This entry is a summary of the video “‘DISCO ARMADILLO’ PVC Ribbon Corset”. If you would like more complete information and side notes about the corset, you can watch the video on YouTube here:
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This was my first attempt at sewing a corset from vinyl. I have to thank Marta “Snowblack” for her wonderful Foundations Revealed tutorial on sewing leather and vinyl corsetry. Just a few things that I have learned about handling vinyl:
- The material stretches (so you must back it with coutil) however it does not drape like most other fabrics.
- It is also not a self-healing fabric, and will show all pinpricks. Therefore you should pin your panels only in the seam allowances.
- Using a teflon foot (or a piece of tissue between the vinyl and the presser foot) will help the vinyl to feed smoothly without dragging or sticking to the presser foot.
- Lastly, feed dogs will leave permanent marks into the bottom of the vinyl, especially if it has a metallic foil finish. Putting tissue or masking tape on the underside of your fabric (where your seam line will be) will protect your fabric from the feed dogs digging in.
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Here is the overview of my Disco Armadillo, in typical review form:
| Fit, length | Center front is 10.5″ high, and I drafted this corset to be very curvy: underbust about 32″, closed waist 24″ and hips 34″. |
| Material | Just two layers; the outer PVC ribbon and the inner coutil. |
| Construction | 5-panel pattern – three vertical panels at front/side/back to hold the bones, and two ribbon panels. I learned how to draft a ribbon corset from Sidney Eileen’s ribbon corset sewing tutorial. The coutil panels aren’t “ribboned” like the outer pieces; rather they are in one piece. Most seams are topstitched as I was afraid that lockstitching would cause the PVC to become too perforated and tear apart. However at the busk, seams were lockstitched nonetheless as it looked better. Some edges of the ribbon were left raw, as folding those edges under would be too bulky. |
| Binding | There is binding at the top and bottom of the vertical panels only; the ribbon panels do not have binding. I also left the inside edge of the binding raw – this is normal with binding made out of leathers or vinyls. |
| Waist tape | Ribbon corsets typically don’t have a waist tape; a horizontal piece of ribbon running around the waist will act like a waist tape anyway. |
| Modesty panel | I didn’t make a modesty panel for this corset because I designed it to close completely at the back. |
| Busk | A standard flexible busk, 1/2” wide on each side, with 5 pins, 9.5″ long. Although it is quite flexible, having 3 layers of PVC ribbon surrounding the busk makes the front panel quite stiff and sturdy. |
| Boning | Only 8 bones total in this corset (not including the busk), only boned on the vertical panels. There are two spring steel bones sandwiching each row of grommets at the back, and an additional two bones on each side panel, all 3/8″ wide. |
| Grommets | There are 20 2-part size #00 grommets (10 on each side). I used self-piercing grommets and a new press to insert these, and they work very well with the PVC. I placed a layer of heavy canvas in the grommet panel to give the grommets more to “grab onto” and to prevent the PVC from stretching. There are no splits and the grommets are holding up quite well with regular use. |
| Laces | I used some 100% nylon purple paracord – it’s extremely strong (holds tension up to 500 lbs) and has no stretch, is resistant to fraying but has a tendancy to twist. You will definitely need a square knot or bow (not a round one) to keep your corset securely tied at the back. |
| Price | Ribbon corsets in general are not particularly difficult but they are time-consuming and require a bit of pre-planning. I would most likely place a typical satin-and-coutil ribbon corset at around $150. However, because the PVC ribbon is extremely challenging to work with and also quite expensive ($10/meter when not on sale, and this corset used 9 meters), I wouldn’t remake this corset for less than $250. |
how did you draft the pattern from the images on her website, the size of the corset you made is the size i am looking to make and im only experienced with using patterns where the panels are right in front of me to size so im having a bit of trouble myself. would you maybe be able to trace the panels onto A4 paper and scan them in so that i am able to cut them out to scale? please
Hi Zara, I just basically used the pictures on her website as a general guide, to show me the basic shapes that the panels should be. The pattern I had used is drafted to my own measurements in terms of torso length, underbust circumference, reduced waist circumference and hip circumference. So my own pattern may not fit you. If you’re inexperienced at drafting corsets at this time, I recommend building your first ribbon corset with a pre-made pattern that comes in several sizes so you can get the one in your desired size. I know that Laughing Moon Mercantile makes a ribbon cincher pattern, and there’s also one available in the “Corsets and Crinolines” book. :)