» Listings for 2015

1. Interfacings, nets and fusibles

   Posted on 11:00am Friday 3rd Jul 2015

   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.

2. What is a corset busk?

   Posted on 12:20pm Sunday 18th Jan 2015

   The split busk, or two part busk, was invented by the Victorians.  It was at the time a revolution for women because for the first time they were able to put their corsets on un-assisted.  There are many types of split busk.  The regular 'flexible' busk which is the most widely used and the one with which people are most familiar.  These are about 12mm wide on either side, and coated in a white powder coating - this white powder coating, as a matter of interest, has replaced the older plastic coating, as it is more environmentally friendly.  In Victorian times of course, all busks were made of uncoated steel.  

   

   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.

    

3. Q&A - What size busk do I need?

   Posted on 8:19am Monday 5th Jan 2015

   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.