I made the Dore (Straight Seam) Corset. I enjoyed reading the historical background. The Source List is particularly helpful. The markings were good and the pattern pieces went together easily. You’ll notice the pattern pieces only have numbers; it would be much more helpful if they had names (such as center front, front side, etc.). I did a muslin first which helped me understand how the pieces go together. The graph for the boning was not very understandable. It was difficult to figure out how many bones I would need and the length. Finally I went to LACIS and asked for help. They explained the body torso size determines the number and placement of the bones. They recommended 1/2″ bones on the side bust and next to the grommets. The remainder of the bones are 1/4″. They also recommended using boning casing which added firmness. The directions for the busk insertion are numbered. It would be very helpful to have the numbered instructions match the numbered illustrations. Because they don’t match up, I had to read through the instructions several times before the image was clear. Pam’s corset is shown in the two photos to the right.
I also made the Chemise, which was very easy and quick. The pin tucks are simple, and turn out well, as long as you have marked them carefully. The neckline is very wide, especially if you have narrow shoulders (like me), but it is perfect if you plan to wear an off-the-shoulder gown. I had the advantage of reading some reviews of the chemise before starting, so I was able to avoid the problem of the tight armholes simply by making the seam more narrow at the underarm, and then gradually widening to the 5/8″ seam. My only other advice for this is to cut and mark your pattern pieces very carefully, because if you make an error, it may result in things not lining up or not lying smoothly.
Rated 4 out of 5
Megan Irvine –
I made the Dore Corset in size 20 and it looks very flattering. I made a muslin first and had to shorten it because I am petite, and I took an inch off the center back to get more of gap for lacing. It fits me in the bust, is tight in the waist, and just a little tight in the hips. I think it turned out great!
Rated 5 out of 5
Shanna Faulk –
I was well pleased with the Dore Corset that I made from this pattern – it fit very well and was surprisingly easy to make. Like others, I found that the Chemise armholes were too tight.
Rated 5 out of 5
Trystan L. Bass –
I made the Dore (Straight Seam) Corset in cotton twill fabric. The fit only needed minor adjustments, mostly in length (I’m a tad short-waisted). I used my widest measurement (the hips) to pick a size on their chart to cut out, and it worked great. The fit was excellent and very comfortable. The pattern doesn’t leave any gap in the back lacing, which other patterns I’ve used do and that every custom-made corset I’ve bought has. So I added a 2″ gap myself — I find corsets are more comfy and adjustable with this gap. I also found that marking every piece as soon as I cut it out really helped. It can get very confusing about which piece goes where. I numbered each one and gave it a title (such as center front or front side). That helped immensely. Overall, the project went smoothly. I did need my husband’s help for the grommet-setting, as I was using the old hammer-it-in method (I don’t have a fancy grommet-setter).
I made the Chemise out of cotton with lace trim, and it went together smoothly. The neckline is very broad (a boat neck really), which is perfect for wearing under dresses w/low necks. I made the armholes a little bigger to fit me (they might be tight on anyone w/muscled or flabby upper arms). I didn’t have time to do the pretty pin-tucking at the hem, but the instructions laid that out very clearly. Might go back and do it someday. The instructions for both these patterns are average; they don’t walk you through every little step, but they don’t skip anything major. It has a good overview of historical corsets and fashion, plus excellent tips on what materials to use. Recommended for intermediate and very patient beginner sewers.
Rated 4 out of 5
Jessica Roberts –
I made the Dore (Straight Seam) corset. This was a very pleasant pattern to work with. Being a trifle bottom-heavy, I had to go up two pattern sizes from top to bottom, but it was no trouble at all. It went together easily, though I think the written instructions are a bit more complicated that they need to be. I ended up ignoring them mostly. My only problem was that I chose my size(s) based on the pattern measurements and not my own experience/intuition and ended up with it slightly too big. Sizing down a bit should fix that easily. All in all, I really enjoyed making this.
Rated 4 out of 5
Annette E. Laprade –
This is a GREAT corset pattern, particularly if you check out the additional instructions on the Truly Victorian website. The TV information helped me tremendously in picking out the proper size. This is my 2nd version of the pattern and the fit is much improved by following Heather’s sizing directions. I made this corset in white coutil overlayed with alencon lace. I lined it with cotton sateen. When I make this pattern again (and I surely will!) I will definitely use coutil as a lining as well. Plain weave cotton just doesn’t stand up to a lot of wear and the bones tend to poke through top or bottom so I have to keep repairing the inside. Live and learn.
Rated 5 out of 5
Sarah Rodriquez –
I made the same discovery with the Dore Corset that I made with the Silverado: the hip gores are necessary if you want more than a 1″ waist reduction. I don’t consider myself a tight-lacer (3″ is about as far as I can go comfortably) but, the Laughing Moon patterns don’t give much in the way of waist reduction. Another problem I encountered was that the top of the first three pieces of the Dore pattern do not flare enough to provide room for my bust to rest comfortably without spilling into my armpits. I did grade the sizes as the instructions suggest and still found that my bosom was migrating east and west rather than resting in a forward position. I ended up modifying these pattern pieces by using a custom corset I had bought several years ago that had the correct fit. I traced the shape of the top pieces and graded them into the Dore pattern pieces. Overall, I’d say that the Dore was the better pattern of the two in terms of comfort and shape. It’s certainly a good investment pattern for a beginner but, in my experience, it does take a lot of effort to tweak it into a properly fitted corset. Be prepared to fiddle with it over and over.
Rated 5 out of 5
Marie Schnoor –
I have made both the Dore and the Silverado versions. I have to say that, being larger in the bust, the Dore (shown here) tends to fit better and give a better “oomph” (technical term, I know) to the bust. It also fits wonderfully under well-tailored bodices. I had to make up an early version, just cutting on one size line, but after I fit it to myself and understood how to make the pattern into the correct shape (rather than my shape) it ended up to be quite easy to make. I use it with my Civil-War era costumes.
The Dore Corset is interesting. Because I have a relatively small, short waist, my first version of it was too long in the front and was highly uncomfortable to sit in. On my next attempt, I measured myself again and cut the pattern to fit me, graduating the lines from a larger size on top and bottom to two sizes smaller on the waist. I reduced the back piece by an inch to give me room to lace it down further, but both edges ended up meeting anyway, so I’m glad I did take that much out.
The Silverado is more of a fun corset for me. It doesn’t give the same good bustline, but the pattern is still very well thought out and so, so easy to alter.
As for the Chemise and Bloomers, a good two afternoons with a needle and thread was all it took to whip out a nice set of hand-sewn, authentic undies. I was worried about the fit of the arm and shoulder, but I guess I’m built exactly like the pattern, because I had no problems with my early mock up. In fact, I finished the mock up and now use it as a nightgown. Really great patterns, and fun to make as well.
Rated 5 out of 5
Lisa Swehla –
The two corsets in this pattern are as nice as you can get with a pattern for such a personally fitted garment. It certainly beats the others I have made. I didn’t make the chemise. The drawers are a bit odd with the overlapping front and back. I’d suggest adding more overlap in the front for ease of wear.
Rated 5 out of 5
Katherine Caron-Greig –
I’ve used the Silverado corset pattern three times and will definitely be using it again. The sizing is extremely accurate, which is rare to find in small sizes (I made it in size 6A). My first corset followed the pattern exactly. The second time I used the pattern to recreate the Picnic Dress from Star Wars Episode II. I closed the front and drafted the bust gores into the main pattern pieces. I figured this would be easier to do than sizing the Dore corset down to fit me. I liked the way the corset fit with the gores drafted in so I did this on my third corset as well. I had only been sewing for a few months the first time I used the pattern, so it will work for a beginner.
Rated 4 out of 5
Claire Harper –
I made the Silverado Corset (View B), and found no problems. The instructions are clear and the pattern is well-drafted; all in all, a great purchase. You could do everything wrong and still wind up with a great corset. Though the shape was not exactly the Victorian hourglass one, I am happy to say that it did not flatten out the curves I already had.
Rated 4 out of 5
Heidi Schultz –
This is the best corset pattern I have used. I did the Silverado ( Bust Gore) Corset, and ended up taking in the waist quite a bit because I cut it out bigger than I needed to. Going with the size indicated on the pattern, the corset closed completely and hardly reduced my waist at all. I tend to tight-lace, so I was able to take it in, but it was quite easy to do (as easy as a corset ever is). My only issue with the corset pattern, and to my mind a big one, is that the waist line is not marked on the pattern pieces. Make sure you add in these markings carefully, it is very important to know where this line is on the pattern for proper fitting.
The Chemise and Drawers also went together very well. Make a mock up of the chemise yoke before you cut it out to check fit in the arm holes, and also to adjust the neck opening if you are planning on wearing a very low cut ball gown. I went with the size listed on the pattern as correct for my hip measurements, and that worked well for the underwear.
Rated 3 out of 5
Sarah Rodriquez –
I had a lot of difficulty getting this corset to fit comfortably. Construction-wise, the pattern is very simple to sew. Corsets are always a gamble when it comes to fitting, so I made plenty of mock-ups and tweaks to the pattern. After making the first version, I discovered that if you want any kin of waist reduction with this corset, you really need to add the hip gores. The pattern says they are optional but, I have an hourglass figure (natually) and, without the hip gores, the Silverado flattened everything out. After adding the hip gores, I was able to get some waist reduction however, I discovered that this pattern compresses the ribcage far too much for my comfort. Other ladies may not have this problem but, for me, it rendered the corset too uncomfortable to wear for any extended period of time. Overall I thing the pattern is great for beginners. For my purposes it fell short of my expectations.
Rated 4 out of 5
Maura Burns –
I made the Chemise and Drawers. These are both very simple, charming garments. The chemise neckline is very wide and sits on the shoulders. This worked all right for me as is with my beefy linebacker shoulders, but I would imagine you would need to make some adjustments if your shoulders are at all narrow or sloping. Likewise, the armholes might be small for anyone with large upper arms. The instructions are simple and clear, though they tell you to make the pintucks in the front and back pieces separately before sewing them together. This is silly; sew it and then make the tucks.
Rated 5 out of 5
Gwen Kacheimyer –
I bought this pattern because I’d seen all the fantastic reviews and most of the people I know say it’s the best pattern they’ve used. Then I did some more poking around and found that to make it work properly there is a separate set of instructions by costumers, including explaining the sizing, which runs too big. The steps for assembly seem completely out of order when reading the instructions. I’ll take the Past Patterns 213 over this one any day of the week.
Rated 5 out of 5
Margaret Vallas –
Silverado Corset – This is probably the best commercial corset pattern on the market, especially for the well-endowed lady. I whipped up this corset very quickly but because of time constraints, I wasn’t able to get it to fit perfectly. I am a 36DD and the DD cup came out so big that I really had to fold the fabric at the top sort of as a pleat as a quick fix! I was very surprised to find that the sizes ran so large. However, I did find it to be comfortable and did give a fairly good Victorian silhouette for my size. I still wore a bra for maximum support, but if I had been able to work on it more, I might have been able to fit it better.
Pam Zucker –
I made the Dore (Straight Seam) Corset. I enjoyed reading the historical background. The Source List is particularly helpful. The markings were good and the pattern pieces went together easily. You’ll notice the pattern pieces only have numbers; it would be much more helpful if they had names (such as center front, front side, etc.). I did a muslin first which helped me understand how the pieces go together. The graph for the boning was not very understandable. It was difficult to figure out how many bones I would need and the length. Finally I went to LACIS and asked for help. They explained the body torso size determines the number and placement of the bones. They recommended 1/2″ bones on the side bust and next to the grommets. The remainder of the bones are 1/4″. They also recommended using boning casing which added firmness. The directions for the busk insertion are numbered. It would be very helpful to have the numbered instructions match the numbered illustrations. Because they don’t match up, I had to read through the instructions several times before the image was clear. Pam’s corset is shown in the two photos to the right.
Jennifer Child –
I made the Doré Corset shown in the photo on the left. Iam tremendously pleased with it. The pattern was very easy to follow, and I did not run into any problems. I think it would be a good pattern for someone to use if it were their first attempt at making a corset.
I also made the Chemise, which was very easy and quick. The pin tucks are simple, and turn out well, as long as you have marked them carefully. The neckline is very wide, especially if you have narrow shoulders (like me), but it is perfect if you plan to wear an off-the-shoulder gown. I had the advantage of reading some reviews of the chemise before starting, so I was able to avoid the problem of the tight armholes simply by making the seam more narrow at the underarm, and then gradually widening to the 5/8″ seam. My only other advice for this is to cut and mark your pattern pieces very carefully, because if you make an error, it may result in things not lining up or not lying smoothly.
Megan Irvine –
I made the Dore Corset in size 20 and it looks very flattering. I made a muslin first and had to shorten it because I am petite, and I took an inch off the center back to get more of gap for lacing. It fits me in the bust, is tight in the waist, and just a little tight in the hips. I think it turned out great!
Shanna Faulk –
I was well pleased with the Dore Corset that I made from this pattern – it fit very well and was surprisingly easy to make. Like others, I found that the Chemise armholes were too tight.
Trystan L. Bass –
I made the Dore (Straight Seam) Corset in cotton twill fabric. The fit only needed minor adjustments, mostly in length (I’m a tad short-waisted). I used my widest measurement (the hips) to pick a size on their chart to cut out, and it worked great. The fit was excellent and very comfortable. The pattern doesn’t leave any gap in the back lacing, which other patterns I’ve used do and that every custom-made corset I’ve bought has. So I added a 2″ gap myself — I find corsets are more comfy and adjustable with this gap. I also found that marking every piece as soon as I cut it out really helped. It can get very confusing about which piece goes where. I numbered each one and gave it a title (such as center front or front side). That helped immensely. Overall, the project went smoothly. I did need my husband’s help for the grommet-setting, as I was using the old hammer-it-in method (I don’t have a fancy grommet-setter).
I made the Chemise out of cotton with lace trim, and it went together smoothly. The neckline is very broad (a boat neck really), which is perfect for wearing under dresses w/low necks. I made the armholes a little bigger to fit me (they might be tight on anyone w/muscled or flabby upper arms). I didn’t have time to do the pretty pin-tucking at the hem, but the instructions laid that out very clearly. Might go back and do it someday. The instructions for both these patterns are average; they don’t walk you through every little step, but they don’t skip anything major. It has a good overview of historical corsets and fashion, plus excellent tips on what materials to use. Recommended for intermediate and very patient beginner sewers.
Jessica Roberts –
I made the Dore (Straight Seam) corset. This was a very pleasant pattern to work with. Being a trifle bottom-heavy, I had to go up two pattern sizes from top to bottom, but it was no trouble at all. It went together easily, though I think the written instructions are a bit more complicated that they need to be. I ended up ignoring them mostly. My only problem was that I chose my size(s) based on the pattern measurements and not my own experience/intuition and ended up with it slightly too big. Sizing down a bit should fix that easily. All in all, I really enjoyed making this.
Annette E. Laprade –
This is a GREAT corset pattern, particularly if you check out the additional instructions on the Truly Victorian website. The TV information helped me tremendously in picking out the proper size. This is my 2nd version of the pattern and the fit is much improved by following Heather’s sizing directions. I made this corset in white coutil overlayed with alencon lace. I lined it with cotton sateen. When I make this pattern again (and I surely will!) I will definitely use coutil as a lining as well. Plain weave cotton just doesn’t stand up to a lot of wear and the bones tend to poke through top or bottom so I have to keep repairing the inside. Live and learn.
Sarah Rodriquez –
I made the same discovery with the Dore Corset that I made with the Silverado: the hip gores are necessary if you want more than a 1″ waist reduction. I don’t consider myself a tight-lacer (3″ is about as far as I can go comfortably) but, the Laughing Moon patterns don’t give much in the way of waist reduction. Another problem I encountered was that the top of the first three pieces of the Dore pattern do not flare enough to provide room for my bust to rest comfortably without spilling into my armpits. I did grade the sizes as the instructions suggest and still found that my bosom was migrating east and west rather than resting in a forward position. I ended up modifying these pattern pieces by using a custom corset I had bought several years ago that had the correct fit. I traced the shape of the top pieces and graded them into the Dore pattern pieces. Overall, I’d say that the Dore was the better pattern of the two in terms of comfort and shape. It’s certainly a good investment pattern for a beginner but, in my experience, it does take a lot of effort to tweak it into a properly fitted corset. Be prepared to fiddle with it over and over.
Marie Schnoor –
I have made both the Dore and the Silverado versions. I have to say that, being larger in the bust, the Dore (shown here) tends to fit better and give a better “oomph” (technical term, I know) to the bust. It also fits wonderfully under well-tailored bodices. I had to make up an early version, just cutting on one size line, but after I fit it to myself and understood how to make the pattern into the correct shape (rather than my shape) it ended up to be quite easy to make. I use it with my Civil-War era costumes.
The Dore Corset is interesting. Because I have a relatively small, short waist, my first version of it was too long in the front and was highly uncomfortable to sit in. On my next attempt, I measured myself again and cut the pattern to fit me, graduating the lines from a larger size on top and bottom to two sizes smaller on the waist. I reduced the back piece by an inch to give me room to lace it down further, but both edges ended up meeting anyway, so I’m glad I did take that much out.
The Silverado is more of a fun corset for me. It doesn’t give the same good bustline, but the pattern is still very well thought out and so, so easy to alter.
As for the Chemise and Bloomers, a good two afternoons with a needle and thread was all it took to whip out a nice set of hand-sewn, authentic undies. I was worried about the fit of the arm and shoulder, but I guess I’m built exactly like the pattern, because I had no problems with my early mock up. In fact, I finished the mock up and now use it as a nightgown. Really great patterns, and fun to make as well.
Lisa Swehla –
The two corsets in this pattern are as nice as you can get with a pattern for such a personally fitted garment. It certainly beats the others I have made. I didn’t make the chemise. The drawers are a bit odd with the overlapping front and back. I’d suggest adding more overlap in the front for ease of wear.
Katherine Caron-Greig –
I’ve used the Silverado corset pattern three times and will definitely be using it again. The sizing is extremely accurate, which is rare to find in small sizes (I made it in size 6A). My first corset followed the pattern exactly. The second time I used the pattern to recreate the Picnic Dress from Star Wars Episode II. I closed the front and drafted the bust gores into the main pattern pieces. I figured this would be easier to do than sizing the Dore corset down to fit me. I liked the way the corset fit with the gores drafted in so I did this on my third corset as well. I had only been sewing for a few months the first time I used the pattern, so it will work for a beginner.
Claire Harper –
I made the Silverado Corset (View B), and found no problems. The instructions are clear and the pattern is well-drafted; all in all, a great purchase. You could do everything wrong and still wind up with a great corset. Though the shape was not exactly the Victorian hourglass one, I am happy to say that it did not flatten out the curves I already had.
Heidi Schultz –
This is the best corset pattern I have used. I did the Silverado ( Bust Gore) Corset, and ended up taking in the waist quite a bit because I cut it out bigger than I needed to. Going with the size indicated on the pattern, the corset closed completely and hardly reduced my waist at all. I tend to tight-lace, so I was able to take it in, but it was quite easy to do (as easy as a corset ever is). My only issue with the corset pattern, and to my mind a big one, is that the waist line is not marked on the pattern pieces. Make sure you add in these markings carefully, it is very important to know where this line is on the pattern for proper fitting.
The Chemise and Drawers also went together very well. Make a mock up of the chemise yoke before you cut it out to check fit in the arm holes, and also to adjust the neck opening if you are planning on wearing a very low cut ball gown. I went with the size listed on the pattern as correct for my hip measurements, and that worked well for the underwear.
Sarah Rodriquez –
I had a lot of difficulty getting this corset to fit comfortably. Construction-wise, the pattern is very simple to sew. Corsets are always a gamble when it comes to fitting, so I made plenty of mock-ups and tweaks to the pattern. After making the first version, I discovered that if you want any kin of waist reduction with this corset, you really need to add the hip gores. The pattern says they are optional but, I have an hourglass figure (natually) and, without the hip gores, the Silverado flattened everything out. After adding the hip gores, I was able to get some waist reduction however, I discovered that this pattern compresses the ribcage far too much for my comfort. Other ladies may not have this problem but, for me, it rendered the corset too uncomfortable to wear for any extended period of time. Overall I thing the pattern is great for beginners. For my purposes it fell short of my expectations.
Maura Burns –
I made the Chemise and Drawers. These are both very simple, charming garments. The chemise neckline is very wide and sits on the shoulders. This worked all right for me as is with my beefy linebacker shoulders, but I would imagine you would need to make some adjustments if your shoulders are at all narrow or sloping. Likewise, the armholes might be small for anyone with large upper arms. The instructions are simple and clear, though they tell you to make the pintucks in the front and back pieces separately before sewing them together. This is silly; sew it and then make the tucks.
Gwen Kacheimyer –
I bought this pattern because I’d seen all the fantastic reviews and most of the people I know say it’s the best pattern they’ve used. Then I did some more poking around and found that to make it work properly there is a separate set of instructions by costumers, including explaining the sizing, which runs too big. The steps for assembly seem completely out of order when reading the instructions. I’ll take the Past Patterns 213 over this one any day of the week.
Margaret Vallas –
Silverado Corset – This is probably the best commercial corset pattern on the market, especially for the well-endowed lady. I whipped up this corset very quickly but because of time constraints, I wasn’t able to get it to fit perfectly. I am a 36DD and the DD cup came out so big that I really had to fold the fabric at the top sort of as a pleat as a quick fix! I was very surprised to find that the sizes ran so large. However, I did find it to be comfortable and did give a fairly good Victorian silhouette for my size. I still wore a bra for maximum support, but if I had been able to work on it more, I might have been able to fit it better.