The Basics of Corset Building: A Handbook for Beginners Hardcover – December 23, 2008

Good for starters, but has some misleading things.. I bought a lot of equipment I didn't need.. as I found out later following historic methods. What is best is the recommendation to use "German plastic boning" - definitely right and saved me a lot of money.. but it would be nice if it had a section on reed boning methods. A lot of this I didn't need like how to fit, and a lot of it I needed more - like how to sew the boning, which presser feet, and more about the fabrics that I learned by trial and error (a lot of error) I especially felt lost about how to make the casings.. where is the boning inserted - my first attempt had the bones sticking out of too thin lining fabric. Overall well written and a good starter guide. I recommend buying this along with an historic stays pattern and experiment a while. Also note couteil fabric should be used for final product to avoid previously mentioned "poking".

Been sewing for 15 years or so now, and as a re-enactor corsets are the basis of my historical underwear set. I usually have my corsets made for me as it's time consuming and frustrating to fit one's self, but they always come out with a more modern tubular shape instead of the hourglass shape of the victorian era. So, in my research and attempts to educate myself as fully as possible before I take on building a corset of my own I bought this book.First, it's a lot thinner than I hoped it would be. For the price I guess I expected it to be more than a storybook size. Second, all the information in this book is available on the web for free, you just have to search for it. For a complete beginner who's done no forum/youtube surfing or looked up anything, it would be full of information, and that's why I'll be donating it to the historical society's collection. However, for an experienced seamstress it's really not that enlightening.For those who are looking for a lot more in-depth info, try foundationsrevealed dot com(paid subscription, all the rest are free!), trulyvictorian dot com, ralphpink dot com (great video tutorials even if he "um's" a lot), and thesewingacademy dot com.

I've read about halfway through the book, and it is very informative and easy to read with good, clear illustrations. There are some editorial problems such as typos, but only minimally. BUT, what I didn't realize is that this book contains no patterns. You need to have a pattern to use the book. As far as I can see, the only thing in the book's description about patterns is in section three in "Altering and fitting." It's a really informative resource, and maybe I should have realized that I'd also need a pattern, but I wish that had been made clearer in the book's description. The author recommends using either  Victorian Corsets, Chemise and Drawers Pattern (Sewing Pattern)  or  Simplicity Sewing Pattern 9769 Misses Costumes, RR (14-16-18-20) . I purchased the latter and may edit this review once I have it and can start working on it.

I can't imagine why the previous reviewer only gave this book 3 stars. This is an excellent resource for anyone unfamiliar with creating a professional looking corset. no, it isn't perfect, but there are very few books available that detail corset building and of this is by far the best I've found. As the title explains, this is the Basics of corset building and that is exactly what it covers. THis isn't your Halloween costume type of corset, but one that can apply to wedding dresses, gowns, historical re-enactment garments, etc. It gives detailed steps for creating a quality corset making it accessible to the home sewer and professional alike. This is a valuable resource and should be credited as such. Some materials, such as spiral boning, may require you to mail order, but do you really want a corset that looks like it came from the craft department of JoAnns? As the owner of nearly every costuming, textile, and sewing book on Amazon, costumer of numerous community theatrical productions, instructor, and author I applaud this book.

This is great. Its really informative, as someone who is starting out with building their own corsets this is a valuable resource. It explains all the different types of boning, the tools needed or used, and explains in detail why you so do X thing and the usual outcome of doing it. I wish the illustrations were a bit better but they serve the purpose intended. The book is rather large and not something you can carry with you at all times, however.There is a lot more to building a corset than what meets the eye and I am glad I know that now. I would recommed for those who want to tackle Period Corsets also invest in buying "Corsets: Historical Patterns & Techniques by Jill Salen" as a good companion book. While that book doesn't explain how to make X corset it does show you the authentic patterns of mostly late 1800's corsets that can be scaled up and used along with this "handbook."

The basics of corset building is a must have book for anyone considering taking on the challenge of constructing a corset. I knew that making a true corset would be much more challenging than sewing a fashion corset, but I had no idea until I read this book. It takes much more than knowing how to sew. You will need to go to the big box home improvement store to get most of your tools for building these lovelies. It is a detailed step by step instruction book from cutting to fitting with shop class in between. She includes detailed instructions on what to and not to use- including hints for patterns she recommends for the beginner. After reading through this I think I could fit just about anyone with a little fiddling. I highly recommend . Don't even think about making a corset without this book!

This is great if you have never made one before, or in fact if you've never even seen one before. The instructions couldn't be more basic and clear.Not suitable for an experienced seamstress.

A thin book with lots of black and white picture. Nice introduction to the topic.

It helps a lot on what you should shop for corset making. I haven't build my corset yet but I have understood how, and with the dvd "The Express Corsetry Course" I believe that it will be a success. Overall a cohesive book. I would prefer coloured pages :)

This book has some good written information on corset making. However it was not what I was after as it included no photographs and just a few diagrams which were not so helpful. Not a bad book but I know there are better available.

this little book is concise and easy to understand lots of hints and tips and supplier details for those specialist items need to make the ultimate corset :)