everything - but see what's in your stash and have a play! It's good for the soul.

Here's a corset I made recently when testing out a few components on site, not least the recently released Victoria mid bust corset pattern.  I've adapted the pattern slightly by changing the shape of the top line slightly, and adding some suspenders.  I re-drew the bottom line of the corset so that at each point where I wanted a suspender, the line flowed nicely into the elastic ends.  That's all I did, so it was pretty easy peasy.  

It's a single layer corset - the boning channels are made from scraps of the same coutil (offcuts from cutting out the pattern!).  These are cut into 2.5cm strips and then run through the Prym bias binding maker to make boning channels.  I cut the coutil on the straight grain as this is best for scrap use and for stronger boning channels, however if you had a particularly deep curve over the hip (using another pattern perhaps) then you may want to use a bias grain for your self made bone channels.

With regard to sizing of the Sew Curvy patterns, go with the waist size first - it is easier to adjust the top (bust) and bottom (hip) than it is to use the correct size for those and then adjust the waist - so this is opposite to what a normal dressmaking pattern will tell you.

The components I used for this project are all listed with links here:

• Victoria corset pattern - this is a mid bust pattern with very simple single layer construction instructions and includes a bit about how to alter the corset into a full overbust.
• Gold plated busk fastner - 13"
• A boning set for the Victoria corset - this includes 4 flat steel corset bones and 8 spiral steel bones in various sizes
• Half a metre of ivory/gold rosebud corsetry coutil - you will need a whole metre for sizes above '14' (about a UK size 12).
• White 20mm plush elastic for the suspenders / garters
• 20mm suspender / garter clips
• 20mm adjustable sliders
• 20mm 'Scrolls' tulle lace trim for the bottom line
• 16mm cotton bias binding for the upper and lower edges of the corset
• 15mm double satin ribbon for the bow detail at the top (optional - does not alter the fit of the corset)
• 2 x 4mm Gold eyelets for the ribbon tie (optional)
• about 40 x 5mm gold eyelets for the back closure
• 7m cotton lacing in Ecru
• 12mm Prym bias binding maker (if making your own boning channels from coutil)
• 7m x 15mm cotton herringbone tape for boning channels if not making your own.

I've been struggling to find inspration this year as i've been so busy with one thing or another, not least going VAT registered in April, swiftly followed by the horror of Brexit (for small retailers this has been a pricing and cashflow nightmare with the fluctuating currency - affecting all things from supplies to courier postage).  SO... I've been a bit overwhelmed and 'pre-occuped' one might say.  Luckily I have good friends who have been helping me through the creative doldrums in an attempt to get my juices flowing again.  I am lucky!

And so one day upon opening the door to Sew Curvy HQ, a big parcel was on the mat, and it was from my good friend Izabela of Prior Attire.  She very kindly sent me what I call a "mercy pack" containing one of her lovely and greatly sought after dressmakers notebooks and a bunch of silk fabric and lace offcuts - Izabela makes big dresses so her offcuts can sometimes be used to make several corsets!!  Better than chocolates and wine any day.

There was quite a selection to choose from but in the end I chose to work with three of the fabrics first, the beaded lace, half a metre'ish of duchesse silk satin in gold, and a tiny scrap of beautiful silk brocade which probably cost asumidontwantothinkabout knowing Izabela.  I love a scrap challenge at the best of times so I got to work thinking how best to use these tiny snippets of glory.

It soon became obvious that the small amount of brocade would best be used at the front of the corset, and whilst there was enough to do a complete front overbust panel, I wanted to make the corset a little bit more spectacular than that and I wanted to challenge myself, so I decided that cups were the way to go - I wanted to practice this area and here was the opportunity only there wasn't QUITE enough of the lovely brocade to do a full cup cover... imagination required, I dug into my 'retro files' for inspiration and came up with this 50's inspired cup design where the top and sides are framed with plainer fabric. The brocade is gathered at the sides of the cups, not because this is easier than making a separate cup pattern (which it is) but because it was the best use of the fabric.  All hand basted in place with black silk thread, it was ready to hand stitch down finally and yes, you have to do it all by hand.  

Dislcaimer:  Proper cupped corsetry is quite difficult because you have to understand how a corset and a bra work to the best boobular advantages, however, you can cheat by using covered bust forms which is what i've done here - this is a good option for when you need to make a sample or practice techniques or for RTW corsetry where you dont need a perfect fit or where sizing is average.  As usual in corsetry there are many many variables.

So once the cups and front panel were done I had just over half a metre of the silk duchess in gold to make the rest of the corset with.  As this will be a sample corset shot on a model, it's a small size - 22" waist.  And yes, you might notice the silk here is not gold nor particularly luxuriant looking as silk duchess satin should be.  That's because I made a mistake.  I decided to fuse the silk to some stiff canvas, but I fused said silk on the wrong side.  Argh! There's no going back from a mistake like that but luckily the 'wrong' side is just as nice in it's own way - rich ivory instead of gold, and looks more like tafetta than duchess, but still... it looks lovely nevertheless.

You can see the boning channels are quadruple stitched.  This is a detail I learned from hours of examining this corset by Mr Pearl (for McQueen) at various museums over the last few years.  

(unfortunately when I met Mr P himself last year, we had a bit of a party and I drunkenly gushed this revelation to him ... so embarrasing, hopefully he cant remember).

SO, now we have, standard corset pattern adapted, cups covered, brocade front panel done, silk fabric fused the wrong way, boning channels like Mr Pearl.  All that is left to do is embellish it.  Which I've nearly done.  I've also added straps incase the cups aren't modest enough on their own (it's always difficult to tell when you're not making a bespoke item for an acutal person).  At the moment it looks like this - I'm quite pleased and it has most certainly done it's job of revitalising my creative direction.  In a big way.  If you have a friend in the creative doldrums, dont give her chocolate or wine, give her scraps and a challenge.

And here I'll list the 'ingredients' of this corset incase you want to try a similar project yourself.  Note - I had enough silk to do the binding but it is very narrow binding at 2.5cm!  It must be hand sewn to get it in the right place neatly - observe:

• Fabric scraps - I had half a metre'ish of silk satin, a tiny scrap of brocade and a tiny scrap of beaded lace.  There is enough silk fabric to make a short halternetck strap (wide bias strips) and the bias binding (very narrow)
• Cups to cover - I used Prym double underwired bust forms
• Strength fabric - I used stiff cotton canvas - once it's fused to silk it's light and crisp but strong as steel
• Bondaweb fusing web 90cm wide
• Boning channels made from stiff cotton canvas (unfused)
• Silver eyelets with washers about 40 (should really have used gold in hindsight)
• Spiral and flat steel boning (7mm regular spirals at front and sides, 6mm flat at back)
• Double satin ribbon lacing in gold
• Stiff wide busk for the front (12"), held down with 25mm cotton twill tape
• Lining is soft coutil from my stash (also sewed 'inside out/back to front' because i'm a twit).

 Have you ever made a corset (or anything else) from scraps and leftovers?  And if so, did you find that it really lifted you out of a rut and turned you in new, sometimes unexpected directions?

Summer is about weddings,  and weddings are all about having the right foundations!  At Sew curvy this means interfacings,  nets and fusibles!  We've got several types of quality fusible interfacings all made by Vilene which is the British equivalent of the US Pellon brand.  Woven fusible cotton is handy for making flimsy fabrics a bit heavier, and our new Bondaweb two sided heat activated webbing comes in 90cm widths!  Big enough to fuse half a metre of fabric at a time!

G700 Viline fusible woven interfacing is glue backed cotton in black or white.  It has a grain and is easy to use.  Full instructions in the product listing.  Use it for adding body to flimsy fabrics, for dress facings or for interfacing a lighter corset fashion fabric.  Works best with natural fibres.	Light but stiff canvas interlining is commonly used in wedding dress foundations as the inner corsolette material.  Use it with spiral steel boning to smooth out the sillhouete under a light retro style dress which needs a good nip on the waist for max effect!	We have new 90cm wide bondaweb!  A double sided fusing web for bonding two fabrics together which saves much faffing!  A much better width for corset making.  Use it for bonding fashion fabric to coutil to make a tough, but fine underwear corset or bodice.

The best way to use woven fusible is to lay said material on your fabric, lightly spray with water, cover with thin paper, and press press press.  Do not rub.  Just press.  The water creates steam which adds heat and improves bonding properties.  You can do the same with bondaweb just remember to sandwich the web between your two layers of fabric.

This lingerie strength powernet is used by several British manufacturers of vintage style lingerie.  It comes in black, nude or white.  90cm wide and stretchy in both directions.  More colours will be coming in soon!  Use it to make comfortable dress foundation panels for wear all day, every day!	Bobbinet is used for authentic vintage foundation wear such as waspies and gown foundations.  Ours is 100% cotton,  90cm wide, and comes in black and white.  Use with spiral steel bones or fake whalebone.  Use it to make couture gown foundations or light underwear corsets.	Rigid corsetry net comes in two colours, natural and black, and two weights.  Heavy is best for regular corsetry while light can be used for waspies and stiff petticoats.  Use loop pressing bars to make external bone channels for your sheer corsetry.  Use the net to make sheer corsets, or stiff peticoats which will give a skirt more body.

The other types of busk are variously made from galvanised steel or stainless steel.  There are wide busks which are an inch wide on either side, conical or tapered busks which are true to the Edwardian period and Spoon Busks which are true to the Victorian period.  In modern corsetry, different types of busks can be used for different purposes depending upon design, body type, and effect

Useful Links:

How to insert a busk fastner

More about corset busks, what they do and how to use them.

Q:  I want to order a corset kit  - what is the busk measurement I need? I am not sure what to measure.

A:  Busk size depends on the corset pattern you are using - all of the corset kits on this website have details of the correct busk size needed, except the 'deluxe kit' which does not come with a pattern.  The delux corset kit is a generic kit designed for use with any pattern so that people can work with patterns not available on this site, or their own patterns that they have made - the busk size therefore must be determined before purchase.

Commercial corset patterns will always have busk measuring instructions included because busk size is pattern specific - it depends upon whether the corset is an underbust, mid bust or overbust, and then it depends upon the sub-style - longline, plunge, closed front etc.,    Patterns will include instructions on how to alter the pattern if required and then whether or not the busk size should be altered.  If your busk size needs to be altered, then it is likely that your bones will need to be longer or shorter too.  Nevertheless, commercial patterns cater for the average body and in most sizes fit well with the busk size provided, regardless of alterations required.

If you are making your own pattern then you must measure your torso whilst sitting down, from where you want the top edge of your corset to be, to where you want the bottom edge to be, making sure that you leave enough space at the bottom to be comfortable when sitting and to ensure that the corset is not too long for you when seated otherwise it will rise up and buckle in a very unsightly way, or prod you in your nether regions, and we don't want that!

Useful links:

What is a corset busk?

Corset kits - a full range of complete corset kits which contain everything you need to get you started with an obsession

Two part busk fastner - stainless steel split busks in a wide range of sizes to fit every size of corset.

Flat busks - Sturdy wide flat metal busks in various sizes which are suitable for flat front corsets - ie: corsets which do not open at the front

Corset patterns - A range of corset making patterns which work first time with no fuss and bother.  I only stock patterns which work for beginners first time and all of the patterns have the appropriate busk size listed in the description, even where this is size specific.

Here is today's "Q&A" which is about my custom corset pattern service. 

Question:

"I've been thinking about ordering a custom pattern from you, but I find it so hard to understand the shape and fit from just the images on your page. How is the curve over the hips? Do you have any examples on any corset made from your custom underbust or overbust pattern? I also wonder if it's possible to send you photos of how the measurements are taken to ensure that there's nothing wrong there. I have a very short waist so I'm afraid the measurements under the waist might be odd, like very far down"

Answer:

Thank you for your query and apologies for the delay responding.

You are quite right that my diagrams on the custom corset patterns page do need updating somewhat. They should illustrate a 6 panel modern hourglass shape, but the main reason for the diagrams is to indicate the different top and bottom lines available on each corset version.  

I do not have any examples of the corsets made from my custom patterns because each pattern is completely different as the name suggests. They are 'custom' patterns and will fit each body differently. The point of a custom corset pattern is to have a pattern that will fit your personal measurements but how it makes up is down to your own skill,  and how it fits you is only discernible once you have the toile on your body. I can pretty much guarantee that it will be better than any commercially available pattern.I build room into the rib area for comfort, and I make allowance for a 2" gap at the back however, sometimes this will close, depending upon the 'squidginess' of the person in question and sometimes the gap will be a little wider than 2" if the person is not so squidgy.  These are things I cannot predict remotely.

As for your particular concerns, - The measurements I have asked for on the measurement sheet are the ones that I need to ensure you have a perfect fit. You can see the measurement sheet here.  There are certain measurements required to determine the length of the torso and these are included in that sheet.

However, with that said, I do not make magic patterns. Depending on how your body behaves - you may have to make slight alterations here and there, but there are instructions included with your pattern to help you fit the corset perfectly.

There are certain anthropomorphic clues we can get from body measurements.  And only one measurement is necessary to determine the length of the torso.

I find the story of the fabric known as bobbinet quite fascinating.  Like coutil it is a very rare, difficult to find material and it is only made by a very few factories in the world.  Like coutil there is a certain 'snobbishness' tied to it when put into the context of couture and fashion.  You must have 'genuine' bobbinet and it must be made of the right stuff and in the right way.

Luckily, here at Sew Curvy we have genuine bobbinet, manufactured by one of the UK's only remaining factories and even more luckily, because I was able to get a narrower (but no less useful) width, the cost per metre is extremely competitive - the best you'll find anywhere on the net I think (haha! pun intended!)!

Bobbinet is a very special tulle fabric - sometimes even known as 'genuine tulle' it has been around since 1806 when it was invented by a very clever man called John Heathcoate.  Mr Heathcoate coined the term 'bobbinet' from two words, 'bobbin' and 'net' because it is a lace type net fabric - lace is made with bobbins - but made on a machine which he also invented.  Modern lace is made on similar machines and these days, the design for bobbinet machines, like many Victorian inventions,  is largely unchanged from the original Heathcoate design.

The structure of bobbinet tulle is hexaganol and this is what makes it so strong and durable.

Bobbinet tulle is constructed from warp and weft yarns,  but unlike regular woven fabrics and nets, the horizontal weft yarn is looped diagonally around the vertical warp yarn to form a regular and distinctive hexagonal mesh which is completely stable, has minimal stretch and is durable, sheer and very very strong in comparison to it's weight.  This is why it is ideal for foundation garments within dresses and has been favoured by designers since the early 20th century for supporting haute couture gowns.  It is the hexagonal mesh which makes the difference here, without the hexagons, it's not bobbinet.

Bobbinet was originally made from cotton, and it is now available in many different fibres including silk, nylon and special 'technical' fabrics. The threads of bobbinet can be coated in all sorts of non fabricy things including metal and this makes it's range of use outside the fashion industry quite vast!   It is used for theatre back drops, military applications, medical patches,  parachutes, cryogenic insulation, electromagnetic shielding, flexible electronics, fishing nets, high quality wig making and a whole other raft of 'craft' applications including porcelain statue decoration - who knew!!??

Dior dress foundation with bobbinete corselette

In fashion, which is what we're interested in of course,  bobbinet mesh is still used for couture style dressmaking including bridal wear, corsetry and lingerie or as a base cloth for fine embrodery.  In the world of costume, bobbinet is used in wig making because it is fine, strong, and more or less invisible when hair is woven through it.

Balmain gown inside and out, with bobbinet corselette foundation

What to use bobbinet for?  I would use it for dress foundations (sometimes called a built in corselete), and I am intending to try it out in light corsetry or as a stand alone corselete.  You can use bobbinet for petticoats but if I were to make a floaty tulle petticoat I would use a more standard silk tulle - not a specialist silk bobbinet.  Why?  Because regular silk tulle is much less expensive than silk bobbinet and just as effective, it also comes in a wider range of colours.  The point of using bobbinet in dressmaking is for strength and lighness to create something fine and elegant.  Bobbinet is not really a fabric to be used for it's looks in any application.

Useful links:

Anatomy of a gown by Morua Designs - see how bobbinet is used to create a dress foundation, this is one of my favourite ever posts on the internet.  Very inspirational.

A post from Gerties Blog for Better Sewing regarding bobbinet corselettes in haute couture dress foundations.  I actually disagree that underwear should be worn in a dress with a foundation - a properly constructed couture dress foundation negates the requirement for separate underwear.

Interesting post by Alison of Crikey Aphrodite on the OCOC blog about a lace factory in Scotland.  Lace is mounted on net and these machines are very similar to dedicated bobbinet machines.  A very interesting article with a nice video.

Pictures of a beautiful beaded and goldworked Balmain gown bodice with bobbinet foundation that I found on my quest for bobbinet knowledge.  This is just superb!

I'm often asked what the best - and worst - sewing machines for corsetry are so i'll tell you my thoughts garnered from my own experience and that of the students who come to my classes with their own sewing machines.

This lovely vintage Bernina 720 made an appearance in the Sew Curvy Cottage last month.  It may be old but it sewed like a dream, stitch perfect every time and better than many other machines.

Bad news first.  The worst machines for corsetry are, in the beginners category, domestic Brother machines.  I myself started with a Brother as these are often the most easily available, from shops such as Argos and other department stores, with the highest profile aimed at the craft hobby market.  People are familiar with the Brother name and therefore trust the brand.  Fine unless you want to sew corsets.  Unfortunately, the only problems I ever have in class with machines that cant cope, are with Brother machines - they can't keep pace, they labour over every stich as soon as more than 2 layers are put before it, and since those layers are mainly thick coutil, a Brother machine is prone to going on strike just when you don't need it to.  I have also encountered many tension problems with Brother machines, not just from their owners!  In short, Brother 'entry level' sewing machines are fine for sewing light dresses and the odd piece of home furnishing, but as soon as you progress to more complicated things, they just cannot cut the mustard, which is surprising given that the best industrial machines are also made by Brother - I don't understand why the technology doesn't cross over.  

So when I started to make corsets, it was time for an upgrade.  I did a lot of research, found a machine I thought suitable and then asked a sewing machine company what they would recommend having briefed them on my requirements and budget.  They came up with the same machine I had thought appropriate, and a match made in sewing heaven was born. At that time,  I spent around £250 on the mid range Janome 5124 machine and it's still going strong in my studio now - it has everything required for mid range sewing - it can cope with several layers of coutil and bone channelling, has several decorative stitches and several zig zag stitches including a three step zig zag which is useful for sewing elasticated items such as lingerie. 

The Singer 201K is renowned to be the best sewing machine ever invented.   This one dates from the early  1950's and cost me £16!

Later on I tried other corsetry techniques and other sewing machines.  I got myself an industrial Brother machine which was excellent but too big and noisy for my house so it had to go.  Cue the Vintage Singer 201K which my local sewing machine man recommended in leui of the Industrial.  These machines are fantastic for corsetry and tailoring - they are beautiful, fast and economical and the closest you'll get to industrial quality on a budget.  Unfortunately the trend for 'vintage' has pushed the prices of these old machines into the stratosphere - where they used to be shipped out to Africa by the skip load because nobody wanted them, these beautiful machines are now highly prized items earning ££££'s for the loft raiders of ebay.  Honestly, don't beleive the hype, vintage Singers are not 'rare antiques'.  The Singer factory in Scotland turned them out by the hundreds of millions in their heyday from the 20's right up to the 1960's. If you do fancy getting one, make sure you stick with the black cast iron models which are pre 1960.  The brown 201K machines are not nearly as good.

Nowadays I have my wonderful wonderful semi industrial Janome 1600PQC which is a domestic/industrial hibrid.  It's pricey, but it's fast and professional whilst still being portable.  It has a knee lift which saves a mountain of time, and an auto thread cutter which saves many threads.  It also has a high shank which means that industrial sewing machine feet can be used with it as well as the extensive range of sewing machine feet and attachments supplied by Janome.     The machine actually comes with a straight stitch foot, a fantastic wide (industrial style) seam guide, screwdrivers, oil, spare needles and bobbins plus a huge extension table and knee lift lever.

When I first started teaching and didn't have a set of brand new Janome machines at my disposal, my students use all of these machines - the vintage Singers, the mid-level Janome and the new Janome 1600PQC.  All of them are easy to use and perfect for sewing perfect stitches in perfectly straight lines through many thick layers of fabric.  The Singers and the PQC will also both sew through layers of leather with ease.

The Janome1600PQC sews through leather and layers with ease.

Over the past years i've noticed from my students that amongst the more experienced sewers, the most popular machines are Janome, Pfaff, and Bernina - these are all good quality brands and sometimes turn up in their vintage forms which are every bit as good - if not better - than their modern counterparts.  Janome machines are literally 'bomb proof' - heavy, sturdy and the preferred machine for schools due to their quality and lower price range.  If they can cope with year on year of teenagers thumping through them, then they can cope with corsets!  However,  if you're serious about corsetry, want to go pro or semi-pro but don't have the space for an industrial machine, then I can't recommend the 1600PQC highly enough although as it's a straight stitch only,  you will need a domestic back up if you like fancy stitches or need a zig zag... But then what better excuse to start a new sewing machine collection?  I myself have around 10 machines and I love them all :D.

In summary, a good machine for sewing corsets will be sturdy and reasonably heavy, preferably made of metal, and will not be in the 'beginners' class of machine.  Generally you can band sewing machines by price.  Low range are priced up to about £250-300 depending on brand, mid-range from £300 to about £600 and then top range can go as far as up to £3000 for the most up to date, all singing and dancing computerised machines.  Anything below mid range will be generally unsuitable for corsetry.

Useful links:

Sewing Machines Direct.   Where I've purchased two of my Janome machines and I cannot recommend them highly enough.

Janome UK - home of the Janome Sewing machines which I also recommend - here you can find information on which one might be best for you

How to restore a vintage sewing machine - written by me some years ago on my old sewing blog "The House of Marmalade"

More links about vintage sewing machines, where to find them and what to do about them from The House of Marmalade.

grey spot broche coutil - 'silver screen - sleek, elegant, ethereal

Coutil is a fabric which was especially invented for corsetry back in the 1800's.  It was also known, at that time, as "Jean".  It is commonly a herringbone weave but it also comes in other forms.  The reason coutil is special is because it is a very densly woven fabric which makes it very strong and durable - able to stand up to tension, but can be very smooth and luxurious.  

Coutil fabric for corsetry comes in several different 'weights', and also different compositions.  The best coutil is 100% cotton or at least a cotton/viscose mix (though some people are allergic to viscose).  You can get polyester coutil or polycotton coutil.  I do not recommend those as they do not 'breathe' as well as natural fabrics.  There is a bit of a myth that the best coutil comes from England.  This certainly used to be the case, however, I am sad to report that there are no coutil mills left in England.  All coutil is made abroad nowadays, some in India, some in China, and some in Europe.  I believe that some coutil is made in America too, although we in the UK do not tend to import from there and many American corset makers prefer the European coutil.   You may have heard of 'German coutil'.  It is important to use coutil for many reasons.  Not only is it the best material to make corsets from, and incomparable to other 'strong' fabrics, but it is also a dying industry.  It is expensive because it is a good quality fabric,  and we must support the production of coutil, to keep the few mills that are left in Europe open.  Many industries use coutil, however, most corsetry components are not made for small production or for fashion, but for the medical industry.

Broche coutil is the heaviest type of coutil available from Sew Curvy, alongside the cotton sateen coutil which I also stock - it's basically the broche without the viscose design.  Fine herringbone coutil is the closes substitute to genuine antique coutil and is quite common in Edwardian corsetry.  It is very fine but deceptivly strong and therefore suitable for lighter single layer corsets or training corsets - smooth, light and dense.  Perfect! 

fine herringbone coutil fabric for corset making