Aurora Celeste ([info]auroraceleste) wrote in [info]corsetmakers,
@ 2004-09-08 20:34:00
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Entry tags:lacing, technique

This question was asked recently on the list, and I'm curious as well. How many different ways of lacing a corset are there, and what do you call them? Here are the ones I can name:

Shoe Lacing - like your shoes

Tight Lacing - with rabbit ears

Cross Lacing - like tight lacing, but without the bridges in the middle, so the strings are pulled from the top or bottom.

Spiral Lacing - with one lace

Fan Lacing - has been mentioned recently on one of the communities, is used for orthopedics, as far as I can tell.


Anyone have any others? Or just another name you call them by?

crossposted to [info]corsetmakers, [info]corsetry


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[info]syntaria
2004-09-09 08:45 am UTC (link)
I can't think of any others. This ought to go into the memories, though, if it hasn't already.

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[info]britgeekgrrl
2004-09-09 11:16 am UTC (link)
Added.

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[info]duae
2004-09-10 10:29 pm UTC (link)
Not trying to be a bother, but shouldn't this post go under the lacing memory as well? Since this post mentions it, but doesn't link directly to either of the other posts.

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[info]britgeekgrrl
2004-09-11 12:47 am UTC (link)
I missed that one totally - the curse of a job and going back to school.

Thanks!

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[info]perverseangelic
2004-09-09 08:51 am UTC (link)
I'm not sure i'm clear on the difference between shoe lacing and tightlacing with rabbit ears....is there a difference? What is it?

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[info]drrtyslut
2004-09-09 10:41 am UTC (link)
Shoe lacing the laces always go the same direction; put lace through grommet above shoe, put lace into next grommet above shoe. Tight lacing is; put lace through grommet on outside of corset, put lace into next grommet on inside of corset. Inside-Outside-Inside instead of Outside-Outside-Outside, with the obvious rabbit ears in the middle.

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[info]perverseangelic
2004-09-09 11:20 am UTC (link)
oh! thanks, that makes way more sense.

What's the advantage to each kind of lacing if I might ask?

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[info]drrtyslut
2004-09-09 11:21 am UTC (link)
Shoe lacing looks nice, and won't close completely. Tight lacing allows both egdes to close completely together and doesn't require as much effort to pull closed. With tight lacing you get a bigger reduction with less effort so it's ideal for corsets. With anything else you're lacing, it doesn't make a difference, typically, other than looking nicer.

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[info]auroraceleste
2004-09-09 11:41 am UTC (link)
Also, shoe lacing is harder to pull tight, but it's also harder to loosen once it's tightened. It has more friction and therefore less give to loosen up.

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[info]perverseangelic
2004-09-09 12:26 pm UTC (link)
Huh. Good to know. Very good to know. I'm getting my first couple real corsets soon, and now I can lace 'em properly. Thank you!

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[info]lady_diedra
2004-09-10 11:57 am UTC (link)
If they are "real" corsets, they will come to you properly laced. Most corset makers take care of it.

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[info]trinsf
2004-11-30 04:32 pm UTC (link)
The problem with this statement, by the way, is that corset makers vary in what they consider to be the "best" method. I have 5 corsets, from several makers. Dark Garden *insists* upon "shoe lacing" (which I think of as 'herringbone', and using ribbon laces, which I can't stand. The first thing I do when I buy a DG is to relace in tight-lacing format. On the other hand, the proprietress of Fetishes Boutique in Philadelphia is in the tightlace camp, so she always sells and ships with that style, and more traditional long "shoelace" laces instead of ribbon.

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[info]auroraceleste
2004-09-09 11:45 am UTC (link)
Heh, found another one on the same page as spiral lacing:

Ladder Lacing (fourth picture down is the illustration)

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[info]taamar
2005-09-12 03:38 am UTC (link)
I occasionally use something my mother called 'power lacing':

Start with a 'ladder rung' on the back side.
Cross over with and X as for cross lacing.
On the back side, lace each lace through the opposite side, straight across, in the hole you just used for the X.
Cross over with and X again.


Visually, what this does is give continuous Xs on the front and double ladder-rungs on the back. It is useful because the friction of the laces keep them from slipping as you lace up. It also doubles the number of crossover points, which can help gapping when the holes are too far apart. It wears on the laces horribly, but it's a good one to know.

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[info]auroraceleste
2005-09-12 04:16 am UTC (link)
Cool, I'll have to work on getting a graphic of this to see if we're on the same page.

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[info]auroraceleste
2005-09-12 04:26 am UTC (link)
Okay, is this what you're describing?

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[info]auroraceleste
2005-09-12 04:26 am UTC (link)
ack, to clarify, yellow is the red string on the back-side, and purple is the blue string on the back side.

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[info]ssha
2005-11-08 12:08 pm UTC (link)
No, I don't think that is a correct illustration, if what I am thinking of is what the previous commenter is talking about.

Rather than moving down a hole on the back, you go across and back through the same holes you've just used, making sort of a double circle. Does that make sense?

Lemme see if I can do a step-by-step:
1) Go through your pair of holes as normal (as if lacing a shoe).
2) Instead of coming back up through the next set of holes, come back out through the same set of holes.
3) Go in through the next set of holes.
4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the bottom is reached.

This is how several of my mother's bodices came laced.

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[info]ssha
2005-11-08 12:10 pm UTC (link)
I just looked at the comment below this one, with the picture of the lacing, and it does appear to be the style I have described in my previous comment.

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[info]taamar
2005-09-12 09:37 pm UTC (link)
Not quite... I dug out an old bodice with lots of contrast so I could take a picture for you:

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Ribbon for lacing
[info]joanxxx
2006-08-17 08:04 am UTC (link)
I cannot find any decent double sided satin ribbon stockist...if anyone can help and knows of any please would they post a link or address for me...am in the uk but dont mind mail order from any country...thankyou so much. Joanxxx

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[info]tiarasaurus
2007-02-08 09:32 pm UTC (link)
http://www.festiveattyre.com/research/lacing/lacing.html

This link replaces the spyral lacing link listed in the first post on this topic. The original link no longer works.

Ladder lacing is also discussed on this link.

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