Light blue was the original color (the small pieces on top) I used procion mx dye in medium blue and marine violet in my top loading wasikf machine. Used almost the entire small bottle of each dye. Fiber content said to be cotton and linen. Dyed roughly 3 to 4 yards uncut in one go after prewashing it first and leaving it damp prior to adding it to the dye bath. Dyed according to directions in regards to soda ash etc. Happy with the result! (I pressed it afterwards and it helped some of the fibers in the damask pattern to lay flatter and appear more crisp in the flowers like in the before swatches)

Tutorial for a Full Bust Adjustment when drafting an overbust corset.

Alot of you really liked my comment sharing this lost resource so I figured I'd make it into a post so

I have been unable to find the internet archive link where I originally downloaded this tutorial but since I have it saved to my laptop I converted to images for easy posting.

I hope this helps other large chested ladies to have the confidence and tools to draft their own corsets or make alterations to pre-existing patterns so that they can feel well supported and well fitted

**I am not the author of this tutorial. I merely downloaded the post (which was a free resource) before it became lost in internet history *

Almost done with my first ever stays! Going to shorten some of the back tabs and of course need to bind it. Also I know it's not historically accurate (next time)

Pretty happy with my first try at making stays! Self drafted using clockworkfaeries arc method youtube tutorial. Have a few tweaks in mind for next time but I think it's not too bad for a first try! Ive never done so much whipstitching in my life! Only the boning channels are machine stitched

Working on a shift/chemise now for it lol

(Side note I can close the lacing at the waist 3 weeks out of the month 😅) originally the back top was too large but I was able to salvage it by removing some bones off te back and cutting the excess (pics 3 and 4)

Hello! This is my first time attempting stays (I usually make corsets and would consider myself an intermediate at corsetry) but stays seam (seem ;) ) like a whole different beast!

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My main question is: do I need to add like a strip of buckram or something similar along where the bones for the tabs meet the main body bones? Specifically on that 2nd panel from the front? I'm worried about them being uncomfortable or pushing thru the fabric near the waist where the points meet. I'm planning on a wooden busk for the center front so I'm mainly asking about the other panels... I've seen some examples with a sort of waist stay/tape along the top area of the tabs wide enough to cover both the top of the tabs and thru the waist?

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I've used cotton coutil stiffened with gum arabic but recently got some small cuts of cotton/linen mix that's stiff like buckram and have some 100% linen twill I could possibly use as well to reinforce but wanted to ask the community first.

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Oh and the pattern is self drafted following clockworkfaeries youtube video on how to draft stays via inkscape digitally using the arc method.

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The boning pattern I just kind of winged from looking at hundreds of existant stays online, so if there's a better way I could have boned it please let me know! Boned using synthetic baleen and German plastic boning (what I had on hand)

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Thanks!

Hello! This is my first time attempting stays (I usually make corsets and would consider myself an intermediate at corsetry) but stays seam (seem ;) ) like a whole different beast!

​

My main question is: do I need to add like a strip of buckram or something similar along where the bones for the tabs meet the main body bones? Specifically on that 2nd panel from the front? I'm worried about them being uncomfortable or pushing thru the fabric near the waist where the points meet. I'm planning on a wooden busk for the center front so I'm mainly asking about the other panels... I've seen some examples with a sort of waist stay/tape along the top area of the tabs wide enough to cover both the top of the tabs and thru the waist?

​

I've used cotton coutil stiffened with gum arabic but recently got some small cuts of cotton/linen mix that's stiff like buckram and have some 100% linen twill I could possibly use as well to reinforce but wanted to ask the community first.

​

Oh and the pattern is self drafted following clockworkfaeries youtube video on how to draft stays via inkscape digitally using the arc method.

​

The boning pattern I just kind of winged from looking at hundreds of existant stays online and examples of other stays people have made, so if there's a better way I could have boned it please let me know! Boned using synthetic baleen and German plastic boning (what I had on hand)

Thanks!

I just wanted to make this post about my recent experience with dark garden corsetry. I live roughly 8 hours away and was in town and was really excited to be able to check out Dart Garden coursetry because they're such a well-known worldwide brand.

My expirience:

I scheduled my appointment for when they first opened in the morning for a fitting. I've made a couple corsets myself but I'm by no means a pro so I was pretty excited to be able to see what professional corsets looked and felt like firsthand. Let me just add that I own corsets from Timeless Trends Mystic City what Katie did Isabella corsetry and rebel Madness. I'm also familiar with multiple different corsetry Fabrics, I've tried multiple different types of coutil, and actually own yardage of some of the exact same fabrics dark garden offers as "premium fabric upgrade options" ... more on this in a minute.

So I get to my appointment and Autumn adamme was who did my fitting. She asked what size I wore and I told her that I could close corsets that were 30 or 32 in as I've been corseting for a while. Let me just preface this by saying that she seemed very dismissive and my boyfriend who was with me even said something about her indifference that was bordering straight rudeness, that aside I still had High Hopes as this is my first "professional" fitting and I have been excited to come see the shop for like a year I'd been wanting to go. Anyway so she has me try on two corsets larger than the size that I had requested. And as I figured both were too big which was kind of frustrating but whatever. So we get down to the size I had originally requested which fit but with the waist at my natural waist the breast area was too low which is fine obviously it's a fitting for a made to measure corset. But what really frustrated me was that I was trying to explain how it was fitting wrong or what needed to be adjusted and instead of even taking my input into consideration she started pinching the bust saying that I might need a bust adjustment...  or length from the waist under bust- which is what I immediately noticed-so I Unlaced a little bit and pulled the corset up to where the bust fit perfect which was about an inch or two above my natural waist. So obviously it just needed some more room from the waist to under bust. Which was something I thought was pretty obvious and would expect someone who's been in the business 30 years to see that as the needed adjustment as well instead of trying to convince me that I needed a bust adjustment instead. I just felt very dismissed and it was really frustrating.

Setting all that aside what really stood out to me, and what is quite concerning especially for the price point was the construction of their signature basic line of corsets themselves.  They use a cotton poplin (which the website currently says it's a POLY cotton poplin.) If I paid $1,200+ and received a poplin corset that honestly felt like a fast fashion amazon corset  tbh, I would honestly be pissed. For a broche Fabric or a specialty corsetry fabric (rosebud coutil) the cost starts at $2,000!!

On top of that a friend pointed out that their warranty only covers one year and does not cover "daily wear for waist training"

I would expect any halfway decent corset to last more than a year especially if it's not being used for waist training but even if it is being used for waist training I would expect a well made corset to last me more than a year especially at that price point.

I understand it's expensive to own a business in San Francisco I get that but what bothers me is I feel like they're using their brand to sell a sub par product for the how expensive they are,  to people who might not be very knowledgeable about corsets/corsetry and their construction,  who would expect a high quality product because of their brand name. I genuinely feel like they're ripping people off with their basic signature line of corsets.

Of course this is my opinion and experience, I am not affiliated with the brand In any way. I'm just a corset lover who was really disappointed with my experience I had waited so long and was so excited for.

( though the Silver Lining I guess is that it definitely boosted my confidence in my own corset making skills because I truly feel like I can make a better corset than the cotton poplin cookie cutter silhouettes they're selling for 800 plus dollars, so I guess that's one positive from the experience)

I'm sure their full bespoke corsets- at least from the few I seen- seemed to be of much better quality so I'll give them that (if cost isn't an issue, since they start at around $4k)

I do want to say that the bra lady upstairs (revelation in fit) was absolutely amazing and  super sweet and super helpful I highly recommend her business! Being fit by her and her awesome attitude made it so the trip wasn't a total let down! (And she likes corsetry too! We had an awesome conversation about making corsets and she even complimented me on the one I was wearing that was self made!)

TL;DR went to San Francisco to check out dark garden and get fitted. Staff was rude and dismissive. After feeling their basic signature corsets I feel like their using their brand notoriety to push a subpar product on customers. Customers who are likely new to corsets and possibly naive as to what a sturdy well made corset should feel like at least in my opinion. (The basic options construction felt similar to an Amazon corset)