I've never used it before, but I'm assuming it would help this (below pic, I'm in the pink).
Do you see the 'bunching' near the eyelets? Can I add boning to help that? ANY advise is appreciated! thank you!
(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/ellenkatie/20080916_12.jpg)
yup boning would help, if you just made a channel to the side of it and added a strip of boning (everyone swears by cable ties)
If you really want to stay with this exact bodice, I would do what I did for my friends bodice that needed mending and more structuring (it had ripped at the back because it was too stretchy a fabric with no lining to stretch around other people, she has nothing to squish, the people she let borrow it did) I took the bodice apart and traced each peice, and cut out lining and an extra layer of fashion fabric. and sandwiched them together sewing a channel next to wear each peice of boning would go. ( I just used the fashion stuff from hancock but like I said, I ONLY needed them to support the eyelets, not to support her!)
SO what I'm saying you should probably do is add an extra lining and either make channels out of bias tape, or use two layers of sandwiched fabric to make channels that way...
Thank you so much gypsylakat. I think I'm going to try cable ties, I've heard them mentioned so much.
This is only the 2nd bodice I've made, so it's all good learning experiences! ;D
For best eyelet support, put a strip of boning between the eyelets and the edge of the piece, so the eyelets are pulling the boning together... Like this:
(http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk/KatePages/Costuming/Dickens/backbonein.JPG)
(http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk/KatePages/Costuming/Dickens/stormflap3.JPG)
Kate, that's exactly what I was hoping to do! Now .... what if I just added an extra piece of binding over the existing and used that as the channel? Do you think that would be ok? And is there any boning slim enough to do that?
That stuff I used is certainly narrow enough... It's about 1/4" wide... Yup, 1/4" Feargerweight boning:
(http://www.habermanfabrics.com/scart/shopimages/featherweight_large.jpg) Buy it by the yard.
Or you could use a steel boning, but you're a slight lass, and it may not be necessary:
(http://www.habermanfabrics.com/scart/shopimages/boning_large.jpg) Hm... Looks like the steel without the casing is cheaper!
Both available here: http://www.habermanfabrics.com/scart/Boning_and_Corsetry.htm
Personally, I'd remove the binding and redo it over the boning or you'll end up with thick and lumpy edges. Because of the way I was using it, I discarded the bone casing.