TV110 fitting issues!

[Rhiarti]

Hello! First time posting, and I have to begin by saying the TV110 pattern is an absolute dream to work with after years of doing battle with the Laughing Moon pattern. Thank you, Heather!

Because I didn't have a corset to take my measurements from, there were a few best guess moments, most particularly in the bustline department... which, surprise surprise, is where I'm having the most trouble!

I had a measurement set of bust 36" (in a sports bra) or 38" (in a regular bra), waist 26", high hip 37". So opted to cut as follows:

1 & 2 - size C, cup D
3-5 - size C to waist, D at hips
6 - size C

The whole thing fits really comfortably, but I've evidently had a few measurement failures and the finished look doesn't quite match up to the comfort level! I can't afford to keep learning from trial and error, so hoping someone can help me figure out where precisely I went wrong?

First issue is the wrinkles around the waist. I used cable ties for the boning, which felt sturdy enough, but I'm wondering if that was the mistake. Or possibly didn't use enough - it seemed too small to warrant extra boning in the panels?

Second issue is the bust, which doesn't feel remotely supported, feels like it starts and ends too low, and leans away slightly at the top. So I'm thinking it needs curving in slightly at the top, but also maybe raising half an inch or so? Except...

The other massive issue is the hideous overhang of fat! Both under the arms and across the back - hard to convey how bad it is in photos, but honestly it looks absolutely disgusting! Okay, I could stand to lose some weight, but not that much!

So I'm wondering if maybe it's too high on the back? Or not high enough?

I didn't lace it in fully for the pictures (just eaten dinner), but if I lace everything as tight as it'll go, the upper back actually has a far narrower gap than the hips and waist, which leaves me bewildered as to how to resolve the fitting issues.

Having taken measurements with it laced as shown in the pictures, I come out at bust 38", waist 26", high hips 38". Which makes me think I'd do better to try again with a C cup D-C-D sizing next time? Or... am I still getting it wrong?

Also, what to do about the length? I left it at 9" length, though suspect 9½" might be more accurate. Except that still leaves the back issue.

To the (really fuzzy and oddly purple looking) pictures! Sorry for rambling! Hope some of it makes sense and thank you in advance for any guidance you can offer in terms of getting the next one right.

[Heather]

I think you are right about adding 1/2" in length. I would add it about 1" above the waist, so the whole cup moves up.

For the bust, are you wearing a bra in the pics? If you are wearing a bra, take it off and see what happens. Once you "settle" into the corset, you will see better how it fits. If not wearing a bra, and you are naturally buoyant up top, then you might need to make some adjustments to get a closer fit under the bust, beyond just raising up the cup with length addition.

In looking at your overall shape, I suspect that you could use less cup space, and more rib space. This will help reduce the overflow at the sides and back, and give you more support in the cups. I would suggest going to a size D at the bust with a C or B cup. I want to say B cup, but I know that sounds terrible to people with larger bust sizes. so I will hedge a leave the option of the C cup. Just know that adding a whole size to the bust will make it 2" larger, and going down a cup size will make it 1" smaller again. Two cup sizes will leave you exactly where you are now, inch wise, but with the fabric apportioned around your body differently.

When you are tightening you laces, do not over tighten the upper part. The idea is to lace the waist very tight, and then the tension should gradually release as you go down to the hip, and up to the bust. Larger bust lines will require more tension in the bust to hold everything in place than smaller forms, but it should be less than at the waistline. And the reduced tension at the top back will reduce the overflow, and make it more comfortable to wear.

[ljt]

Would it help to use two laces, one for the upper and one for the lower. My daughter is very full, heavy chested and this seems to help her feel more supported.

[Rhiarti]

Oh this is such a huge help - thank you so much, Heather!

Should I add the half inch all round, or just in the front panels?

No bra in the picture, though I'm more generously endowed than naturally buoyant! I'd far rather trust your fitting instincts than hold to any convention on the cup sizing though, so if you think B is a better bet, I'm more than happy to go with it... especially as the actual circumference felt spot on, comfort wise.

Makes sense about giving the ribs more space, though. There was still plenty of squidge at the waist, so hopefully I can reduce that further with the extra give above too.

Do you suppose that will resolve the wrinkling too? My only other guesses were the boning wasn't sturdy enough, or perhaps I hadn't clipped the seams sufficiently, although they seemed to lie happily enough during sewing.

Again, I can't thank you enough for your help... and the wonderful pattern. It really is a joy to work with!

(ljt I just saw your suggestion about the lacing - I haven't tried that before, but definitely worth a go. Thank you!)

[Heather]

Sorry, I forgot about the wrinkling. Some wrinkling is just going to happen, no matter what. You have a lot of strain on the fabric, it is will want to squish to the waist to reduce the tension. Which is where the boning comes in; it keeps the fabric from being able to squish the way it wants to. The tighter the boning fits into the channels lengthwise, the less wrinkling you will get. But if they are too tight, you get the boning wanting to poke out the top or bottom. So bow to the inevitable, and allow for a little bit of wrinkling. Every corset does it, so you are not doing anything wrong. As a side note, the shinier your fabric is, the more noticeable the wrinkling will be.

Lengthen the whole corset the 1/2". Higher in back will help hold in more overflow as well. And that extra 1/2" in length will also mean the you need a bit more room at the top, as the top is now higher.

Ok, so if you are not wearing a bra, then I am hedging even more between the B and C cup. I somehow had the feeling that you were saying that you had extra room under the bust that you were not filling, but if you are filling all the space, then that is good. I am thinking that, combined with the added length, and the easing of the tension at the top, and pulling in the waist more than shown in the pics, that the C cup is the way to go after all.

At the end of the day, I am looking at a photo and you are actually there and feeling how it all is fitting. So always take what I suggest with a grain of salt, and go with your best judgment.

[Rhiarti]

Reassuring to know about the wrinkles - thank you! I've just finished tracing off the new pattern, so note to self: pick matte fabric for this attempt!

I've extended the pieces by ­½" right the way round, gone with the C cup, kept the centre front panel size C, but the rest I've brought up to D on the upper torso.

Managed to clear the workload in time for an uninterrupted day of sewing tomorrow! I'll let you know how I get on!



Thank you again so, so much for your help.

[Rhiarti]

Soo... good news, bad news!

The bad news is, I've come out with exactly the same problem as before in terms of overspill at the sides and back. The other bad news is, I've run out of boning, eyelets and fabric I don't mind wasting, so I suspect attempt #3 is going to have to wait a while!

The good news is, the cups did seem better placed with the ½" lengthening. I remeasured while I was at it, and with the latest attempt got a bust measurement of 40". I'm almost wondering whether a C cup size E would be worth trying on the next attempt?

[Heather]

Part of the spillage is how you lace the corset. Tightening the top edge too tight will cause the spillage, so be sure that you are not over tightening the very top. If the lacing is sliding through the holes, and it is tightening on its own, you might try putting in a separate lace for the top 3-4 holes. This will allow you to have separate tensions for each area.

[Rhiarti]

Makes sense. I'll definitely give the separate lacing a go, although I can only loosen it so far before there's no support in the front! I've found some cheap twill to get another trial run out of, so I'll hang onto the eyelet panel from this attempt to save pennies until I get it right.

[smt22]

Don't waste your boning! You can always take it out of one corset and put it into another

[Rhiarti]

Oh rest assured, I scavenge every resource possible from failed attempts - It was only the eyelets I'd been wasting...

I do love your signature, by the way!