1900s corset

[msmcknittington]

I found the corset pattern on La Couteriere Parisienne. It's right here, near the bottom. Hopefully this will become the base of my Hallowe'en costume -- the McGonagall that was. Apparently fashion lags behind by umptity years in the wizarding world of my mind.

I drew up the pattern exactly to scale on brown paper grocery bags. Confession: The first piece I drew out I used inches instead of centimeters, because I am a fool. I looked at it with my head cocked to one side and thought, "This is going to hang past my knees. Corsets aren't supposed to do that." Then I remembered that the metic system was big in Europe. The second attempt was much better.

Drafting the pieces was really easy. It only took me a couple hours, and that was only because my cat was interested in what I was doing and I kept misplacing my measuring tape.





To check and see if I was going to have to make any major changes to the pieces, I laid my 1860s corset out next to the pieces.




The 1860s corset is really a little bit too big -- I can almost lace it shut. I would have used it for this project, but it gives me a big bulge at the hips because there aren't any hip gussets. I think this one should fit just fine.

One criticism of the 1900s corset: I don't understand why the bust gusset is in two parts like that. It doesn't really provide an extra shaping that a single gusset wouldn't provide. Nobody has breasts shaped like that.

At this point, I have the half of the mock-up sewn up, and when I wrapped it around my body, it hit where it should. The the directions that accompany the pattern tell you to make a single-layer corset, but I don't like sewing all that bias tape down. So I'm going to make up one layer of lining fabric (firm cotton sheeting) and one of fashion fabric (dark blue satin), and stitch the boning channels in black thread, to coordinate with the dark blue/black vintage ribbon I'm going to run through some lace at the top. I knit the lace a long time ago to edge some pantalettes, but I never made the pantalettes.

Comments

[bexi.livejournal.com]

Question - when you knit lace to attach to clothes, how do you keep it "open"? Are you sewing the entire piece of lace down, or is there something I'm missing? I want to do it so badly, but it seems like it would have to be blocked every time it was washed and it just sounds like too much work for me to do that.

[msmcknittington.livejournal.com]

I don't know about modern clothes, which is what I'm assuming you'd be using it for. The stuff I knit lace for is stuff that has to be ironed and/or starched every time it's washed -- petticoats, pantalettes, chemises, etc. Corsets generally aren't washed, so I can just baste this on after blocking it, and if it ever needs to be refreshed, I can take it off.

I don't know that you can attach handknit lace to things that are machine-washable. Maybe if it was washed by hand and laid flat to dry it would do OK.

[bexi.livejournal.com]

Darn, I was figuring starch and no-washing were the answer. ;)

I don't make or wear the historical clothing, but I really enjoy incorporating some vintage elements into my clothing. I have a shirt that I really like which is based on a Victorian undershirt (not sure if that's the right term but I hope you know what I mean) and it has some gorgeous lace sewn on around the neck. I was hoping that maybe I could knit some lace to do that to more of my blouses, but on closer inspection the lace appears to be filet crochet or some other technique that is most definitely not knitting. Thanks for your help!

[msmcknittington.livejournal.com]

Victorian undershirt = camisole?

For something like that, you could probably knit some lace at a fairly loose gauge in cotton and then run a ribbon through the neck edge. I know I've seen examples of Victorian camisoles with yokes knitted like that. The ribbon helps the lace lay flat against your neck/shoulders so you don't have to worry about it sagging.

Wow. Now I'm inspired to take a t-shirt and knit a yoke for it. Hmm.

[bexi.livejournal.com]

Camisole to me means sleeveless, but this has little fluttery sleeves - a couple inches long, sewn into the armholes so that they are slightly gathered. Otherwise, I think camisole would be the right term. And if a camisole actually does have little sleeves then never mind. ;)


That's a good idea with the ribbon. I've just remembered that part of what started me on the lace rampage is reading accounts in the Little House books of them knitting yards of lace for petticoats and the like. But again, I guess these things just weren't really washed, and I'm sure starch was used.

I'll think on it more, and if I come up with a good knitted solution, I'll definitely share! I'm thinking I might look into other ways of making lace, though. I'm always a sucker for a new craft, anyway.

[msmcknittington.livejournal.com]

Camisoles varied from what basically looks like a spaghetti strap tank top to fairly substantial garments. And if it's Victorian-inspired, the designer could add whatever they wanted to it.

Another solution might be to use a garter stitch lace instead of stockinette. Or something that ruffles itself so laying flat isn't so important.

Sometimes I stumble across things like directions for making lace-edged tea towels or edgings for sheets, and I am absolutely amazed by that amount of time women put into their household linens. I mean, bad enough they had to sew all the hems by hand and sew two widths of fabric together for sheets. Why not knit three yards of lace for the top of that sheet while you're at it?

[bexi.livejournal.com]

I think there was a lot more free time then we can imagine, so they would do anything to keep busy, even something as crazy as that. ;) I remember my mom telling me that when she was in college she was a bank teller for awhile and ended up getting her nails done every week, just so she could look at something pretty as she used her hands all day. The same principle might apply here, since unless they were wealthy, they had to stare at those damn linens all. the. time.

[msmcknittington.livejournal.com]

Oh! I think there was a reconstructed t-shirt in Mag Knits a while ago that had some lace applied to it. I can't remember if the neck was involved or not.