Corset Gussets, handsewn

Yesterday I found a bit of time to carry on with the corset.  The next pieces to tackle are two of the more involved panels as they include the first of two gussets, boning and cording.  I tackled the gusset first.

It looks so simple!

Marking the gusset

Cutting the gusset

It was very obvious that hand sewing this would be the best option and that sewing through all three layers of fabric would be far too bulky. I separated them all out and stitched the 'cabbage' layers together; keeping my stitches tiny and 3-4mm apart.

The edges were then trimmed back as far as I dared and the middle lining layer also trimmed to sit just outside of the stitching line.  The second (lining) layer was then handstitched in place.

One gusset done!  Actually, one of the simplest and cleanest gussets I've ever sewn, worth the extra effort - I can't say time, as it was a surprisingly quick process.

Sewing the boning in, I decided to sew it to a point to match the gusset.  It seemed a neater finish than a straight or rounded top and I rather like the detail.

The cording, my first ever curved cording, was the final detail and I am pleased with how the finished piece looks.  A small disaster struck just as I pulled though the final cord through though, an earlier cut on my thumb reopened and left blood on the cord.  Not even thinking about it, I grabbed a cloth dipped in cold water to dab out the stain... bigger disaster!

The perils of home-dyed fabrics I guess... the blood stain would have been far less obvious!  I'm loath to throw the piece away so my options are to try a little more, strategic cold water dabbing, or disguise it better when I come to decorating the panels.  My gusset is also  the wrong colour, which I knew, but I liked the quirky shape at the top and it was something I planned to pull together when it came to the final decorations.  That said, the whole piece will need a little tlc I think, or re-doing if all else fails!


In the meantime, on to the second panel.  I have a stack of plasters for just in case and this gusset matches far better than the first!