Last updated on April 2nd, 2021 at 04:28 pm
I openly admit that I have never been a Girl Scout and I only know how to tie a handful of knots. But one thing I do know is that if your bows and knots are slipping out (of your shoes, your corsets, your boats) when you don’t want it to, then something is wrong.
Knowing how to tie a proper square knot is useful in corsetry in two different places:
- When securing the permanent knot at the end of the laces (near the bottom set of grommets), and
- When tying your bow at the waistline (if you’re using the bunny-ears method to lace your corset).
I know of several people who simply tie their “bunny ears” in a full knot because they’re so frustrated with their bows coming out – however, if you ever panic or feel claustrophobic and need to change out of your corset quickly, you’re going to have some issues trying to pick out that knot behind your back. It’s worth your while to take the few minutes to learn how to tie a proper bow, and then you’ll never have that issue again. Your bow will stay secure, and as an added bonus if you’re using pretty ribbon, your bow will be balanced and will look like one of those lovely bows that people always draw.
There are a million sites and tutorials showing how to tie a proper square knot and its related balanced bow. Here I’ve made a tutorial in the context of corsets (since it’s a bit trickier when you’re trying to do this behind your back where you can’t really see what you’re doing):
I’ve been using this method and tying a square knot, but it seems to keep slipping. My current corset is closed most of the time and is very comfortable, but it seems like after an hour or so the know will have slipped just enough to create a slight ().
The corset is definitely not too curvy and closed is only a 3 inch reduction.
Hi Sarah, maybe try changing the lacing method – I’ve found that the “chevrons” and inverted bunny ears have helped to keep my corsets closed.
It’s normal for the waistline of a corset to eventually slide open about half an inch or so, but if you’re seeing a couple of inches gap with really noticeable bowing, definitely try out a new lacing technique. There are other ways of getting around it, like installing more grommets at the waistline, but these solutions are more drastic.
I can tie half dozen knots well, but I could never seem to get bows behind my back to square off properly. I tied my corset along with the video about 6 times and I think I have it in muscle memory now. Thanks for that. :)
Thank for this. I just got my first corset and trying the knot in the back is a pain in butt. I feel this I can do it know. I will keep practicing. I love your website and thank all the wonderful information. You are a Gem!