Bodice Trouble

[Manwariel]

I made a bodice to wear to the Renaissance festival on Sunday. The first try was way too big. The second is much better - just a bit too small, but I can simply loosen the laces a tad. But where it's laced at the sides, the fabric sort of rumples. I didn't bone it. I haven't used boning before, and since I want to wear it Sunday, I didn't want to risk messing it up. What's the simplest way to keep the fabric from rumpling?

[Kate XXXXXX]

Some fairly hefty boning between the holes and the edges is the best way, so the laces pull against the bones.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

I have a bodice that I made a number of years ago with no boning in it, but has 3 layers of Cotton Canvas Duck as an underlining. 5 layers in all. Pretty sturdy.

[tigrlily64]

From my small understanding of bodices, they are going to wrinkle without boning.  Soe of the ladies here might be able to direct you in how to place boning in your bodice without a ton of work, but I personally don't know how.

Another thought-why not leave the rumples?  If it doesn't bother you too much, then it shouldn't bother anyone else.  Everyone's there to have a good time, not to judge other people.  If that's how you want to wear it, go ahead.  You don't *need* to fix it.

[Lady Toadflinger]

In the spots where you need boning, but didn't put it, you can apply it fairly quickly and easily.  I did this with a few of my older bodices that I didn't bone properly at first. If you don't have any bone casing, you can cobble casing out of bias tape and apply it to the inside of the bodice where you need the boning. Just whip stitch it into place and insert your choice of boning. This isn't pretty on the inside, but works well if you're in a hurry and don't want to disassemble the bodice! Good luck, and enjoy the faire!

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Great idea, Lady T!!!!

If you do that, get the Heavy Duty Cable Ties from a Home Depot or Lowes. They can be found in the Heavy Plumbing Department. The ties are 34"-36" long and come in packages of 6. This is what I use for boning for bodices and corsets.

[Manwariel]

Thank you for the ideas I added some already-encased boning to the edges like Kate XXXXXX suggested.

(I might not go to the faire on Sunday after all, though.)

[Kate XXXXXX]

Well done.  I do hope you manage to get there.

[Adriana Rose]

I *heart* cable ties !

For a boning casing I have been using the hems off a bunch of old sheets that i have. They work fab! all you have to do is stich them on. ( green way to garb lol)

[Manwariel]

What do you use to lace your bodices? I've been using this kind of cord -



- but at the faire on Sunday, the bow I tied came undone and one end of the cord broke while I was retying it (thankfully it was still long enough for me to tie the ends in a knot). Is there something stronger that will last longer, not to mention stay tied longer instead of slipping out (unless you tie a bunch of knots in it)?

[gypsylakat]

parachute cord is what I use, but if you have small eyelets or bound eyelets it won't always go through.. A lot of folks use shoe laces, cheap and it's easy to bring a spare, always bring a spare.

[Lady L]

Aye, long, black shoe laces work great. After all, they are meant to stay tied. 
They hold knots well, are not expensive and come in different lengths.

[Kate XXXXXX]

Cotton corset laces.  If you can't get the colour you want, they can be dyed.

[tcindie]

The bodice I made for a friend last year is laced up with a nice long strip of rawhide that I picked up at a shoe repair shop for a few dollars.  Works a treat and gives it a nice look.

Apparently the measurements were a bit off and it came out a shade on the small side, or she was just wimpy about it being tighter than it is here... But anyhoo.. I made everything she's wearing here except the mug and belt:

[Manwariel]

Thank you I'll look into these options. (The garb looks nice, tcindie.)