Dolly Boudoir: The Full Torso Corset

As a long time consumer of fancy French lingerie, I now fully understand why something with such little fabric costs so much. Drafting, cutting, manipulating and sewing together tiny pattern pieces is not only labor intensive, it calls for nimble fingers and a lot of patience. For months after spotting a photo of a pretty doll in a corset dress, I was determined to create an real, old fashioned corset for my dolls. The style featured in this post is called "the merry widow," which dates back to 1905. It features a demi-cup bra, a short girdle, lacing down the front or back and enough boning to keep everything perfectly in place.

For me, the boning is the one single element that distinguishes this garment from, say the bustier or a camisole. But in devising a simplified version for the doll, my chief obstacle was finding boning small enough to trace the miniscule torso of my dolls. Finally I discovered twist ties (the kind that comes wrapped around small electronics). These have just the right proportions. And though I did use these little "under wires" for three of the four corsets featured here, my feeling was that, by folding over the seams and topstitching them in place (a.k.a. flat felled seams), you don't always need the boning. The lace used here is really hem tape because it is the easiest to find.

No bones about it, I had such a good time with this project. I made four corsets instead of two with panties to match and had to stop myself so I could get this exercise posted. I will show you two ways to make this garment: the first is created directly on the doll (couture) which is best suited for lace. The other shows you how to make a pattern using tape. With the latter version, you can even forego the boning.

The Made to Order Corset
Though rare, in France, there still exists the "corsetieres," crafts persons specializing in the art of made-to-order bras and corsets. As with Haute Couture, the woman is measured and a "second skin" undergarment is created perfectly conforming to the curves beneath. Though my technique has nothing to do with that employed by this highly skilled specialist, it is my way of paying homage to this disappearing art. I wanted the "boning" to be noticeable, but yours can be more discreet if you prefer. I begin by wrapping a narrow piece of tape around the doll sticky side up. Cut the twist ties in lengths that line up along the body's side front, back side back and side seams. Lay each one against the body on the tape. Lay the lace in between the "bones" and pin well in place.

For the black lace corset, the opening is in the back. The last panels at either side of the center back should end in the scalloped edge of the lace trim. Now carefully remove the corset from the doll. Then very carefully remove the tape. Whip stitch the "boning" in place.

Cut out the bra pattern (minus the seam allowance), aligning the top with the border of the lace. Overlap the bottom of the bra to the outside of the corset. Pin. Hand stitch in place. Join the center of the bra and stitch by hand. Now add the finishing touches. Cut away the edging from the lace trim and apply to the lower edge of the corset. You can also cut away some of the flowers from the trim and applique onto the bra. I've also added a tiny bow dotted a tiny rhinestone. Leave strapless or add small lengths of 1/8-inch ribbon for straps. You can also tack on tiny bits of ribbon at the lower edge of the corset to simulate garters!

At the back, I sewed on hooks to each side of the opening close to the boning. Catch the ribbon through the hooks and tie into a bow. Note: This garment will fit different types of Barbie!

The doll is wearing panties featured on the "Petites Culottes" posting. Because I'm closing them with Velcro on one side, I covered each side with a lace flower motif, dotted with a single rhinestone.

The red version features lacing up the front. For this I used 5/8-inch lace hem tape which was a bit harder to work with.

The real difference with this one is that the front panels will need to be lined with a bit of ribbon so that the hooks won't tear away. I used flat "loops" (from the hook & eye set) sewn to each side of the front panels. I gathered more lace trim and attached it to the end of the corset.

Off the Rack Corset

This is easy, fast and the technique most of you will probably use because you create a pattern that can be used repeatedly and modified into a litany of styles. I used the same technique for creating this version as I used in creating the bra pattern. I use paper tape to cover the torso of the doll from the center front to the center back of the doll. (Again, you're making half a pattern to ensure symmetry.)  Be sure to clip the tape at curves so it lies flat on the doll (at the sides and back). Draw the seam lines and style lines (the shape of the top and bottom) of the corset onto the tape. Carefully remove the tape from the doll in one piece. Now cut along those lines and flatten the tape pattern onto graph paper. Add seam allowance to the sides.

I used pale pink satin for my corset. Press the seams to the side and topstitch. Here, I've used a double row of topstitching to give the feeling of boning. I gathered 5/8-inch tape and added it to the bottom of the corset. You can attach the bra pattern to the top edge, however for this version, I've simply cut away a few lace embroidered motifs and added them to the top. I added a bow over the bust and tiny, adhesive backed pearls down the center front. The back is held closed with hooks.

For my last corset, I wanted to make a more contemporary version of the traditional corset. I used the same pattern as above and a heavyweight silk fabric which provides additional structure to the garment.

You can also use a lighter fabric and stiffen it with iron-on interface (as we did for Ken's jacket).

Take a piece of ripped silk chiffon 3 times wider than the width of the flattened corset. The ripped edges will give this garment a soft, edgy look. Fold the strip in half horizontally and softly pleat it. Pin in place at the hem on the exterior of the corset and stitch in place. Repeat the process, this time attaching the strip to the underside of the top of the corset.

I have finished this corset off with a tiny embroidered rose (taken from an undergarment) and a few tiny self-adhesive pearls. My corset will close in the back with the help of hooks and eyes.

These corsets not only make for sexy lingerie, they can be combined with tulle, sheer fabric or full skirts to make a dramatic evening ensemble.

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Lace it up!!!

Lace camisole worn with a dramatic drape of washed lace.

One of my favorite materials to work with is lace. Dating back to the 15th-16th century, the concept of its design was to give the impression of flowers suspended in space. With a beautiful piece of lace draped around the doll, you really need little else for high fashion drama. The lace items featured in this post, were built directly on the doll.

The one-piece camisole is easy to make and perfectly showcases the beauty of the pattern. I begin by wrapping a length of lace around the doll, carefully placing the motifs exactly how I want them to fall over the body. Pin at the back. Next, I pinch the lace under each bust, creating a "tuck" (allowing the fabric to release above and below the pin). Turn the doll over and make two more tucks on either side of the doll. Make sure the volume of the camisole is well distributed. Adjust each tuck until the garment is well balanced. Now, hand stitch the tucks in place. Turn the cut edges under at the back and add a hook & eye for the closure. In this case, I have added straps using another lace trim.

Steps 1-2

Step 3

The above doll is from Tonner. However I used the same lace for the 11 1/2" Barbie repeating the same exercise. It falls lower on this doll, however, on her, I've decided to create a dress. I drape the camisole exactly the same way as featured above. The skirt is formed directly on her body by wrapping another piece of lace around her waist, making four tiny pleats to pull the silhouette close to her body.

Steps a-b-c

And finally.....lace pantyhose. While lace stockings tends to be a trendy item in America, it is a staple in the French women's wardrobe. The lace has a two-way stretch. I begin by wrapping a piece around the doll's waist and pinning at the back over the hips.

Steps d-e-f

Stretch the lace front to back of each leg as you pin down the inner seam (a). Clip and repeat for the other leg (b). Trim the excess (c). Remove from the doll. Hand stitch each leg closed and stitch down the seam at the back (d). If there is a little space at the point of the crotch, be sure to close it shut. Turn the pantyhose outside in (e). Then put the stockings back on the doll. Measure a small piece of elastic to fit tightly around the waist. Carefully stitch this in place (f).

Lace stockings worn with the stretch lace bodysuit.

Next stop....the girls head to Paris. Join us for a fun filled doll's guide to the City of Lights!!!!

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Oh me, oh my, oh Maillot!

While cleaning out the basement, a few days ago, I came across an old undergarment belonging to my mother made of stretch lace. My first inclination was to make another item of lingerie (which I did), but the idea was to create a bodysuit that could be slipped on without the need for Velcro, snaps or other closures. This led me to the "maillot."

In layman's terms, a maillot is a one-piece bathing suit / bodysuit. This tiny garment requires very little fabric. My original idea, in fact, was to create the garment directly on the doll. But then I realized this is such a useful basic garment, I'd probably want to cut more than one and using different types of stretch fabrics. So I sacrificed an extra bit of lace to drape the garment and then used a fresh bit of lace for the final bodysuit. In addition, I used the foot of a man's sock for the navy blue bathing suit.

The lace in this garment (which you can also find in the stores) has 2-way stretch, but you'll need to figure out which direction has less stretch to determine the "straight grain of the fabric." In other words, you'll want everything to stretch more horizontally than vertically.

Steps a, b, c, d

As with the drapes for the slopers, I place the fabric over the doll and tape it to her chest and back to hold it in place (a). I stretch the lace a bit, pinning it in place at the sides (b). Then I cut away fabric over her thighs and pin the front to the back lace panels at the doll's crotch (c). Once that's done, I can cut a better shape over the thighs of the doll (d).

Steps e - f

Cut away the excess at each side (e). Use a soft piece of chalk or pencil to mark the seams where the pins are (f). Remove the pattern from the doll (g) then trace the markings onto tissue paper (h). Fold the front tissue paper pattern in half (i), making slight corrections to the one side so that the pattern will fall symmetrically on the body. Then trace off to the other side. Be sure to check to make sure the side seams of the front and back line up. If not, adjust so that they line up. Also, check to make sure the bottom seams match up as well.

Steps g - h

Next, I have given you two options. You can join the two patterns at the crotch (bottom) so that you cut the bathing suit in one piece. OR...You can leave them separate, adding seam allowance to the crotch and eventually adding a bit of Velcro to "snap" it shut. The more things you add at the top of the maillot (straps or other decorative details), the more you will need the pattern with the crotch closure.

Step i

You could sew this by hand. However if you decide to machine sew lace or any other delicate fabric, you will need tissue paper to keep the machine from gobbling up your maillot. Place enough tissue paper under the fabric to line the entire seam, then stitch. Simply tear away the tissue paper and you're finished. I turned the edges over and hand stitched. However, if you have stretch lace or elastic, pin it in place while stretching slightly and hand stitch it in place.




You can use non-stretch lace over the legs but not at the top because it will no longer stretch over the doll's hips. You can add straps at the top and fasten them to the inside of the back using dots of Velcro.

In short, this is a very basic garment that can be worn under jeans, a sarong OR as the foundation for limitless creativity!

 

 

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Down under: Les petites culottes

I have the entire collection of those hard-to-find "Baby Phat Barbie So-In-Style" dolls which I love. Not only are they gorgeous, but they are fully articulated which means they can sit. While this is great for showing off pants, we experienced a bit of a "Lindsey Lohan moment when I put the girls in dresses and sat them on my dresser. You see, the girls cannot completely close their legs AND, they're not wearing underwear. Technically their panties are tattooed on their little butts. Honestly, have you every heard of pantie tattoos? Neither have I, which prompted me to make panties for my little friends.

I begin using lace hem tape and 1/8-inch ribbon. I don't really care for this lace, but I wanted to do something simple with an easy to find material. For this exercise, I create the panties right on the girl.

Steps 1 - 2 - 3

Begin by taping a length of ribbon around the hips of the doll (step 1). This will close on the side, so be sure to cut a the ribbon wider than the doll. The tape will keep everything in place while you work. Now cut a length of lace that begins just above the ribbon at one hip, wraps between the doll's legs and ends on the opposite hip at the back (step 2). Repeat on the other side, going from front to back. The lace tape will overlap and crisscross over the front and over the back. Pin in place at both the front and at the back (step 4-5), then hand stitch the two strips of lace together (step 6).

Steps 4-5-6

Fold the lace over the top of the ribbon and glue on the back. There is extra ribbon on one side. Fold each end into a loop and glue in place. Cut a small length (about 6-inches) of ribbon. You will thread this through the two loops and tie into a bow at the side (Step 7). For reasons of symmetry, make another small bow which you will tack in place over the opposite hip (step 8).

Step 7-8

For the second pair of panties, I use a stretch rayon jersey and I create a pattern using wide tape. Cut two pieces, placing the first piece over the doll's hips. Cut two slits on the inside of the doll's thighs up to her crotch (Step 1). Now press the tape onto the doll and between her legs. Bend her legs slightly to get the leg line on the panties. Now, draw in the pantie. Repeat at the back. Mark the sides well (Step 2).

Panties 2: Steps 1-2

Panties 2: Steps 3-4-5

Gently remove the tape and attach to graph paper (Step 3). You will make a single pattern piece by joining the back and front at the mid-crotch seam. Smooth out the lines. Then fold the paper pattern in half (vertically) (Step 4). Try to match the two sides up as close as possible. With the paper folded, trace off this (half) pattern to graph paper again and then trace the opposite side to complete the pattern. It should look something like my pattern (Step 5). Add 1/8" seam allowance all the way around.

Fold the seam allowance under and pin in place. I prefer to hand stitch the panties using tiny stitches. Press well.

Position the lace to take full advantage of the pattern.

Adjust the fit of the panties and hand stitch on one side. Fold over the other side and add Velcro.

For the last set of panties, I found vintage lace. I position the lace pattern over the front and again in the back. Pin in place and sew up one side. The other side I fold the lace over and attach a bit of Velcro. Be sure to trim away any excess on the inside of the panties.

All text and photos property of  © Fashion Doll Stylist. 2013. Please do not reproduce without prior permission.