fold, press, baste, trim, fold, baste, sew

With no bias trim to finish the top edge it's important that I make the center at the top point super clean and neat. I also realized if I sewed a regular seam with a 1/2 inch seam allowance at the busk the corset will be the exact size of the pattern, not larger as I originally thought. I placed the back facing so it would overlap the front panel by 1/8 inch to make sure it there'd be enough fabric to catch when I sewed from the front. I marked my stitching line and the spaces to leave for the busk loops.

After I sewed the pieces together the top edges were folded down and pressed, then basted so they would not shift or come untucked. I made sure when folding that the back piece was folded a little lower than the front so there was no chance it would show. After they were secure I trimmed the excess seam allowance off. Then I folded the back panel back and basted the top edge together. Here it is seen from the inside of the corset.

I did the same for the bottom, except that I slid the busk in place before basting the bottom edge closed. I sewed along the busk, and along the edge of the ribbon, removed the basting, and voila.

Pretty crisp. Now I just need to make the edges of the stud side match and I'm ready for flossing!