Name: Victorian Corset Workshop

Class Duration: Saturday, September 20, 2008, 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Fee: $50.00 ($60.00 after September 13)

You can register by mail, by e-mail, by phone (510/843-7280), or in the LMLT museum shop. Payment is required at the time of registration.
Printable Registration Form

Class Location:

Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles
LacisMuseum.org
2982 Adeline St.
Berkeley, CA 94703
510-843-7290

General Workshop Description:
This is a hands on sewing workshop in which students learn to fit and construct a historically accurate Victorian corset, however, the techniques, materials, and skills learned apply to other corset styles and boned garments.  Solid intermediate sewing skills are required.

Topics covered during the workshop include choice of coutil, linings, and fashion fabric; busks and boning, from whale bone to spring steel; fitting and construction techniques; flossing and trimming; lacing, wearing, and caring for a corset.

Materials List:
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
    1. Coutil and lining fabrics according to Pattern recommendations by size. PLEASE prewash coutil, lining, and twill tape in HOT water.  Coutil may shrink as much as 3 inches per yard.
    2. Laughing Moon #100 – Ladies Victorian Underwear
    3. Corset coutil according to pattern plus shrinkage
    4. Lining fabric – cotton sateen is recommended, but any tightly woven, high quality, 100% cotton is suitable
    5. Busk, a 12” busk will fit most women
    6. 1” twill tape – waist measurement (must be preshrunk)
    7. 3 yards bias binding
    8. 36 size 00 grommets
    9. 7 yards corset lacing with aglets
    10. 1 ½ yards narrow satin ribbon         

STUDENT SUPPLIES REQUIRED:
    1. Sewing Machine – in good working order, don’t forget power cord and foot pedal
    2. Regular presser foot AND zipper foot
    3. Extra sewing machine needles
    4. Busk, a 12” busk will fit most women
    5. Thread to match coutil and binding
    6. Basic Sewing Supplies:  Scissors, pins, hand sewing needles, marking pencils, pens, or chalk, etc.
    7. Paper and tape for pattern adjustments
    8. NOTE – this is a condensed class and does not allow time for pattern tracing.  Extra pattern inserts will be available from instructor for nominal fee

Most of the required materials can be purchased at Lacis

Instructor:
Barbara Muran has had a passion for sewing ever since her Grandmother first showed her how to thread a needle. Building on this early inspiration, she has been a sewing enthusiast all her life. Convinced that there is always more to learn, Barbara has taken sewing classes at every opportunity, some for fun, some required for her degree, some to gain knowledge in a specific area. 

In 2003, JoAnn Peterson, owner of Laughing Moon Mercantile, asked if she would be interested in teaching Laughing Moon workshops.  As proprietor of ‘Of Corset’, Barbara teaches the techniques and skills necessary to construct Victorian Corsets, techniques that are readily adaptable to other garments. For those not interested in the construction, Barbara also designs and makes custom corsets and Victorian clothing.

Barbara lives in Sacramento, has a degree in Home Economics from CSU, Sacramento and is an active member of the American Sewing Guild and The Greater Bay Area Costumer’s Guild.