Part of the purpose for this blog was to help me find my way back to my passion and love for sewing as an art form. Sewing has been my job for a good portion of my life and I count myself as blessed to have been able to make my living for so many years doing something I love. But the past five years or so have been pretty intense, taxing, and repetitive. I had no say, or very little say in what I was sewing, and there was zero room for artistic license.
Corsets are something I have always wanted to learn how to sew. I find them historically fascinating and incredibly beautiful. So last spring I started dabbling and searching out resources to teach myself the art of corset making. I was so very fortunate to stumble across the Foundations Revealed website. Suddenly I had the instructional source and the community support to pursue my learning desires. Now I have the time.
I currently working on my fifth, sixth, and seventh corsets. The first four I made for myself, practicing techniques and gaining the basic understanding of shape and fit that are particular to corsetry. These next three are for customers, who like me, are new to the whole world of corsetry, but are fascinated by the beauty that surrounds them.
This is what a very simple underbust corset looks like in its earliest stages. This is for a customer who I will probably never see in person (she lives on the other side of the U.S. from me) so my next step will be to fit it on a dress form set to approximate her measurements. Nothing like diving in to the deep end right from the start!
Corset Toile
This was the first corset I ever made. I broke a lot of corset making rules in my haste to have a finished product in my hand. As far a functionality goes I can’t even sit down in the darn thing, but I absolutely love it. It made me feel beautiful, and most importantly it made me love what I was sewing again. Every woman should have the chance to feel so beautiful.
You can read about the making of this corset on my original post about it here. It is so nice to be creating again!
One Stitch At A Time 
This is so inspiring!!! I made my first corset before my first child was born. Sadly, I have yet to make another one. I have been so far away from sewing as an art form. I am at a block – mental maybe, but a block nonetheless. Finding my style, enjoying the pieces I sew, is truly a goal I want to reach. I don’t know what to start with first 😦 mb
Maria, start with something little. Anything at all. Something that you can be fairly easily assured of success with. Because success builds confidence and confidence builds courage. Something as simple as a little square pillow. Be deliberate. Choose a fabric that speaks to you and then follow it through to the end. Note along the way what things you like doing and what things you hate doing. That might help guide you in a direction you want to go. Most of all be patient with yourself. Art is all about love and love can’t be rushed if you want it to last 😉
Good advice 🙂 Thank you so much… mb
Wonderful! One day I will make a corset for me as well… O love corsets…
It really has been the most sewing fun I have ever had! And not nearly as complicated as I thought 🙂
My question, Is it customary to wear your coset on the outside?
Historically corsets were underwear, like spanks for us today. Today they have become outerwear. I think to our modern eye they are too beautiful to be hidden underneath out cheap t-shirts 🙂 While there are cheap, poorly made corsets easily available, the real, handcrafted corset is an extravagance today(the beautiful antique ones were extravagant too). We are not used to seeing garments with such detail and precision anymore.
Your corset output is impressive. And you certainly look beautiful in your first one!
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nice job 🙂