Mr.Seamstress

Paper Dresses

2009-11-11T17:57:00.005+01:00

Okay here's the next thing I recently finished.
These are costumes for an important dutch literature award.

Now the organisation wanted four female book figures which would roam a catwalk and a platform planted in the middle of the theatre (audience sat on the stage for a change) thus creating an interesting backdrop. I suggested that we make all dresses out of the actual pages of the nominated books. they really liked that idea. I spent lots of hours ripping out, dying, folding and sewing approximately 3200 individual paper pages. In the end a fifth dress was made out of silk that I had printed with the covers of the six nominees. the colour red in the dresses is a direct link to the colour of the AKO brand bookstores logo. AKO is the company that created and promotes the award

The wigs aren't made of paper but wood curls.
They were created and designed by Nienke Algra

Hairspray musical

2009-11-11T17:43:00.002+01:00

Hey Everyone,

Since I'm to busy to create some new tutorials at the moment, I'll show you some of the work I.ve completed recently. first up is the touring production of the musical Hairspray.

On Hairspray, I created and refined dozens of costumes including Edna's "Welcome to the 60's" gown.

The Costume designer for this was Arno Bremers.

Finishing the corset

2009-07-25T18:22:00.004+02:00

Finally the corset is finished.

Notice that I added some traditional embroidery on the bottom of the corset.
These are used to lock the bones into place.
But most corsets nowadays don't use them.

And I embroidered some black sequins and beads onto the lace. (it is hard to see on the picture but it gives the corset some extra sparkle).

Okay,
On to a new project!

Creating the laced closure 2

2009-07-25T16:58:00.008+02:00

Now that I klnow the final top and bottom edge of the corset, it is time to insert the eyelets.
There isn't a special rule on how many eyelets you should have. I once made a corset that only had 8 in total (4 to each side) on the whole thing. And it worked perfectly.

I usually like to put in a lot more then 8 since it crates more and tighter crossed lacing which maximises te effect. however use your own discretion with this. On this corset I'll be inserting 30 (15 to each side).

In this case I'll us a handy device called an 'expanding sewing gauge' to quicky determine where I will place the eyelets. However a ruler is all you really need.

Mark the position of the eyelets, and make sure they match up with the eyelet position on the other side.

Then use an awl and pierce a hole into the corset (horror!).
Next insert the eyelet and with an eyelet press, or hammer, press it into place.

Work one at a time, and the next thing you'll know, all thirty of them will be in.

But if you think you're finished, think again. Sure you can put on the corset, but your back will look less appealing with flaps of skin forcing it's way through the laces.

So we need to make a back protector.
It's basically a rectangular strip of fabric that covers your back. and it is assembled sepperately but attached to the final corset.

First you need to decide how big the protector should be. Always make it shorter than the length of the laced closure. this way you can loosen or tighten the corset without the back protector peeping out somewhere at the bottom or at the top.

don't make it to narrow, since we want it to cover all visible skin. and all the eyelets. (on the iside that is.)

Once you've decided on a size cut out a rectangular pattern out of a piece of paper.
Use this to cut three pieces of fabrice. an outer layer(silk) and two pieces of the lining fabric (black coutil)

Use a serger to serge the outer layer fabric to one of the pieces of lining fabric.

Then sew the outer layer to the inner layer (sideseams only) and sew it that the inside is a little less wider then the outside layer.

Press the seams flat, thin them out.

Finally you turn the whole thing inside out, and press the whole thing flat.

Next sew 2mm (1/8t inch) along the side, like the picture below.

(Optional: it is possible to bone the back protector as well, I've seen fully boned examples myself. If you'd want that now is the time to do it.)

Okay take some leftover bias tape, and finish the top and bottom of the back protector.

Pin it to the inside of the corset. and handstitch it to the lining.

Now it's finally time to lace up the corset.

Let's continue...

Assembling the corset 3

2009-07-25T15:37:00.012+02:00

The next few steps are totally optional and very specific to this corset.
I'm going to decorate the top half of the corset using lace.
I'll do this while the corset is pinned onto a doll.

I start with a band running from centre front to centre back under the arm. and I am going to work my way up to the top of the shoulder straps.

I pin each layer as I put it on the corset and hand sew it to the corset all along the edges.

each following layer will slightly overlap the previous.

Finally after lots of hours of small handsewn stitches I'm left with something like this.

Now It's time to finish of all the edges of the corset, I usually use a pre fabricated satin bias band for this, or you can make your own out of any fabric you want.
In this case I'll do both.
Let's start with the top. that is going to be pre fab black satin.

Remember, before you do this step it is still possible to shorten and trim the corset.

Now, it is also time to sew the front and back shouder straps together. this is very straightforward, but dont take the easy way out, make sure there is no seam allowance showing on the inside of the finished corset. so make the extra effort of seperatly sewing the outside and the lining.

Let's attach the bias tape. The reason you use bias fabric (cut at a 45' degree angle onto the fabric) is that it is far more adaptable to curves then straight cut fabric.

Lets pin the bias tape to the corset like the pictures below.

And sew it to the corset, (directly through the fold line.) and remember to leave an extra bit of tape at beginning and end.

Important! take extra care at centre front and centre back. the tape should look symmetrical and should start at exactly the same point, otherwise you'll end up with a crooked looking corset.

Armholes like this corset has, are extra tricky since they are all curve. It's trial and error with this. sooner or later you'll get the hang of it. I've done this so much but even i need to redo every now and again to get it just right.

Look for instance at the next picture, the bia tape on the left shoulder has folds/creases. this means i've sewn it on to tight, and that the bias tape has lost it's flexibily at this point. so unfortunately i need to take it off and re-attach it!

Once you are satisfied with the result, trim the edges of the coret some more, and after they are all even, flip te band over to the inside and pin. take extra care when pinning the beginning and end parts.

Now the next thing a lot of people do is to use the sewing machine to sew though the bias tape.
I personally hate doing it, since I think that sewing this bit by hand creates a lot nicer effect.
Attention is in the details, so take out your needle and thread and sew it all together.

Finally it should look something like this..

Next we're going to tackle the bottom of the corset, and for this, I'm going to make my own bias tape out of the same pink ilk the corset is made of. I've cut a couple of long strips of fabric. (assembled from various pieces) which are all cut on the bias (45' degree angle.) and I am going to use a specialist tool for turning it into bias tape.

First I cut a slight poit to one of the ends of the strip. This makes it easier to get throught the tool. and pull it along the fabric strip ironing it as I go.

finally it looks like this..

From then on it is the same process as discribed before..

And after some elbow grease. the main body of the corset is 99% finished...

Let's continue..

Assembling the corset 2

2009-07-25T13:13:00.011+02:00

Okay now, it's time to fix the outer layer and lining layer together,
But before we do this. it might be best to try on the corset to check how it is going to fit.
since this is the last time you'll be able to make any alterations.

This step in making the corset will consist of hand sewing and is a time consuming step.
however I do recommend it, since it makes the difference between a poor and a superb corset.

take a needle and some thread in a contrasting color and hand stitch the seams of the outside to the corresponding seams of the lining. (see the picture below)

Okay once you've done this step, it's time to sew them together by machine.
There are a couple of options here, which you can use to your own discretion. The decision you'll have to make is where the bones will be placed allong the seams. would you like to have the bone to the left, right or centered under the seam. once you've decided this, you can start sewing. I've decided to make a mix of left and right of the seam, but none of my bones will be placed directly under the seam.

So in the following pictures i'm sewing a line 2mm (1/8 inch) to the side of my seams

Once you've done all this you can remove the hand sewn thread (or you can do this at a later state, but it has lost it's function now.

Now it's time to sew the first boning channel. sew the channel a slightly bit wider then the bone, but not to wide, it should be nice and snug, which will look nicer and it will make your corset less succeptable to wear and tear.
You can use a piece of boning to check the width of the channel, but do not insert it yet, that would make the corset harder to sew. insert the bones only after you've finshed with all the boning channels.

you'll end up with something like the picture below.

That was the easy part, now we'll put in some boning channels that won't run next to a seam line.
this is one of the hardest steps to do, since it is extremely difficult to get it just right.

First decide where you'll want your bones to be placed.
Once you've decided, take out your needle and thread again and baste down a line on the exact spot where you'll want the boning channel to run.
like the picture below.

And use that line as a gauge to sew the boning channel.
And you'll end up with something like..

That's starting to look okay, however i don't like those big empty spaces next to the centre front.
I think I'll put in an exta set of boning channels in to even it out..

And now I have..

Now it is finally time to insert all the boning. and take extra good care of capping your spiral bones, use two pairs of pliers to attach them securely.

After you've boned the whole corset, put it on a doll so you can admire your handywork.

Let's continue...

Assembling the corset 1

2009-06-10T13:19:00.010+02:00

Okay, now lets put all the pieces together.

We'll start with the outer layer. Take either your front or back pieces with the respective closures already sewn in, (see previous posts) and pin the corresponding outer pattern pieces to it. I usually start with the front pieces, as you can see on the pictures below.

Take notice: Only pin the outer layers together. do not pin the lining pieces yet.
(see picture below)

Pin it so that the bottom and top of the corset line up.

Notice in the picture above that the right seam does not line up correctly, now this isn't such a huge problem on its own. But if every seam has this difference your garment will eventually come out crooked. So in this case, let's re-pin it.

Once everything is pinned right, you can sew it together.

Okay, let's see what we've got.

Inside,

and out!

Let'continue, and repeat these steps for the rest of the pattern pieces.
In this case, my corset has shoulder straps. If yours has to, do not sew these together yet.
Allow the corset to lie flat while you're still working on it.

Once you've got all the outer layer pieces together, press the seams open.

Let's lay it flat, and see what we've got.

Now, let's continue with attaching the lining pieces.
You basically follow the same process as you did when assembling the outer layer.
I personally like to sew the lining seams with a allowance 2mm or 1/8 inch bigger then the outer layer. (this creates a tighter lining, and a nicer fit)

Once you've attached\closed all the seams, you'll end up with a corset turned inside out.
(see picture below.)

Before we turn the right side out. press the seams flat again.
After you've done this, take a pair of scissors and trim the seam allowance (lining only!)

Now take the same pair of scissors and make little cuts in all of the seam allowances, at the waist and breast area (see picture below).
Be carefull not to cut to close to the seam.

Notice: my cuts are never directly opposite eachother on the same seam.

Okay, let's turn this baby inside out and put it on a doll, to see what we've got.

That's already starting to look like a corset.

Okay, let's continue....

Shameless apology

2009-06-10T13:10:00.002+02:00

Hey Everyone,

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I've been terribly busy. I was involved in designing a movie which sadly fell through in the end. and helped out with a couple theatre productions. as well as auditioned for the dutch version op Project Runway/Catwalk, for which I needed to prepare loads of stuff.

However good news, the corset has been finished for a while now, and I will be updating the tutorial later today...

Creating the laced closure 1

2009-04-25T12:57:00.009+02:00

Okay, let's start working on the laced or corset closure,
Traditionally this is located on the back. howerver you can also place them anywhere you want.
(I made them with front closures when I costumed The Rocky Horror Show, specifically the floorshow corsets are gorgeous in my opinion)

The pieces we'll be working on are all pattern pieces of the centre back.
(2 outer layers, 2 lining, as in the picture below.)

The beginning is actually a lot similar to the busk insertion process.
First start by sewing the corresponding outer layers and lining together along the back seam.
(in most cases, along the straight lined edge of the fabric pieces)
The like before, press open en flat starting on the inside.

After you have done this, you can fold the pieces and press them in the final position.
Do not press it exactly on the seam, but but press it a 1/8 inch (or 2mm) to the side of the seam. This will result in a small piece of the outer layer to turn to the inside of the garment.
(as in the picture below)

When you do this, you can be certain that no lining will show when laced up.

When you have done all this it is also important to trim the seam allowance like we did before.
(See my earlier post Inserting the busk 1 if you need more explanation)

Okay now like before, we need to sew a seam along the pressed border. Topstitch just 1/8 inch or 2 mm from the edge, as seen in the picture below.

Now it is time to start cutting a few pieces of boning. use flat steel boning for this type of closure.
Spiral steel boning is not advised for this.

I personally like to cut my bones, so they have enough room to slightly move up and down in the boning channel. If you cut them to long they will come tearing through the corset.

Use a pair of wire cutters (or anything that works) and cut the bones.
Don't try and cut them through at once, since this is impossible on a hand cutter.
Try to cut them a couple of times, and very gently try bending it on the place where you've made a cut. Don't use excessive force for this, cause to much bending will result in a curved ending to your bone, which is undesired. If it won't snap immediatly, try cutting it again.

Okay now that we've got the bones cut, it is important to create nice rounded edges to them.
This makes them easier to insert, makes for nicer wear, and protects the final corset from damage.

Either use a sanding stone, or if you don't have one, you can also cut the sharp corners off with the wire cutters and sand them down by hand.

Both my spiral and steel bones are 7 mm. this creates a nice and even effect.
Notice in the picture below, that I have place the bone under the sewing machine foot.
This is just so I can see that the left side of my foot matches up with the width of the bones.
You'll probably find something similar on most machines.

Okay now it's time to start sewing our first boning channel. Don't start with the actual bone placed under your foot like the picture above. remove the bone and start sewing following the earlier made stitching.

Once you've sewn one boning channel, test it's width by partially inserting one of the bones.
If it fits nice and snug continue sewing the other channel.
You should end up with something like the picture below.

Now we need to sew two more boning channels running parallel to the first.
However but since our eyelets are going to be placed in between these pieces of boning, we'll need to leave a space for them.

Now the eyelets I'm using on the corset are 4mm in diameter. I think you also call them size 0 in other countries.
Now the width of the space between the boning channels will depend on your eyelets and your personal taste. However don't make it to wide.

Once you've decided the placing of the second boning channel. start sewing.
You can take your last made seam as a gauge. however it is probably better to stick down a piece of tape on your machine at the desired distance, and simply follow that.
(See Cutting pattern pieces and preparing your machine)

After sewing the first seams you should have something that looks like this:

Okay now sew the last seams and create the boning channels.

Insert the four pieces of boning.

As in the picture below, the bones should sit nice and snug in their channels.

For now we are finished with the back closure. Inserting the eyelets and the lacing will come at final end of assembly.

Let's se what we've achieved..

Beautifull.

Let's continue...

Corset making 101: Inserting the busk 2

2009-04-21T17:55:00.010+02:00

Okay, now that you have stuck the hooks through the side seam, mark the placement of the hooks on the outer layer with pins (as shown on the picture below)

Now take the busk out again. Do not remove the pins.
You now need to sew an edge seam. which is located just an 1/8 inch (2mm) of the edge of the fabric piece. do not sew where the hooks are to be placed.
The next two pictures will make clear the exact placement of this seam.

Notice in the above picture. The right patern piece can be sewed in a single continuous seam.

Now this has all been preparation, now we are going to place the actual busk.
First insert the left busk piece (with the hooks) and pin in place.
Place the right pattern piece next to it.

Now take a pencil and mark through the holes in the hooks the spot where the corresponding right busk pins need to come.

Take a sharp pointy device (awl) and pierce throught the markings on the right fabric piece.
Only pierce the top layer and not the lining. Do not punch or cut the holes!
By using an awl, you'l create the hole without cutting any threads in the fabrics.

Once you have pierced all the holes like the picture above, simply insert the right busk piece and gently force the pins through.

Pin the right busk in place.
Now it is time to permanently fix the busk into place. we need to place a seam on the position of the pins. I personally find this the most trickiest seam when making a corset.
On this specific piece I tried seven attempts before getting a satisfactory result.

When you try sewing this seam use a blind/hidden zipper foot. You need to sew as close to the busk as possible to get a nice result. and remember les stops equals better results.

Notice in the following picture I use a different sewing machine for this action. Since my industrial sewing machine does not have a zipper foot.

Sew both left and right busk into place.

You have now succesfully inserted a busk, congratulations!
That was the hard part.

Let's continue...

Corset making 101: Inserting the busk 1

2009-04-21T15:45:00.014+02:00

Note: this is an optional step. a busk is not essential to a corset.

Now that we've got our pattern pieces cut out and prepared, we can start assembling the corset.
Always start making the closures first. in this case we will start with the front busk closure, which is probably one of the trickiest things to sew when making a corset.

First let's take a look at the pieces we'll be working with.

All four fabric pieces of the front of the corset, and the busk itself.

Traditionally the busk hooks go on the left side of the corset, however there is no reason why you shouldn't switch this around if you want to.

The busk will be placed inside the two corset layers. however the hooks will have to stick out of the side seam. To do this take the left pattern pieces (outer layer and lining) and pin them with the right sides onto eachother.
Now with a crayon or marker mark the place where the hooks will be placed

Sew the two pattern pieces together, but dont sew where the hooks are supposed to come.

The right side of the busk does not have hooks portruding out of the seam. you can easily sew those pattern pieces together in one continues seam.

Now press all seams flat on both sides . startin with the inside.

After it is flat, you can fold it over and press it (pressing it flat first creates a nicer result.)
make sure not to press it exactly on the fold, but turn a milimeter of the outer layer to the inside.
(see picture below) this makes sure none of the lining will show when wearing the corset.

Next: notice how you can clearly see the bulge of the seam allowance on the next picture,

This is not nice and therefor we will need to trim the seam allowance,
Now cut of a sliver of fabric (5mm) of one of the pieces of seam allowance) usually the lining piece. (the widest piece of seam allowance needs to lie over the thinnest.)
look at the following pictures to make it more clear, and notice the reduced bulge in the final picture.

Now that you've pressed and thinned out both pieces insert the left busk piece and lay next to eachother.

Beautifull.
Let's continue...

Corset making 101: Cutting pattern pieces and preparing your machine.

2009-04-21T15:25:00.006+02:00

Now that we've got our final pattern. let's cut it out of fabric.
The corset will consist of three layers of fabric.
(one outer layer, and two layers of stiff cotton)
and since each pattern piece is mirrored on each half of the corset, you will need to cut each pattern six times. (four times out of cotton and two times out of your outer fabric)

If you are making a corset with an outer layer of striped fabric, take special care in cutting the fabric so the stripes match up (see Julia's corset)

Once you have cut everything, take all the silk pieces and and serge (or sew) them onto a corrseponding piece of cotton as show in the picture above.

Now you've got your outer fabric piece, which looks delicate and flimsy, but is strong because of the cotton attached.

You now have four pieces left for each pattern. 2 mirrored outer and inner layers as seen on the picture above. the black pieces on the picture are the single layers of cotton which will be used as the lining. Notice that I also serge these lining pieces.

Let's start preparing your sewing machine.
Use a piece of the cotton fabric folded double to test your thread tension. the seams will have to be good tension wise especially when making a corset.

My pattern include 5/8 inch seam allowance (about 1,5 cm)
Here's a little trick.
I never mark my sew lines, I just simply measure the distance of the seam allowance from my needle position and mark this with a piece of crepe tape.
(as shown in the picture below.)

Now all you have to do is follow the line of the tape when sewing the pieces together..

Easy!

Let's continue...

Corset making 101: Pattern and materials

2009-04-21T14:26:00.012+02:00

I adore corsets, ever since working on 'The Rocky Horror Show' I got really into them. And from what I found out over the years, just about everyone loves them. Now corset making is a great skill to have, and they are not all that difficult to make. I personally love making them for my friends. (see last post about Julia's corset)
So when Marieken, a good friend of mine asked me to make her a corset for her upcoming trip to the US, I naturally obliged.
And of course a very good reason to teach you all about the production of corsets.
Lets begin!

The Pattern.

For this corset I used the Laughin Moon, Dore Corset pattern which you can order on-line.
I highly recomend this pattern, it has easy to use instructions and it's beautifull.
In this case I personally altered the pattern to inlude shoulder straps.
Before I started assembling the final corset I made a mockup (toile) of the corset out of muslin fabric. and tried this on my friend Marieken. This way you can see the alterations you need to make to the pattern before you start cutting your expensive fabric.

(note: cup sice is to small on pattern, causing deformation of the breast)

Materials.

(note: the black lace is an optional decoration on this corset)

You will need:

- A stiff cotton fabric.
Preferably coutil which is specially designed for corset making. but any stiff and thick cotton will do. (In the picture this is the black fabric)
-A top fabric.
This will be the fabric and color of the outer layer, this can be every sort of fabric you want it to be. In this case, it is old pink silk.
-Eyelets.
For making the lacing holes at the back of the corset.
-Bones.

(From left to right, flat boning, busk, spiral boning + end caps)

I always use flat steel bones and spiral steel bones.
Flat steel is used for straight bone line (usually centre front or centre back)
Spiral steel is bendable and used for all non-straight bone lines
All these bone types are available in different pre cut lengths, but I like to cut it to my own specific lengths and use boning on a roll, which is sold by the meter or the yard.
In this case I will also be inserting a busk, which is a piece of boning with hooks attached. This is a closure which makes it easier for the wearer to put the corset on his or herself.

Let's continue...

Projects: Julia's corset

2009-01-20T05:51:00.007+01:00

So around Halloween me and a colleague (Julia, head of lighting) where planning to go to a party.
Now I had my costume all worked out. But I surprised Julia by making her a custom corset for said event. It took me about two full days to make the corset. It was mostly made of stiff cotton with the outer fabric being wool. The wool fabric was cut on the bias (e.g. diagonally on the fabric). the corset was partially covered with rhinestones and boned throughout.

Here are two pictures of the corset mid production.
(Note the mannequin in the back, It's wearing my muslin version of my winter coat. more later)

And Julia showing off the corset onboard the Les Mis tourbus.

Double loop knot

2009-01-20T02:55:00.000+01:00

A double loop knot is a very simple and easy way of tying a knot. It´s also stronger and more flat than the single loop knot.

Insert the needle in the fabric. bring it up and out after a few threads.
Stick the needle through the fabric once more at the same point as before. Bring it up and out again at the exact same point where it came up the first time.
pull tight.
Repeat step 2 and 3.
The knot is finished.

Single loop knot

2009-01-20T02:13:00.000+01:00

A single loop knot is the most common way to permanently knot a thread to fabric.

Tie a simple knot in your thread (overhand knot) and insert the needle in the fabric. bring it up and out after a few threads.
Stick the needle through the fabric once more at the point of the knot. Bring it up and out again at the exact same point where it came up before.
Pull tight. The knot is finished.

Slip knot

2009-01-20T01:11:00.000+01:00

The slipknot is a temporary knot which is used if you temporary want to sew two pieces of fabric together, I also use it on temporary stitches when marking lines on a pattern piece.
When you pull the end of the thread the knot will come undone.

Make an ´e´ loop lying on top of the end of your thread.
Pull the underlying thread through the ´e´without pulling the end through.
Pull the knot tight.

The Slip knot is now finished. if you pull the short end of your thread the knot will come undone.

Hand sewing introduction

2009-01-20T00:59:00.001+01:00

Okay, before we can start machine sewing, you need to be familiar with basic hand sewing techniques. All of these are still used when making clothing or in basic sewing, as well as embroidery etc. I know it is tempting to start out with a project like a skirt, jacket or pillow. but let's just get out feet wet before we start swimming.

If you're a novice to sewing I suggest you try out these stitches and knots for yourself so you can get familiar with them.

Note: Most of the hand embroidery techniques photographs are done on embroidery gauze with embroidery thread. This to make it clearer on the photographs. Normal sewing thread will be much thinner.

Hi I'm Mr. Seamstress.

2009-01-19T21:17:00.001+01:00

I said i'd never do it, but i'm finally a blogger.
And so i would like to welcome you all to it.
You may have already noticed that it is entitled Mr. Seamstress,
which is exactly what I am. A man who enjoyes sewing.
Hell, it the only thing I really can do!
And this blog will be about (surprise surprise) sewing!

Okay, so why a blog about sewing.
Well to me it seems there is a lot of information out there, but it's all very scattered and a lot is unclear
to my knowledge there isn't a single site that gives you all the clear info on sewing, with good photographs, instructions and drawings.
And a site wich is usable either for the people who are just starting out sewing, or for the more experienced sewer.
Now I don't expect this humble blog to become the answer to this void on the internet.
But maybe it can help to fill in a small niche.

And on another note, if you'd like to know more about me, check out my profile.

Well, I don't think i'm really good with these introductions,
so less typing and more sewing!