I keep wanting to make my posts all logically ordered, but then I also realize that I have such a backlog of posts that I should just post them and get on with it, so here we go . . .
If I look a bit messy, it’s because this photo was taken shortly after a sword fighting class. Yes, you read that correctly. This was a Witcher themed event for the Great Bay Area Costumers Guild which included a sword fighting class and savory pies. Probably my favorite event all year. Rather than going with a particular character, I went more Witcher-universe-esque. Most of this outfit was thrown together from items I already had: the top was made for husband which is why it looks so voluminous on me, the skirt was from another outfit, and the boots are surprisingly comfortable and from Amazon.
To reduce stress, I decided to just focus on making one new item and went with the corset. I used Laughing Moon 113 Underbust Corsets and specifically view B, but made a few changes to make it bit more like the ones I saw when doing image searches for the Witcher:
- I eliminated the back grommets and just stitched the two back pieces together.
- I eliminated the busk.
- I added grommets between the two side panels.
Size-wise, I didn’t make any changes and went with the size I measured based on my waist which was a 14.
The inside was some toile twill fabric I had. I made that first as a mockup to test the size. I was happy with it so then used that as my lining. The outer fabric was also from my stash. It was some pleather I had used for gauntlets for my husband and still had leftover. And I had just the right amount. It’s a bit stretchy, so I was able to use it for the binding as well without needing to cut on the bias. But because it was stretchy, it did mean I needed to line it which I did with some black twill, also from my stash.
For the boning I used some plastic boning I had that I mostly wanted to get rid of so using them for a budget corset like this one worked for me. Why didn’t I like them? They weren’t as stiff as I was hoping. Probably fine for a casual dress, but not for a real corset. But they were super easy to cut and size, so that was a win since I was making this at the last minute (I finished sewing the binding on about 2 hours before the actual event . . .). If I make this corset out of real coutil for actual use later on, I’ll use metal boning.
Of course I managed to break a needle while making it. I’m pretty sure I’ve broken at least one needle on every corset. Maybe it’s just the cost of playing the game. The corset was super comfortable though and I could move easily in it. I expect I’ll actually get a fair bit of wear out of it since I could use it for a pirate costume as well.
Here’s a shot from the back where you can see I eliminated the back lacing. I really like the V-dip of this lower edge in the back. Very flattering.
Otherwise, not too much to say. Pretty straight forward. I didn’t really use the instructions from the pattern much. Mostly just used the pattern pieces.
Thanks to Davenriche European Martial Arts School for the longsword class!
