The Great Pattern Review
Corsets and Crinolines
by Nora Waugh
#15 - 1776 Pattern of Stays
Sheri Jurnecka - Recommended
You'll get excellent results scaling this pattern. I made the corset and love the result. You definitely won't need a Wonderbra after you've made this corset.
#16 - 1780 Stays
Clovis Carelton - Highly Recommended
All the patterns in this book are reliable and give excellent results. This is a good pattern that is very comfortable to wear. The corset was made of a medium weight cotton, lined in muslin and piped with a cotton in contrasting colour.
#36 - Late 1820's Stays
Loren Dearborn - Highly Recommended
This corset is more work and requires more care than a Victorian corset. The pattern is very good; the pieces are all correct. The scaling isn't too difficult. You'll have to do several fittings with your muslin to get the fit right; especially in the bust. It's worth the effort to have the correct corset under your Regency gowns. It's makes all the difference in the fit and appearance of the dress.
#38 - 1860 Light French Stays
#45 - 1911 Corset
#46 - 1904 Ribbon Corset
Margaret DeLap - Highly Recommended
I made the 1860 Light French Stays (38), 1911 Corset (45) and the 1904 Ribbon Corset (46). In all cases pieces went together well. Be careful about the size and proportions (for example, by modern standards they may be short, or as in the case of the c. 1911 one, small-ribbed and large-hipped). The diagrams aren't printed on a grid, which makes it a little more work to scale them up, but they are big enough to get accurate results without much trouble and there are only a few pattern pieces in each corset.
#52 - 1876 Bustle
Bridget Conlogue - Recommended
This was easy to put together. I think a beginner could do it with some help. The places to join the seams are clearly marked. The scaling up is not difficult because the pattern is almost all straight lines and can easily be adjusted for height. A dressmaker's curve will help with the waistline and slightly curved center back seam. Seam allowances must be added. I used steel boning and double-faced cotton hem tape for the casings. To close it along the inside center back seam, I added eyelets, through which I laced a cord.