R&B №118 Corset Pattern

Pattern of the original antique R&B corset from my personal collection, extremely delicate end fine example of early 1900-s fashion. Measurments are given for full circumferences of closed garment.

Pattern was drawn by hand on the A3 paper. To print the pattern use Adobe Acrobat Reader (it is free). If you don't have an opportunity to print A3, set the document to lanscape orientation. Pay attention whether the "real size" option is checked.

This item doesn't include sewing instructions, only pattern. But I'm going to prepare separate detailed illustrated recipe and list it to the shop in a couple of months.

The difficulty of this design depends on the experience of sewer. I don't think it will be clear as a first corset pattern, but if you have corsetmaking experience, it definitely will be suitable as a first historical corset pattern. Anyway I highly recommend to prepare a mockup, especially if you decided to be historically accurate and recreate this garment in silk fabric.

Materials list is quite typical for corsetry except several specific details:

• Silk for fashion layer,
• Thin but tight cotton for strength layer (this material is also used to strengthen external boning casings, original corset is two layered but very thin and lightweight, there is no coutil inside),
• 34 cm busk,
• 5 mm eyelets,
• Spiral boning in two widths: 4mm and 7 mm (original corset seems to have baleen bones, which are no longer available, but modern spirals will do his job),
• Flat boning in two widths: 10 mm and 14 mm,
• Waist tape (25 mm cotton twill tape),
• Thread for flossing (original corset's flossing is double sided, silk thread on the front side and cotton thread on the back one).

Rough steps seems to be like this:

• Assemble fashion layer,
• Assemble strength layer,
• Pin external busk case to the fashion layer,
• Stitch together two layers along the front and back lines,
• Turn out,
• Insert busk and topstitch external busk case,
• Topstitch diagonal boning channels,
• Prepare external boning channels from silk and cotton fabric,
• Topstitch boning channels through both layers of the corset,
• Insert bones, set up eyelets,
• Close top and bottom edges with the silk tape,
• Embelish the corset with the flossing.