I made a reversible cottage core-inspired corset using Butterick's B4669
Disclaimer: This is not a tutorial, but more like a pattern review. If you are looking to use this pattern I highly suggest you give it a read ;)
Second Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
B4669 is described as a "Lined, close-fitting corset" yet upon closer inspection, it doesn't require coutil nor boning. It does say "sew-in Interfacing (Heavy Weight)", but it is my opinion that it needs to be more specific.
B4669 is sold out everywhere and it is being resold online at high prices. It doesn't surprise me given that the cottage core trend is still going strong and cottage core style corsets similar to this pattern average around $350 each. This pattern is also favored by Rachael Maksy. If you don't know who she is, she's a popular DIY YouTuber who had a cottage core aesthetic before it was a thing (thanks to her love for all things Hobbit).
I have an upcoming project that will require two of these coveted corsets and since I know how to sew, I will forgo the $350 ready-made ones (btw, I think this is an appropriate price, I'm just a broke-ass-bitch). The corset I made for this post is not the final one, this one is a mock-up, a wearable reversible mock-up, which I will probably give to someone else because it turned out way too small. Cute, but small. I am so glad I made a mock-up because this pattern has issues.
#1 - This pattern lacks final garment measurements. It is supposed to fit very close to the body, yet it has very few final garment measurements. This is important for someone like me. My bust, my waist, and my hips always straddle three sizes. I tend to determine the size by examining the final garment measurements. In addition, it is my experience that Butterick patterns run large. However this did not turn out to be the case, the corset ended up being two sizes too small ... because I preemptively sized down. theoretically, I should have chosen the largest of my three sizes.
#2 - Lack of specificity: No size suggestion for eyelets, no material suggestion for sew-on interfacing (I highly suggest coutil. It's standard in corset construction)
#3- It doesn't say how it is supposed to fit. As you can see in my finished corset, there is a huge gap in the front. Although this looks cute, if you have a gap like that in the corset is because you plan to wear a stomacher with it which I do not. The front of this garment is meant to be closed.
#4- Lastly - It doesn't require any boning ???? What? It's a corset, it is supposed to have something to make it rigid. Historically speaking, if boning wasn't available they would use cording or added rows of stitches to make it stiff. If it was a costume pattern I would let it slide, but this is labeled as a historical pattern. You can see how problematic this is when I first try it on. the center is warped and the eyelets are straining the fabric. Granted, I don't think this is meant to lace up as tightly as I did, however, it still had the same issue when I loosened the lacing. Later in the video, you will see that I went back to add boning to the edges of the corset and it was enough to keep things straight.
But negative reviews aside, this pattern has a lovely shape, it is fairly easy to sew, very easy to alter, and I like all the variations it offers. Despite its many issues, they are issues that are easy to address. For those reasons, I will continue to use this pattern and include all my adjustments.
If you want to see a video of the construction of this garment click here. It's not a step-by-step tutorial, but you can see everything that it entails (minus the eyelets, I forgot to film that)
Materials:
Pattern B4669 https://amzn.to/3XMuq9Y
Boning https://amzn.to/3IEy6Gm
Eyelets https://amzn.to/3IDuG6L
Eyelet setter https://amzn.to/41dg9WA
The pink floral fabric is from JoAnn in the quilt cotton section
The ribbon is from Michaels Craft Store
Similar to my Sewing Machine https://amzn.to/3Z9hLPv
Making the corset reversible is very easy, you just have to sew the binding down on the inside. I used a maroon vintage print (cotton) and a quilting cotton print from JoAnn. For the binding, I used solid quilting cotton.
Unfortunately, a bottle of water leaked in my JoAnn shopping bag causing the marron fabric to stain the floral fabric. Thankfully I was able to cut around and piece parts together. You can see how I pieced them together in the images above. The corset still has some stains, but they are small enough to blend in with the flower pattern.
This was my first try on, and as I mentioned, the lack of boning caused the center to look terrible. I went back and added boning to at least the center. You can see how I did that near the end of the video.
These are the final looks.
Thank you for visiting my page. If you plan to use this pattern, I hope you found this post useful.
Until next time <3 | Ruthmarie
P.S. I'm nosy AF so if you plan to make one for yourself, feel free to tag me on IG @the.vintage.raven so I can see!
~ Pin it for later! ~
コメント