I went to a GREAT birthday party last Friday. It was a party to celebrate Pattern Review and it’s youthful and vibrant 13 years in helping sewng people connect with each other and share in community on the internet.  The Party was held at Elliot Berman Fabrics in NYC. The  theme for the party go-ers was  to dress in the kind of garment that reflected your favorite era of fashion. I chose to wear a corset simply because a corset ( or it’s slightly different cousin the STAY..) to me best represents that commom garment which was the support underneath  MULTIPLE eras of beautiful womens fashion. From Medieval, to Renaisance, to Puritan, to American Civil War era, to the Victorian era,  to 1980’s Maddona, to Dita Von Teese and Lady Gaga, ya gonna find a corset worn proudly by SOME woman at any given era.

I chose to wear a corset I made for myself from a Laughing Moon pattern just so I could have one for myself. I got hooked on corsets when I took the Beverly Johnson  Bramakers course a little while back.  Beverly has a great Craftsy course on bra making these days. At the time I went,  Beverly included corset making as part of the  8 week professional bra making course I took. Once I put on my first corset in that class–  I was SOLD on them and addicted to making them !!! I think (hope ? ) that I may have made a  mini convert to corsets in Deepika when she tried this corset on at the PR Birthday Party. Even if you never make a corset for yourself, if you learn how, the sewing skills to make a corset “cross train”  well to help in  making Bridal wear and prom wear, and yes all the popular vintage styles.

  The corset I made is the “SILVERADO” which has the bust gussets. The other view- “The Dore'”  is plain without gussets. I found the included instructions easy to follow, although I will confess that I veered off the included pattern instruction as I learned a lot from Beverly on how to make  any corset pattern work to get the fit and finish I wanted. I altered the LM pattern in the back because I do have such a curvey sway in the back. BOY-OH-BOY does this garment feel good when it is on and laced up. It supports my back, supports and shapes my bust,  and supports my whole torso posture. and feels like a comfortable “exo-skeleton”. ( For those of you who care- NO I am not a “tight” lacer. I have no interest in reshaping my lower rib cage or inner organs!  And for you  corset purists – NO-I did not match the print. Next time! )

The out-ter layer floral fabric  of this garment is cotton from The City Quilter. I just liked the print and decided to use it. I lined the cotton fabric with a thin cotton polyester to support the cotton print fabric.  Inside I used a fabric called COUTIL which is a tightly woven strong cotton fabric made to put up with all the “pull” force that is needed to lace up and wear the garment. I added what s called a “modesty panel” in the back so my skin would not show through the back lacing. I used metal coil boning, and I have my own grommet setting machine to set the grommets in the back.

In the final analysis, a corset is what you make it to be. A corset may not be for everybody, but when  a well fitted  corset is worn, it can make one feel comfortable, confident, supported, and ready to take on the world. I would say though that a corset does make a woman have a need to “fit” into the context of the world she lives in. Wearing a corset for 17hrs and needing to live in NYC and take the subway everyday is NOT  like living in 18th or 19th  century England or USA for the same 17hrs( a.k.a- having servants to daily get in and out of the thing..). But I could take a corset, a billowy silk blouse, some skinny jeans and  leather boots  for a 5 hr party night at a friend’s place. I always bring a change of clothes for  when the party’s over and the corset comes off. That will do !! And- Hey- you do the same thing with heels!! 🙂

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PATTERN REVIEW !!