Can I sew a corset in under 14 hours?

VictorianSewing Project
Written By V .
 
 
 
V stands in her studio, wearing a ballet pink satin Victorian corset over a white cotton chemise and drawers. She looks off to the side, amused and curious.
 

Can I sew a corset in under 14 hours?

 
 
 

How long does it take to sew a corset, and can I make a new Victorian corset in time for a party? Join me for a corset making speed run vlog and we’ll find out.

Why would you do this to yourself?!

If you're new to corset sewing, then this is not the corset making tutorial for you, because no one should be sewing a corset under this kind of pressure! I decided to sew a Victorian corset on a time crunch because I needed a new historical corset to wear under my new 1850s-1860s Victorian ball gown— which, by the way, you can check out here.

So, how fast can you sew a corset?

There are better ways than my methods to sew a corset fast, but this not very quick corset took me 13 hours and 42 minutes over the course of four days. Proper Victorian corset making would have probably been a lot more precise, and how long it took to make a corset would depend on the design. Please enjoy this little corset sewing vlog, and I hope you're better than me about not procrastinating!

V, poses lying on the floor. She wears a Victorian corset in ballet pink satin, with a white cotton chemise underneath and a white cotton mid Victorian petticoat on top. She looks very amused, holding a paper sign that reads "OSHA Violation".

The Details

I made this corset using a custom-drafted pattern I already had, which you can check out the process of creating in this other video! This is a two-layer corset constructed using a combination of the “sandwich” technique, and a flat-lining technique. The construction methods and pattern are not historically accurate, but the final result gives a historically adequate foundation for Victorian dresses, and is most importantly comfortable enough to wear. As always, a full listing of materials is available on my Patreon.

 

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