morning all

As promised a blog about different types of boning. For this corset I am using 3 types of bone:

spiral steel bone

spring steel bone or flat steel

and something I don’t really consider ‘real’ boning, but if you buy a cheap corset or boned dress you may well find this inside.

plastic bone

plastic boning is only suitable for light support and can not achieve any waist reduction, it also tends to get stuck in a bent shape, I have had numerous shop bought corset style tops that just become misshapen after a bit, usually at the waist area.  The only advantage is washability. So why use it in this corset then? well there are a lot of bones needed in this corset and as you might imagine steel bone can get quite heavy when you need a lot of it, so out of practicality the channels that don’t matter too much in the shaping, will be boned with plastic to cut the overall weight down.

Flat steel bone will be used at the back only.  There is no sideways flexibility with this type of bone, it is very rigid, but this is perfect for the 2 bones that run down either side of the back around the lacing holes.  The area wants to be good and strong and I like to use flat bone in all 4 channels to get maximum strength and a rigid back.

So that leaves the spiral boning, I love this stuff because it’s flexible and allows for a lot of movement.  If you had a tight-laced corset all in flat steel, you may not be able to tie your shoes, but with spiral boning you should be ok. Also it is easier to cut and you don’t need to re-dip the ends as you do with flat steel, to prevent rusting.  Flat steel comes coated in a plastic to stop it rusting, you can buy it already in cut lengths, but this does limit you in your choice of corset size.  It can be cut with a small hacksaw, and it’s best if you have a clamp to hold it firmly while you cut, and then you dip the cut end into a liquid plastic solution  to complete the rust protection again.

Cut ends do need covering in both type of steel bone, and you can get end caps to fit that just need to be clamped on.  This is to protect the material. Another advantage with the spiral bone, there is no drying time just cut, cover and use.

I got my latest supplies from www.sewcurvy.com and I have to say how nicely package it arrived with a little thank you card and pretty pink tissue. I hope that when anyone buys anything from me at honeypot creations, they would get the same sense of pleasure in receiving the item as I did when I opened this.  It is one of my main aims to make you feel special and your purchase special and to add a personal touch. In this computer age we can lose track of that feeling, but it really doesn’t take much too bring it back. I have a friend who, whenever he buys anything from the internet and at the checkout point there is a box asking if there are any special instruction, asks for a hand drawing of a dinosaur. It is very nice to say that sometimes he gets one too. Little things can sometimes mean so much.

I particularly liked their warning that came with the flat steel, this is very true, and even as I went to take a photo of it, it sprang everywhere, it just wants to be flat not bent into a circle.

So that’s everything I need now to complete the corset, I guess the only thing to do now would be to go and do it.  I’ll just put the kettle on first though.

 Next time I want to talk about the eyelets for the lacing to go through, and hopefully have something ready to try on too.

hugs as always.
ally
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