How To Sew An Underbust Corset

Learn how to sew our fabulous Underbust Corset sewing pattern, perfect for sewers looking to slay their next drag queen performance, rave, or cosplay. This corset pattern is ideal for non-stretch thick fabrics and creates a stunning leather corset, corset top, or Renaissance corset look. Elevate your boudoir or fantasy ensemble with this chic corset belt or bustier design, and get ready to serve some fierce, modern drag realness!

Level: For Intermediate Sewers

Sizing Details

This pattern is available in our unqiue drag queen sizes (XS-4X). Please review our sizing guide for more information on our size measurements.

Sizing Guide

Fabric Suggestions

Suitable for thick non-stretch fabrics:

Leather (real or faux)
Denim
Cotton canvas
Twill
Brocade
Satin
Cotton duck
Vinyl/PVC

Notions

6-8mm Rigilene Boning
Medium Weight Fusible Interfacing
3-3.5 yards of Lace, Ribbon, or Cord
Optional: Double Folded Bias Trim/Tape 0.5in

Fabric Yardage

The yardage below is based on fabric widths of 58 inches.

Size	Shell	Lining
XS	0.5 y	0.5 y
S	0.5 y	0.5 y
M	0.5 y	0.5 y
L	0.5 y	0.5 y
XL	0.5 y	0.5 y
2X	0.75 y	0.75 y
3X	0.75 y	0.75 y
4X	0.75 y	0.75 y

For information on converting inches to meters, please check out our conversion guide.

Yardage Conversion Guide

Sewing Instructions

Step 0 How to sew an Underbust Corset Sewing Pattern for Drag Queens and Cosplay by Katkow - Costume Fashion Festival Plus Size Fantasy Pastel Goth Rave

Fabric Pieces

After cutting your fabric, you should have the following pieces for both your shell and lining fabrics:

Two “Center Front” pieces
Two “Front 2” pieces
Two “Front 3 Side” pieces
Two “Back 3 Side” pieces
Two “Back 2” pieces
Two “Center Back” pieces

STEP 1

Gather the two "Center Back" pieces. Cut a strip of fusible interfacing 1.5 inches wide by the length of the center back edge.

Iron the interfacing onto the wrong side of the center back pieces to secure the eyelets for the finished corset.

STEP 2

Gather the two "Center Front" pieces. Stack them with the right sides of the fabric facing each other, and sew along the center front seam with a straight stitch.

Flip the pieces over so the wrong side is facing up, and spread and press the seam allowance down.

STEP 3

Sew the remaining pieces together with right sides facing each other. Pin them together at the waistline first before sewing. The order from left to right should be: Center Back, Back 2, Back 3 Side, Front 3 Side, Front 2, Center Front.

Once sewn, fold and press the seams outward towards the center back on the wrong side of the shell corset, except the center front seams, which should be spread.

STEP 4

Prepare your Rigilene boning. Sew one piece of boning for each seam except the center front, which will have 2 bones. Ensure the boning is 1 inch shorter than the height of each seam. Round the boning ends with scissors or a lighter to prevent fabric ripping.

Flip each seam in the opposite direction and sew the boning onto the seam fabric only. When you flip the seam back, the boning should be between the fabric layers.

For more help, watch this video on different ways to sew boning: https://youtu.be/df6jHrj2Lfo?si=3b4e2ddaS1eRqSyV

STEP 5

Flip the shell corset right side up. With the seams pointing outwards on the wrong side, topstitch the seams down following the width of the boning with a zipper foot.

STEP 6

Repeat the steps for creating your lining, but the lining does not need boning.

STEP 7

Stack the shell and lining with right sides facing each other, and sew them along the sides and top edges only.

STEP 8

Flip the shell and lining right side out. Trim the seam allowance if necessary for a sharper fold. Topstitch as close to the edge as possible around the side and top edges.

STEP 9

On the center back pieces, sew 3 vertical lines following the center back edge, 0.5 inches apart.

STEP 10

Insert 2 pieces of boning for each side. One bone should go into the tunnel closest to the center back edge, and the other in the last tunnel, leaving the center tunnel empty for installing eyelets.