Free Corset Patterns

Searching for Free Corset Patterns

Unless you are a member of a sewing or costumers’ guild, the two best places to find free corset patterns are in your local public libraries and online. Even if you want something modern, you are still going to have your best success browsing through historical patterns, many of which can be modified for current trends. If you are making a corset as part of a costume, be sure to search carefully to find one that is accurate for your specific time period.

For example, if you are interested in 19th century lingerie, Tudor Links offers a pattern for a short corset circa 1869. You will have to know what all the pieces mean, how they work and how to scale them to get a correct size.

One of the best costuming sites on the Internet is The Costumer’s Manifesto which, in addition to having links for patterns both free and for sale, includes no end of useful and fun articles about all aspects of historical underwear and outerwear. Once you’ve gotten all the information you need, go from there to The Elizabethan Costuming Page, where you can then use the custom corset pattern generator. This brilliant tool allows you to enter your measurements and from there will give you all the detailed instructions you need for building an Elizabethan corset that will fit you perfectly. An Elizabethan corset is designed to give you a V-shape, so it’s not as immediately sexy as later, more curve-hugging corsets. However, depending on how you wear it, the breasts will be nicely pushed up. This pattern might best be used for a corset you wish to wear as a top.

For another piece you might wear as part of an ensemble, say, over a camisole, go to Stitch Diva, which has a pattern for a crocheted corset. Obviously, this won’t suck in your stomach or give you any shaping, but it will look unique and good.

Using Corset Patterns

Finding a free corset pattern in the style you like might take a lot of searching. Unfortunately, being able to make use of it might take just as much time, or even more. If you sew regularly, you know that work like corsetry is already one of the hardest projects to undertake.

A corset that doesn’t fit perfectly is a waste of time and effort. At best, you can turn it into a gift for someone it will fit. At worst, you have to rip it apart and start over. For tips, go to Beginner Costuming, a site that is dedicated to those who would be serious sewers. The site gives you more links to free patterns and also suggestions for books, plus tells you how to enlarge a printed pattern so that it can be used. It points out that most free patterns do not have detailed instructions for building and the pieces are not numbered, making them hard for all but the most experienced sewers to work with.

As with most sewing projects, you will be wisest to build the corset out of muslin first to get a sense if it will fit. Obviously, a corset will then be laced, but the model will at least let you know that you are on the right track. A corset isn’t the easiest thing to make, but if done right, the results will be worth the effort.