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.

At this stage we can trim seam allowance when we decide about the direction of seam allowance and we know the bone casing width. This is how the professionals do.

I place the bone casing and make sure it overlaps the joining seam by 1 mm and stitch. I turn the pieces and stitch on the second side.

In a similar way I join the second side seam and stitch the front central piece in the front curves. Therefore, I close the corset in one line.

A little hint for those who are afraid they might not be able to flatten entirely the pieces when they make the second stitching line along the tunnel. In this case when you attached the tunnel to seam allowance with the first strengthening stitching line, turn the garment over and carefully monitor the parallel stitching line on the second side of the tunnel against the light. You should have a good view of the area where you stitch, i.e. the corset fabric should be fairly sheer. However, I don’t think it is worth experimenting if you are not confident enough in this operation.

It is time to sew the front curves under the cup. Despite the fact that it is the revision of the operations we learnt, it is necessary to highlight some important points. I will stitch the curve and we will discuss it. By the way, have you noticed that the pattern is specially made for easy sewing? When you align the curves of the pieces before sewing, the seam allowance corners are trimmed so that the seam allowance lines are perfectly align and you can see their width.

Thus, the front curves under the cups are stitched. I will trim seam allowances a bit later after my explanations.

Let’s start from the seam allowance direction on the front curves. It is logical to direct the seam toward the front center. The tunnels are evenly spaced in this seam allowance position.

However, it is necessary to remember that the decorative edge tunnels on the cup will also be stitched toward the center. Do you know that the inner lower cup is usually smaller than its outer piece? Therefore, the tunnel toward the center will decrease this cup piece visually even more. It should be taken into account! In this case, I am pretty aware about this peculiarity and do it intentionally. However, if it doesn’t go with your design, you should fold seam allowance in the other direction.

So, we decide to fold the front curve seam allowance toward the front center. I turn the piece toward me with the side where the tunnel will be stitched and cut the excess seam allowance. I remove basting.

I attach the bone casing and …what didn’t we anticipate? High five if you have already guessed! That’s correct! We should not forget that this tunnel also runs under the cup. I will stitch this bone casing similar to the adjacent curve, where we cut the bone casing without reaching the cup sewing line.

I place the bone casing and make sure it overlaps the stitching seam by 1 mm and stitch in 1 mm from the casing edge. I turn off the automatic bar tacking and stop in 1-2 mm from the cup sewing line. I trim the upper edge of the casing. I turn the pieces and make the second strengthening stitching line on the wrong side also below the cup sewing line.

This tunnel won’t create additional thickness under the cup.