How to Make a Steampunk Corset

Estimated Cost: ~$30-$50 (more if you don't already own the necessary tools)
Estimated completion time: 10-15 hours
Difficulty: Moderate but accessible to newcomers
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I have been making corsets for a few years now and I frequently receive emails from
people requesting tips and advice on how to get started. Also, I understand that depending
on their nature, corsets can be quite expensive and therefore not accessible to everyone.

I have spent considerable effort constructing a method for making a corset requiring the
least amount of technical knowledge, expensive tools and tedium I could manage. Even
so, there is still a lot of work involved. Please read the entire instructable before beginning.

If you have trouble seeing the details in any of the images click in on the little i in the top
left corner to view the image in its original format. Feel free to ask questions if something
is unclear or left out. The first image of each step is out of order so as to better illustrate
what that step entails in the thumbnails.

Also, please leave a comment with a photo of your finished work should you make your
own. I would love to see what people come up with!

UPDATE 8/11/2011: Corset pattern updated to include a better range of sizes and to allow for printing
on printers unable to print to the edge of 8x11 paper.

Step 1 Tools

Tools You Will Need:
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1. Straight-stitch sewing machine or hand sewing materials (Not for the faint of heart!)
   • For a sewing machine you will need a zipper foot
2. Scissors 
3. Awl
4. Marking tool (Preferably something non-permanent like a chalk pencil)
5. Fray Check (If you use a brocade or similar fabric with a tendency to fray)
6. Lighter or other heat source (An iron works but may deposit residue)
7. Grommet Setter 
8. Pliers
9. Ruler or seam gauge
10. Dressmakers pins (Ones that won't snag on a sewing machine)
11. Steam Iron
12. Hole punch
13. Pencil
14. French Curve

Tools You Don't Need but May be Useful in Preserving Your Sanity:
_______________________________________________________________________

1. Rotary Cutter
   • Cutting Mat or other razor safe surface (office chair mats work great)
2. Seam Ripper
3. Weights (I make my own with bags full of steel shot)

Comments

[Zanaji]

Could these instructions be used with real leather? I have some wonderful soft deer leather that I would love to use for this. It is thin enough that you could probably sew it with standard needles instead of a bladed leather needle.

[lw119]

I have never attempted it with real leather, but I suppose if the leather were thin enough it would work just fine. You might even be able you forgo the coutil layer. I wish I could be more help but I do not have much experience with leather working. Best of luck to you!

[lw119]

Helpful tip someone posted on facebook

Petra wrote:
"Great instructable! Just a quick note for the person who asked if it could be done with real leather, it can, but you would need the coutil layer. Leather, especially soft, thin leather stretches like crazy and tears quite easy."

[Jenn Nelson]

Nicely done!

@Zanaji- I did a leather corset recently with a medium weight leather, a good viking sewing machine, and regular needles. It came out just fine. However, you will need a leather punch to make the grommet holes. Good luck!

[Kvozza13]

Wonderful instructable been meaning to make a corset for some time really heavy into steampunk, i'm having a hard time printing your pattern it comes out to small and off center in certain areas i turned of page scaling any tips. thank you.

[lw119]

Try this:

1. Click the pattern link.
2. Click on file (top left)
3. Click download original and save it to your computer
4. Open it locally in the latest copy of Adobe reader

If you are still having trouble it is most likely that your printer software is doing something. When you go to print click on properties and browse through your printer options and see if there is another scaling feature enabled. Hope this helps.

[mrscarlet3434]

I know I am a dude, but I have always been interested in Victorian/Steampunk fashions and I would like to make one of these for my wife. Here's the problem. i am not sure I can adjust the pattern to fit her properly. She is a good sized women, which I love :o), so I am not sure how this will translate for the larger size folks. Any tips you can give me would be greatly apperciated. Thanks.

[lw119]

Give me a week or so to find the time but I will draft a plus size version of the pattern and upload it along size the other. I have made corsets for a very wide range of sizes and I find them universally appealing. Generally the technique is the same, however often times (and this applies to any size) if you're unsure the pattern is going to fit properly it's best to make a test run with some less expensive fabric and make adjustments based of that.

If you run into any trouble with the new pattern feel free to PM me and I can give you more detailed help. My apologies for not accommodating all sizes initially. Best of luck!

[mrscarlet3434]

Thank you for the reply. I really apperciate it and so does my wife. I will keep checking back.

[CsPele]

I was just wondering if after step 1 do you remove the machine basting?

[lw119]

There is probably no need to remove the machine basting but you can if you want. If you have a very tight waist though leaving it in might facilitate puckering in which case you defiantly want to take it out.

[RavenT69]

Where do you get your coutil? I have had a very hard time finding any online, or anywhere in person.

[lw119]

My favorite is Richard the Thread (you can order online). They have everything you need for corsets and I usually get my items within two business days of placing my order.

[dandries bauswell]

I am extremely over gifted in the bust region, and every corset I have purchased has failed at holding up the ladies. I was wondering if you had any advise towards this issue. I am thinking about adding straps to my latest waist of money, and see if that helps, but the straps will probably tear at the weight of my lady lumps. Any ideas are welcome!

[snickerdoodles]

I have the same problem. I think the best solution for women like us is to use a different top underneath and wear a shorter corset actually under the bust. This works for me. Here is a picture of kind of what I am talking about. http://www.yzemall.com/images/v/201107/13119304890.jpg

[lw119]

I am afraid that with an underbust corset the best thing you can do to give yourselves the proper support (particularly the over gifted) is to wear a bra with your corset. The bustier type bras are the bust because the corset will overlap it. Otherwise you might find the the top edge of the corset will trying to turn under the lower edge of your bra.

If you could get your hands on an overbust that would be a different story. At some point in the far distance future I might make an overbust pattern but I just don't have the time for it right now. I recommend finding a custom corset seller on Etsy that will make you a bespoke overbust corset. Just make sure they use coutil fabric and steel bones. Message me is you want a recommendation.

Shoulder straps would help center the breasts over the front of the corset but I don't think it will give you what your are looking for.

[GirlOfAllTrades]

Another website I love is Fabric.com. They have a...thing where when they restock a fabric it's $1.95/yd no matter what the fabric is. Not to mention some awesome sales. :)

[lw119]

I order from them quite frequently too. They are great.

[polymathone]

I absolutely adore your instructable, and the fact that I've finally found a corset instructable that even I, as a novice, can follow! However.... I've come unstuck at the first hurdle, i.e. printing US letter size on A4. Do you happen to have any idea how someone like me (read: no pattern adjustment experience), could convert the pattern to A4? Apologies, if this sounds a bit dumb, but thought I'd ask. :S

[lw119]

Sorry, for taking forever to get back. I have not been logging in a lot lately. I imagine you have found a solution by now but it not...

I think you will be all right if you let your printer use it's shrink to fit function. A4 is only a touch narrow then Letter size but longer in length. As long as your match the corner marks correctly you should end up with a corset that is only marginally tighter then if you had printed it on Letter size paper.

[TerriMcD]

I would LOVE to try this pattern and instructions. There appears to be a table missing for knowing which pattern size to use...might this be available soon? Thank you so much! These are amongst the best instructions I have seen for corset making. Your time and expertise is greatly appreciated.

[lw119]

The table is back but I made a calculation error when I graded the pattern so is is only available in small sizes at the moment. I will be uploading an improved version in the next day or two that will accommodate a much wider range of sizes. Thanks.

[TerriMcD]

Thank you! I will eagerly keep checking back :)

[lw119]

Just letting you know it won't be much longer now. I accidentally saved over the original pattern so I had to redraft the whole thing lol. Will teach me to create backups of my patterns.

[TerriMcD]

I'm so excited!.... Thank you - Can't wait!

[lw119]

It's up. Sorry for the long wait.

[TerriMcD]

Thank you SO much! :)

[Amanda0823]

Are the bigger sizes available yet? I'm very eager to try this out. Thank you for this incredible tutorial as well! I certainly learned a lot.

[lw119]

I'll go work on them right now. Thanks for reminding me.

[Amanda0823]

Thank you so much! <3

[lw119]

It's up. Sorry for the long wait.

[ltran7]

I just finished making one using this pattern, it was very easy to follow!
But the thing i noticed is that the size it came out to be was the exact size of my body so i wasn't able to cinch. Although,. i did follow the size chart.

[lw119]

I am so sorry about the sizes. I am uploading the fixed pattern to Google Docs right now. I had an error in the Excel table that I use to scale the pattern in my CAD program. You should be able to take it in an inch or two with only a couple hours work by removing the edging and taking in the seams a bit. If you need more details please message me.

That aside. Your corset looks beautiful. Thanks for posting pictures.

[PinUpRetro]

You should be careful making corsets out of leather as it is a material that 'gives' a lot. Only decorative ones should be made from leather - not ones with boning that are intended to pull you in.

Only Coutil and similar tightly woven strong, rigid materials should be used for corsets...that is unless you want to puncture your breast with the boning! :)

[Nicholin]

I wear a tight lacing leather corset a number of times a year, and of course being a tight lacing corset, it has boning. It doesn't puncture anything.

[thepelton]

For weights, I found that you can find tire weights that have fallen from car wheels in the gutter if you look long enough, especially near tire stores.

[lw119]

I would caution against using those weights for garment making. The weights used to balance tires are generally made from lead. The lead could come off on your hands and rub off onto the fabric. I don't know if this degree of exposure should be considered toxic but keep in mind a corset cant be laundered so you could possibly be contaminating yourself every time you wore it.

At the very least I would give them a few coats of Plastic Dip or other protective coating and a thorough washing before I would use them on fabric. I have seen sewing weights at some of the local shops that I would guess contain lead by their density, so I think as long as they're contained it is not an issue.

[skaar]

the degree of exposure for danger through skin absorbtion is really low, like handling plutonium, it's not the least bit dangerous, unless you swallow it, or it's critical.

just wash it real well, cause there's likely other stuff on it... and probably rubber residue from the tires, road salt, road kill... dog poop that it hit and bounced off of... stick em in a tin can, melt the steel clips off, then pour the lead into non-stick(toxic fumes from teflon) muffin tins, don't use the can and tin for anything else.

[static]

Good instructable and I nice finished result, but respectfully I had to chuckle at this line in the opening paragraph: I... love to employ the many exotic materials and techniques the Zing laser cutter would allow. The women in my life, and I suspect many other women, couldn't afford to duplicate projects that use exotic materials, and require a laser cutter to construct. Good luck in the contest.

[maullove]

I'm not sure what your point is; nothing in this instructable requires a Zing laser (or anything remotely close to it). The author is merely saying they could make more things with a Zing laser, not that this instructable requires one or that they will even make instructables in the future with the hypothetical laser.

It's common for people who specifically enter an instructable into a contest to talk about it so that people remember to vote if they appreciate the instructable. I've seen it in several of the other finalists for the Epilog challenge.