Ah hah! My pathetic attempts at photography are not needed. Here is a link which shows exactly how to bind a corset with double binding, which I found at Farthingales. Scroll down to the relevant parts: under "Making Your Own Bias Tape," find "For Double Bias Binding" and under "Applying Bias Tape," find "Double Binding."
Since I have some wonderful linen canvas enroute to make a NEW corset for myself, the other day, I got the crazy notion to cut the straps off of my current favorite corset. I decided to photograph the process of rebinding the top edge of the corset. Unfortunately, most of the photographs are not good. So, once again the text will have to stand by itself until I can take some decent pictures. As usual, click on thumbnail to see larger image.
This picture is supposed to show the top edge of the corset has been overcast (serged) to prevent raveling. In the case of the tabs, also stitch on the stitching line with a short stitch length to re-enforce the the area. By the way, this is the right (outer) side of the corset and all the sewing will be done from this side.
I made my own bias out of bleached muslin. It is two inches wide and has been folded in half and pressed. I put the raw edges of the bias together with the raw edges of the corset and pinned.
Here the bias is being stitched onto the corset with a zig-zag stitch. The presser foot is a standard zig-zag presser foot and the zig-zag has a stitch width of 3.5mm and stitch length of 1.4mm.
This is kind of like basting it into position, but the zig-zag stitch allows some flexibility and makes it easier to ease around corners.
The bias has been stitched into place.
A different presser foot. This one is a 1/4 inch Foot with Guide. The stitch is a standard straight stitch. The guide on the foot helps me stitch exactly 1/4 inch away from the edge.
The binding is folded over the raw edge of the corset and pressed.
Yet another presser foot. This one is called a "Monogram Foot" according to my sewing machine manual. In the book Fine Machine Sewing by Carol Laflin Ahles it is called a Satin-Stitch Foot. It has a wide groove underneath the foot which allows the bound edge to pass more easily under it. The zig-zag stitch is the same as used previously - a stitch width of 3.5mm and stitch length of 1.4mm. I try to have the left hand drop of the needle fall just beyond the edge of the binding.
The bound edge of the corset. Too bad the picture is so blurry.
This picture shows the finished result a little better but this is actually the corset I started with.
