Hook and Eye Tape Application.

Why sew on a bunch of hooks and eyes by hand if you can use hook and eye tape which does not require you to measure for every piece applied. This is faster and saves your hands.
It's best to first explain what hook and eye tape is.  Typically, you can buy hook tape and eye tape at most fabric stores.  One of the tapes has hooks on it and the other tape has eyes on it, usually these hooks and eyes are sewn into the tapes.  With alternating hook and eye tape.  The hooks and the eyes are riveted to a single tape and they alternate in placement of hook followed by an eye followed by a hook followed by an eye and so on.
The advantage of alternating hook and eye tape is that once the hook and eye tape is done up it is very difficult for it to come undone without effort.  Standard hook and eye tapes come undone fairly easily.  Alternating hook &eye tape are an advantage in the back of dance costumes, because no matter what motion the dancer does, there is limited to no risk of the hooks and eyes coming undone. 

The image below shows two rows of alternating hook and eye tape.             The hooks and eyes are fairly substantial corset hooks and corset eyes that are riveted on to a stiff twill tape. Notice how each twill tape has a hook and then an eye in alternating sequences. Be sure to confirm how the hooks and eyes line up before you cut the tape! A hook needs to be opposite an eye. If you’re not careful you can end up with the problem below.

 Keep in mind it's also very difficult to undo a garment you're wearing yourself if you have used alternating hook and eye tape.  It's also very difficult to get it done up yourself!
                                                                                                      
When using hook and eye tape it is important that the hooks and eyes close in a manner that does not allow the skin to be visible between the two edges of fabric.  If the tapes were sewn to the edge of the fabric you would get a gap between the edges of the fabric as indicated in the image below.
                                               
  “right side”                                                   “wrong side”
 

 

1. Fold and press your fabrics along the “center front” line (or the “center back” if you are applying to hook and eye tape to the backs).  It is important to press this fold.  Once the hook and eye tapes are sewn on it will not be possible to press this edge.

               
2.  Using a narrow foot on your machine (likely a zipper foot), check that the foot will fit in between the hook and the eye on the tape.

              
3. Open the pressed fabric edge up and align the hooks and eyes of the tape, with the fold line that indicates “center front”.  Using a pencil or pen mark the center point between each hook and eye both on the tape and on the fabric.  You’ll use these lines to confirm placement of the tape so mark carefully and be sure the tape does not cover the marks you make on the fabric.
4. Stitch each of these short lines between every hook and every eye. Sewing only through the tape and the single layer of fabric. Stitch from the raw edge to the fold mark and back so that each row is double stitched.

Fold the raw ends of the tape under and stitch in the same way unless the tape will go all the way to the end of the fabric and will get bound off with it.

5.  Refold the fabric along the “center front” (or “center back”) line.  Pin along the fold to make sure the fabrics stay in place.  Stitch close to the riveted edge of the hooks and eyes, stitching through the tape and both layers of fabric. This will create a bone casing that allows you to slide a bone behind the hooks and eyes for further support…it does increase the challenge of getting the hooks and eyes done-up and un-done.

If you have no need or interest in creating a bone casing stitch the tape to only one layer of fabric at this point by not folding the fabric along the “center front” line.

                                                                                                                           
The following steps do not include a bone casing.
 
6. The fabric was not folded back into place and the long row of stitching to secure the tape to the fabric was sewn through the tape and one layer of fabric only.
 
                       
7.  Now fold the fabric into place along the “center front” line, pin along the fold and stitch a second row of stitching along the edge of the tape. Stitching through the tape and both layers of fabric.
     
                         
8. Attach the hook and eye tape for the other side onto the “sewn on” hook and eye tape.  This will determine the placement of the second tape on the other piece of fabric.  Slide the other piece of fabric into place so that the folded edges fo “center front” or “center back” butt snuggly against each other. Mark the tape and the fabric as outlined previously.

                                                                                        
9. Stitch the tape to the fabric in the same way as outlined previously. BUT, notice that the placement of the hook and eye tape on the fabric may not be the same.  I prefer the opening not to be centered over the bar of the eyes.

  View from the inside
 
  View from the outside

                    

 Want to order alternating hook and eye tape?

http://farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com/products.php?cat=hook%26eye

Corset Making Class

Corset Making Class in December 2013

Taught by Linda Sparks

Author of “The Basics of Corset Building” 

Two day workshop will see you make a mock-up from a commercial pattern, fit it to your body, make alterations to the pattern for future use and make the mock-up into a real corset with bones and busk etc. All supplies are included in the class fee and machines are supplied. You must at least have basic sewing skills – be familiar with operating a sewing machine and bring your own tools (see through ruler, scissors for paper and fabric, pins, measuring tape, note taking materials, tracing wheel and paper, tape etc.)

 

The corset to the right is NOT the corset we will make in class...but it's something to aspire to!

 

Depending on your abilities you may not finish the corset in class time but you will know how to finish it. Depending on your abilities you may not have a corset you want to wear by the end of class but you'll have the skills to make a better one. Come and learn how to make your own corset!

When: December 7th & 8^th   

Time: 9:30 – 4:30

Where: Montreal  at  École de couture Céline Ross

 4230 Décarie Blvd. Montreal, QC H4A 3K3

 

Fee: $270.00 plus tax for a total of $305.00

 

To register e-mail Linda@farthingalesla.com with your phone number and she will call you to register you and get credit card payment. You can also opt to pay via PayPal.

Wire Mask or Head Piece

I've been experimenting with some products we have; it's a great escape from paperwork sometimes! We sell "millinery wire" a.k.a. "hat wire" in 3 different gauges but I must admit I've always found it a challenge to work with. I seem to have heavy hands and can never get a nice look as my wire ends up all wobbly. So I decided to try one of our more stable products: German Plastic Boning in the 5mm width (product number 50-8125-05). It's a narrow flat boning that can be sew to it's self or to anything else that can be sewn and it can be shaped a bit with heat from a warm iron. German Plastic boning is white to start and since I wanted black I threaded the 5mm German Plastic boning into a length of our black nylon braided lacing (the white is dyeable so I could to this in any colour) Product # 03-7176N-90. I took 2 meters of the boing and 2.5 meters of the lacing because I wanted to be able to cut lengths and close the lacing over the ends of each bone. The lacing melts with the heat of a "lighter" so I was able to seal each section of lacing over the bone which meant that the bone could not slide out and melting the ends was a lot faster than sewing would have been.

I did use a Styrofoam head to help me and I just played with the boning to create a simple shape but there seems to be limitless possibilities. The German Plastic boning does not kink like my wire did, so I found it easy to work with and the ability to pin through it into the Styrofoam head made working with it easy. I pinned all the joined sections first and then hand stitched the join. I hand stitched through the nylon braided lacing that covered the plastic boning as it was easier than sewing through the bone and it still created a secure join.

 

 

 After the shape was completed I wrapped some fine net; a soufle type net, over the section that would be in front of the eyes. Hand stitching it to the nylon braid lacing. The net is very sheer but very strong and is product number 24-5510-90 (the white version of this net is dyeable).

This head piece does not fit the Styrofoam head well but it did fit the human head that it was created for.

This was my first attempt at this type of thing and while I would do a few things differently (like not have one of the connections under the chin as it's too obvious), I'm generally happy with how easy the product were to work with and how little time it took...once I figured out what I wanted where it was only about an hour to put it together.


I've included a close-up so you can see the mesh detail

Product can be found at www.farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com where they sell more than just corset making supplies.

German Plastic Boning specifically can be found at: http://farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com/products.php?cat=plastic+bones

 

Nylon Braided Lacing specifically can be found at: http://farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com/products.php?cat=lacing

 

and the Fine Soufle Type Net can be found at: http://farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com/products.php?cat=net

Waist Cincher Corset is finished

The fabric used for this waist cincher corset is "spot broche" coutil also known as "dot coutil". It's the most durable of all coutil and I've opted to use it without any fashion fabric as it's very pretty as it is.  The bone casings are on the inside of the corset and I've bound the seam allowances to create some of them. Doing so meant there was no need for a lining. So this corset is made from just one layer of seriously strong fabric - dot coutil. Note the little pocket I added - it may seem too tiny to be of much use but it's all I need to carry a folded up bill or change.

 

I used decorative stitching to indicate some corset bone placements.  I edge stitched the seams in a contrast colour; more for a design detail than any necessity and I used a decorative stitch to secure the top binding of Petersham ribbon. The bottom edge was bound in the same Spot coutil the corset was made from. 

 

Instead of grommets I used black D-rings set w black rivets down the center back and lace the corset with nylon flat braid black lacing. The back includes a modesty panel made from the spot coutil.

All materials used can be found on the

Farthingales Corset Making Supplies web site

www.farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com

Corset Project - Black corset w grey dots.

Two new coutil fabrics came in a few weeks ago and I've got an event coming up in October (the Creativ Festival) that I'd like a new corset for.  I had settled on a black and grey herringbone suiting that I could make into a waist cincher using the new black coutil with grey dots (spot broche coutil) as the the foundation.  When it came time to cut the fabrics out I decided I didn't want to hide the coutil! So I'm making a long-line under-bust corset using the black coutil with grey dots and I'll wear it with a black skirt and black blouse.

Here is where I've got to so far.

The busk looks silver but it's actually black metallic and I created a placket behind it to protect my skin or at lease keep my blouse from getting caught between the two fronts.

 

 



 

I like to have a pocket on my corsets so I have some place to put my lunch money and don't have to carry a purse so I added one and incorporated it into decorative stitching.  You can see it in the curved row of stitches. 

 

 

I rarely line my corsets though I did think about doing it on this one but most corsets I make end up getting looked at by students so it makes more sense to keep the inside lining free and all the details visible. A well made corset is just as neat inside as out so a lining is really not needed. I opted to use contrasting thread to sew the bones casings on but I did not use the contrasting thread on the outside of the corset as it seemed like it would make it too busy since there was already decorative stitching.

 



 

 

 

 

I'm busy working on another project so this is what I'm doing when I need a break. I'll post more as I get it done.

 

 

All products are from www.farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com

This particular coutil known as "spot broche", "dot coutil" and "spot coutil" is available in several colour combinations and is the ultimate in durability. It's used by theatres all over the world because it's easy to work with and corsets made from it last!



 

 

 

 

Dyeing Coutil and Corset Laces

Just to experiment I tried dying some coutil and the two new Farthingales corset laces and here is the result.

I used Dylon Violet dye and worked in a pot on my stove stop as I was just dyeing sample lengths. The instructions that came with the dye were very easy to follow.

I put all the pieces into the pot at the same and they all stayed in the pot for a full 20 minutes.


Item number 88-71WC-01 is white cotton corset lacing with a waxed finish. I assumed this product would not dye evenly because the of the finish but in fact it took the dye fastest and deepest; the finish must have completely dissolved. Unfortunately once the finish was gone the lace increased in width; it started at 1/4" wide and ended up at 3/8" wide. But the colour is intense.

Item number 01-7671N-01 is white nylon braid corset lacing. It did not take the dye as quickly but it did take the colour equally intensely and the dyeing did not noticeably alter the size or feel of the corset lacing. The nylon corset lacing had a beautiful sheen before it was dyed and after.    

Coutil is only available in a limited number of colours and patterns but it's all either 100% cotton or a cotton viscose blend so I expected some success with dyeing. Some coutil has a finish applied to it that may effect how evenly the coutil takes dye but  none of the pieces I tested were a problem. The one I was most interested in experimenting with was the new rose brocade coutil that is black with "champaign" roses item #74-1148-92. I was hoping that the roses would turn deep purple and they might have if I left the sample in the dye-pot longer. While I didn't get the deep purple I had hoped for, I was not disappointed with the result...the pale lavender roses on a black background is quite stunning and I actually like it better than if they had gone deep purple. The photo does not do the fabric justice!

I also added satin coutil and a satin brocade coutil to the mix and got fantastic results for both. The plain satin; item 74-1150-01 and the satin/brocade known as bzy floral coutil #74-1158-01 took the dye well and ended up a perfect match with each other and the with the nylon lacing!

While I can't image when I'm going to get a chance to dye more fabric and make a new corset I am definitely inspired to find time soon.

The last piece I tested was a cotton viscose brocade coutil 74-1130-20 "diamond brocade". It started out beige but ended up the same shade of deep purple as the satin, however it got rolled up in the pot and only the edges were exposed to enough dye to colour it so I'm not sure about it's success. I suspect it would dye well provided it was all equally exposed.

You can find more information on the over 20 coutil patterns and colours that are available by going to:

 

https://www.farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com/Coutil-Corset-fabric-s/1818.htm





Bustles, Hoopskirts and Cages

What was under the dress?                                                              We see paintings and drawings of fashions in the past but we don't often see what was underneath the clothes helping to create the shapes which make for period defining silhouettes.                    Farthingales will be offering a free "trunk show" of structural under garments (bustles, hoop skirts, cage crinolines, panniers and farthingales) to demonstrate how dresses of the past got their shape. This "trunk show" will be held on Friday, October 25th  and Saturday, October 26th during the Creativ Festival in Toronto, Ontario.  Both events will be held at 1 p.m.                                          If  historic costumes are not really of interest then think outside the box...how could you apply these techniques to contemporary fashion? Learn about the materials and techniques used to make shapes.  Access to the demo is free with admission to the Creativ Festival where you'll find tons of stuff to see and an opportunity to purchase supplies.                                                                        

 

 

 

 

Go to www.creativfestival.ca and use Discount Code CFSAVE2 

and SAVE $2.00 on your adult or senior ticket