I love this textured, pleated outfit Ariel wears on land. All the volume, ruffles and wavy pleating need good structure for contrast, and the corset belt provides that opportunity. My Once Upon a Party brought us this corset belt to add that extra definition.
I measured out bias strips the length of each seam, plus extra for folding over at the top and bottom. Because the garment is already completed, each strip is hand-sewn, keeping the needle in the back, lining fabric and not allowing the stitches to show on the front. After creating these channels, I cut steel boning the correct length for each seam.
I also added boning at each end near the grommets, to provide more strength. Normally I would place boning on both sides of these grommets, but there wasn’t enough room on this project. The boning distributes the pressure when lacing up the back, and minimizes tearing of the fabric around the grommets.
Because each piece of boning is a different size, I used a piece of washi tape (easy to remove) to label them, so I can easily add them to the right channel later. I filed down the sharp edges of the corners – to make it more rounded, then tipped each one with folded fabric to further cushion the tips and protect the fabric and the wearer! Once all the channels were sewn, I inserted the boning and sewed the tops of the channels closed.
From the front, you don’t think about any of this ‘hardware’. It’s just elegant. I love all the details the costume creator put into this front panel.
Now Ariel is ready to be a part of that world!
