Beginning the Bustier Odyssey

This is zipped instead of laced, so I won't call it a corset.  Is it, then, a bustier?  Meh.

 But it's not a corset.

It's also too small.

I picked up Simplicity 5006 from the creative re-use store, without thinking I'd actually ever use it

so of course it ended up being the first of those patterns I decided to make.

I made the fatal mistake of thinking, "Oh, size 14, while technically my pattern size, always ends up being larger than I want in a top, so I'll make this, with its smallest option being a 14, with extra large seam allowances and that will correct for the normally oversize bust, especially since this is the kind of pattern that needs a snug bust." (It's also the kind of pattern that does not print finished measurements on the pattern tissue, so it gets a dirty look for that.)

The mistake there was forgetting about my "size 16 on a good day" waist.

So.

While, if this garment had been made with proper back lacing, It probably could have been convinced to fit, it very much did not fit with a back zipper.

And I did suspect the result would fit poorly!  That's why I used this lamé, which I have many yards of (given to me by a former magician who had used it as curtains for his traveling show) and lined it with the last of the silky polyester I'd used for the blue plaid projects a few months ago.

I also used some left over fabric for the strength layer, a wool blend aubergine. It's probably not the strongest strength layer, but it is in there.

The lining is floating for most of it, with everything sewn together at the zipper--with boning on each side--and the edges bound with homemade bias tape (a burn test confirmed that it's a poly cotton blend.)

This is boned with zip ties, as much because making it was somewhat spur of the moment (so no patience to order proper boning of any kind) as because I figured I wouldn't make many things like this overall, so why lay in proper supplies.

I'm not super experienced with using bias tape, especially when it's exposed, and I acknowledge that.

I finished this nine days ago, then immediately rolled into tracing the pattern for alterations.  Will blog the next iteration after dinner!