December 20, 2011

1911 - fabric choices


It has been so much fun reading your comments in yesterday's giveaway post. So many fun projects, you guys are inspiring! For those who haven't yet entered you have until Wednesday, here's the post.

So then, 1911 fabric. I originally planned to make this corset from striped ticking. I used the ticking I had in the stash for the post edwardian, so now what do I do? I could buy a red or black stripe ticking, but I'd be basically sewing the same corset twice. Don't let that stop you fellow sew alongers from using ticking though. I found it very easy to work with and the stripes suited the long cut of the corset. Plus, stripes show up regularly in period advertisements. Here's one from Dessous Elégants, 1912.



The blue brocade coutil that I'll be sending someone for the giveaway has been in my stash for years. I'll still have enough to make a corset, and I haven't used a brocade coutil yet, so I may cut into it. There are some beautiful brocade corsets out there, like this one from 1912 found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.


© Metropolitan Museum of Art (accession number C.I.38.71.5a,b)

Who says beige is boring, right? The old post edwardian corset I bought and used to make the pattern for the Foundations Revealed article is made from plain, cotton, drill. Here's a detail of the fabric with the trim along the top edge.



Just a good, sturdy, tightly woven twill. It clearly got the job done. I've seen beautiful examples made with black, cotton backed satin. The satin was so smooth and the plain weave cotton backing kept it from stretching, yet together they were still very light weight. So flatlining is an option too. I also have plain white coutil that I could dye. I don't have much experience dying fabric, but that shouldn't stop me.

What about you? Have you already chosen your fabric? Do you already have something fabulous in your stash that will be perfect? Are you like me and hoping to try something new? If your planning on coutil take advantage of the specials offers from King & Co. Corsetry and Sew Curvy! Julia at Sew Curvey has even put together a 1911 sew along kit! £29.99 for everything you need in one fell swoop. And that's before the discount!

16 comments:

  1. I'm making my corset out of plain boring white herringbone coutil as I have tons of it in my stash. I might try tea or coffee dying to get some nice beige tones to it though :) And I'm learning to make bobbin lace so I plan on making some lace for decoration.

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  2. There is boring about a well made corset, especially with home made bobbin lace!

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  3. I'm going to go with the plain coutil, also, just because I don't want to get caught up in other things. Since this is my first shot, I'd really like to make a quality piece, and let the craft speak for itself. Besides, there's always decorative flossing!

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  4. Good question, no idea, ARGH!
    Spent so long making 5 patchwork quilts for everyones christmas present I havent thought of much else (if I had know how long they would take I probably wouldnt have started :-S).
    Know I need a titanic era ensomble but no idea about fabric. I like the stripes, think I'll go with that. Problem sorted!

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  5. Hello guys,
    I have a question to ask. I have a plain coutil too but I'd like to make my corset more decorative. Would it be historically right if I use herringbone coutil and very thin jacquard silk to give the finished garment more delicate look? Like the brocade one Jo used to illustrate this post from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Of course it would be one-layered corset I'm just planning to connect them right after the cutting and treat like the one layer. I think that might look nice or...?

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  6. In Jill Salen's "Corsets" there is a German 1914 corset made of burlap. I am using a printed coffee bag for mine.

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  7. Hi Max! I think that would look very nice. I'll be posting pictures soon of a 1912 corset that was constructed with silk satin flatlined with cotton, so I personally think yours can be considered period correct.

    Hello Ico-Anubis, The strips will be so pretty. I'm tempted to sew stripes again I liked them so much.

    I'll be flossing mine too, Jessica!

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  8. I was thinking of dying mine pink, but I also read the foundations revealed article on drab corsets - dyed with walnut husks. I want to try it but I think it might be more suited to a Victorian style, mostly because the examples of the drab corsets with the cream flossing were so wonderful.

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  9. Mal Kin, I love your idea! Your corset is going to look so cool!

    Ryan, I have dyed with walnut husks, which is surprising since I haven't dyed much. It's quite simple, but the result will be a far cry from pink! ;)

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  10. Just dropped in to say hello. I've got my head immersed in book research so I won't be sewing along but I know I'm going to enjoy watching the process. No need to enter me in the blog giveaway, save that for someone who is sewing... Congrats on the 500 followers.

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  11. Can we have a twitter hash tag such as #sewalong ? That way we can all attach photos of our creations at the various stages along construction! I'd love to see everyone's work.

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  12. Oh dear, that's a tough question. I have so many fabrics in my stash earmarked for corsetry... I'm tempted to flatline somethign pretty to my coutil.

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  13. I wanted to flatline pink striped lining fabric to my cream coutil but for some reason it didn't feel right once I started...so I'm going utilitarian and just going with the cream coutil and cream cotton lace with pink garters. We'll see....I still really want a striped one.

    The German paper corset in Jill Salen's book is to die for. I so want to make that. In fact I think that will be next on my 'to make' list.

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  14. Plain drill makes a very serviceable corset; I have used it before. I'll probably just use drill, as I don't realistically expect to wear this corset often.

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  15. I've a question...a couple people referred to "flatlining" a pretty fabric onto their coutil. What does that mean?

    I'm hoping to start going through all the wonderful instructions here in earnest here in the next few weeks to make my very first corset. I'd like to try something a bit more decorative than plain coutil, and am trying to figure out what my options are.

    I wish I could have participated in the sew along - everyone looks to be having such a fantastic time.

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  16. Jewel, also known as ‘underlining.’ It means to put two layers of fabric together and treat them as one.

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