The Corset, starting part 2

I organised the sewing table and rethreaded the machine with real excitement this morning and then was thrown headfirst back into the intricacies of corset building trying to press a seam that I'd just trimmed to 3mm and then top-stitching at 1.5mm... maybe was a little tired for this, this morning!

Creating the holes for the other half of the busk was not easy: my awl is smaller than I need, so I started with it and then moved onto a sharpened pencil, as suggested in the bible.  They make the point that the pencil can mark your fabric with it's lead; a problem I partially solved with some clear nail varnish on the lead.  It is a struggle, no a fight, though to get the knobs through the hole, even then the pencil's pushed though as far you think it can go.  My hands were shaking and my temper short!  But it is amazing how much pressure you can put on fabric, and what you ask of it, and somehow it just takes it and then goes back to the way it was.  The first was awful, the second worse, the third a little wonky and the fourth to sixth done with brute force and a determination to "just get the damn thing done!"  ...I then sewed it into place.

I can see why people cut the holes for busk knobs (I was tempted after the first!) but the awl and pencil is rewarding if painfully frustrating.. it really is a beautiful finish.