Sewing on Tunnels for Boning | Bustier Corset DIY #5
So, two halves of the corset back and the front central piece are ready.

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Now we can move to the front side pieces.

However, before joining these side pieces with the finished ones, it is necessary to work out the technique, which we will use.
To be more exact: we will stitch the tunnel for the decorative bone to this piece, which will serve as an additional support of this wide piece. There is a marking. We can also make additional basting, so that the piece is not deformed.


It seems to be really simple: we just need to attach the tunnel to the position of the bone. In fact, we should consider the following: when we stitch the cup, seam allowance will be fold inward and another tunnel will be also stitched on this seam allowance. In this case the folded seam allowance with the tunnel will overlap the folded upper end of the vertical tunnel. You can imagine how thick this area will be. Therefore, we need to work out the sewing technique in this area.


In order to avoid this thickness and to make sure that the vertical tunnel is well-covered with the folded seam allowance of the cradle, we should stitch it from the cup sewing line, but not from the edge of the piece. Moreover, we don’t need to make a bar tack at the start of sewing, so that we can undo and cut the excess any time.

Besides, in no case you should cut the upper tip of the bone casing in a straight line and attach it below the cup sewing line as there is a risk that the end of the tunnel won’t be overlapped entirely with the cup seam allowance.

Therefore, we will do it differently. We will leave an auxiliary tip of the bone casing, but we will stitch it a couple of millimeters below the cup sewing line.

I cut a necessary length of the bone casing and similar to the front center piece I place the casing over the center of the marking line and pin it. By the way, I recommend using bead needles instead of pins when you work with such thin fabrics. I mark the cup sewingline for security.


I will stitch the bone casing from the corset bottom upward. I don’t make a bar tack at the end of stitching! I finish in couple of millimeters from the proposed cup sewing line. I turn the piece, move down by 2 mm from the marked line and make a reverse stitching line along the second side of the bone casing. I cut the bone casing in 1-2 mm from the marked line.




The tunnel is stitched. When we stitch the cup the tunnel will be under the bone casing, which goes under the cup.


I do exactly the same with the second front side piece.
Now we can say that the joining of the side seam is repeating what we have learned. Place the pieces wrong side together and stitch with 1.2 cm seam allowance. You can make bar tacks at the start and the end of stitching. I remove the basting, which joined mesh and lace. I check seam allowance and think in which direction to fold it. I will fold it toward the back.
