I've had a few corsets already, my first being steel boned and others after are just plastic. And I know it's to be expected but the plastics just do not give me the shape like my Steelie<3 does as I'm a big girl. And I have to put my steelie to rest soon as I've worn it to near death and the bones are sticking out and pulling at the shirts and skirts I wear underneath. Unless I can have that fixed too!
I was wondering if there was a way of re-boning the plastic ones with steel bones to make them more sturdy and shape giving. Or if there is someone that would be able to do it for me. I will pay, of course. I would really love if someone could help me with this as they are lovely corsets that I have, but I just want them to last that bit longer and look that bit better.
Thank you xx
Hi there! That should be a pretty simple thing to do, even if you're not at all comfortable with sewing!
What you want to do is first open one end of the boning channel (that little case that your bone slides into). Top or bottom, it doesn't really matter - just unpick (cut, then pull out) the stitches that go across the top of the case. Try to only take out the ones that go across the case, and not the ones either side.
Then slide out your plastic boning. You need to measure how wide and how long this piece of plastic is, and order a piece of steel the same size. You need "spiral steel boning" for almost all of the corset - it looks like this:
http://www.venacavadesign.co.uk/Products/browse/cat/Spiral_Wires_Pre_Finished_Lengths.htmlGet the width that most closely matches how wide your plastic boning is. Then, you can order pre-cut, pre-tipped lengths of boning - for the length, again, get the closest to the bone that you've just pulled out, but NOT ANY LONGER. Always go slightly shorter, if in doubt.
For example, if you've just taken out a plastic bone from it's case, and it is 6mm wide and 27 and 1/2 cm, order the piece of boning 5mm wide, and 27cm long.
Take out all the boning from one HALF of your corset, except the bone nearest to the eyelets (lacing holes), and measure each bit. Write the measurements down, and work out what size of spiral steel boning you need to order for each. Label each channel on your corset with a sticky label saying what size boning is going in it, as you take the plastic bone out; this will make it a lot easier later on!
Once you've done all the bones except the one next to the eyelets, take out that one. You are going to replace this one (and the one the same as it but on the other half of your corset) with a flat steel bone. They look like this:
http://www.venacavadesign.co.uk/Products/browse/cat/Bones_Steel.htmlAgain, you need to measure to see what width and length you need.
By now, you should have done all of one half of your corset - that's all you need to do! Because your corset is symetrical, you just need to get two of everything. So, two of each size of spiral steel boning, and two of those flat steel bones for either side of your eyelets.
Now, order your bones! There are lots of places online, depending upon where in the world you are. Just google around to find the best place for you.
Next, when your boning arrives, lay it all out in the way you will put it into the corset - those sticky labels should be helping now! Then slide each bone nicely into its case, and sew up the top of the boning channel. Your sewing doesn't need to be neat, as if you use the same colour thread as the corset itself, it won't show very much. Just make it strong, so that your bone won't poke through. Do this with each of your bones, sliding in and sewing up; remember that the flat white bones go nect to the eyelets at the back. Then you'll be done!
If this is at all confusing, feel free to pm me with any question and I'll try my best to help
. Good luck!
