After posting my experiment with hemp cord boning in my Florentine Dress Diary, I was thrilled to get some wonderful feedback from other costumers who were interested in trying it out for themselves. If you haven't seen the diary, you might want to go back and check out the bodice construction page to get more of the background info on using hemp cords--the hemp stuff begins half-way down the page. You can also check out the finished corded Florentine bodice or my corded corset to see what this type of boning looks like in a finished garment. I decided to make this page to go through the process step-by-step, give links to suppliers, and share the work or other costumers who have made their own versions of bodices or corsets stiffened with cord.

For the supplies, you will need:

• Hemp cord I have used both 1/8 inch and 1/16 inch hemp cord, and both thicknesses worked very well. You can often find the stuff in the jewelry section of craft stores such as Hobby Lobby or Michael's. I have had several people tell me that it is now carried at Wal-Mart, and you might also try looking in any store that sells jewelry or beading supplies. After a quick look online, I did come up with a few sites that sold this stuff, but I'm sure there are plenty more! So far I have found:
  • Hemp Traders
  • Hemp Sisters Inc.
  • Wooded Hamlet Designs
  Although using hemp seems to be an important factor in getting such unbelievable support, I've also heard of people making slightly softer versions using materials like jute twine, upholstery cord, or cotton rope.

  And for you truly insane authenticity freaks out there, I recently discovered that tightly packed rolls of linen fabric work really well too. I got the idea after seeing a photo of a surviving 15th century gown with tubular pleats padded with rolls of linen. I tried making some small, 1/8 inch rolls of linen instead of hemp cords, and they actually work rather well. But this shouldn't be too surprising since linen and hemp fibers are virtually the same thing. To be technical, linen can be made from either flax or hemp, and many linen fabrics from the period are made with hemp fibers--you can only tell the difference with a microscope. So anyway, if you twist linen fabric tight enough and put them in very snug channels, it's basically like making homemade hemp cords. My version wasn't as stiff as the store-bought stuff (you could add some starch or paste for a period stiffener), but it works at least as well as cotton cording or jute twine. I thought about making an entire pair-of-bodies like this, but it works best if you hand-sew the channels so you can get them really tight, so I gave up after a few rows. This type of cording would take quite a bit of time to make correctly, and I'm just not crazy enough to try one right now.
  
  

• Fabric I used two layers of linen for my version, and my theory is that the elasticity of this material is what makes it fit the curve of the bust so well. More experiments need to be done before I can say for sure, but I think you could substitute heavier fabrics and end up with a more cone-shaped silhouette if you prefer.
  
  
• Threading tool Although it is possible to sew the cord into each row with a cording foot as you go, this isn't recommended since it will warp the fabric pretty badly if you have a lot of channels. I found that it was much simpler to sew all of the channels first and then thread the hemp through the rows. I made a tool to do this with floral wire twisted together with a loop on one end, but my friend Melissa came up the brilliant solution of using a long crochet hook instead.

  I also received another great suggestion from Nan Bradford-Reid, who suggested using an umbrella rib for a threading tool (the old-fashioned kind that's just a straight metal rod). You string a piece of cord that's small enough for the hole, but strong, through the hole and then use that like the eye of a needle, stringing the hemp cord through the loop. Very cool!
  

• Scissors
  
  
• Sewing machine I used my regular 5/8 inch presser foot to space the rows. The distance from the needle to one edge is just over 1/4 inch, which is the perfect size for two cords of the heavy stuff, or four lighter weight cords. I also used a zipper or cording foot to go around the outside edges after the cord was in place.

	Step 1: sew the channels Like I said before, I used the width of the presser foot as my guide, but your rows could be wider or smaller depending on the size or number of cords in each row.
	Step 2: thread your tool through a channel A piece of cord that is slightly more than twice the length of the channel is threaded through a loop in the end of the wire.
	Step 3: pull the doubled cord through to the opposite side It might be a bit hard to thread the cord in places, but just keep tugging... you'll get it eventually! I also made sure the cords were not twisted in the channel, but laying flat, side-by-side.
	Step 4: trim the excess cording Although you could trim the end of each row as you go, I usually just waited until an entire section was finished, and then snipped off any protruding ends so that it was all even with the ends of the channels.
	Step 5: sew around the edges to lock the cords in place I used a zipper foot so that I could go around the edges as close to the cords as possible.

After your entire corset or bodice has been boned, you then have several options for finishing. Unlike other forms of boning, the tips of the cords are soft and blunt, so you don't have to worry about them poking out through the fabric. You can sew a row of binding around the edges for a nice clean look, and I recently discovered that a sewing machine will sew through hemp cords quite easily. You could also turn in the extra material at the edges and whip-stitch it to the inside like you would make a hem. On my version, this corded layer will provide internal support for my actual gown, so it will be put together just like a regular bodice with lining.

Is cord boning right for your project?

Before you start making a corded bodice or corset, you first need to decide if this method of stiffening is really right for you. When I first tried using cord boning, I chose it because it would still bend and curve to fit the body... I never really intended for it to replace the rigid boning that you usually use for cone-shaped silhouettes. However, several other costumers went on to discover that it can also be used in Elizabethan-style corsets, but your methods probably should be altered a bit if your goal is to have a perfect flat-fronted look. If you try making a corded garment and are still getting an unwanted crease or buckling across the torso, I would suggest replacing several of the rows of cord with something stiffer; possibly heavy-duty cable ties, steel boning, or plastic boning. You might have to experiment with the number of rows necessary to give you the results you want, but this would help support the structure of the bodice or corset and add a little stiffness. You could also try making a wooden busk for the center of the torso. This is a very period method for making a corset keep its flat front, and it should stop the creasing and give you a good cone-shaped look when combined with hemp boning.

So when should you use cord boning? Each costumer will have to make that decision for herself, but here are my recommendations based on my own experience and the information I have received from the feedback of others who have used these methods.

Cord boning as the only form of stiffener:
• Styles of dress that have a smooth surface, but still show a definite curve at the breasts (such as early 16th century Italian, German, Flemish, and some lower-class styles).
• Working clothes where a free range of movement is more important than a perfectly flat torso.
• Garments for children or small-busted women who do not need a lot of support.
• Corsets for people who hate corsets or are looking for more comfortable alternatives to rigid boning.
• As a "spot" stiffener for moderate support on outer garments (for example: as an edge stiffener next to lacing rings, hooks, or buttons).
Cord boning reinforced with some rigid boning:
• Styles of dress that have a more cone-shaped torso, but still show a bit of curve at the breasts.
• Garments for women who are of more Rubenesque proportions or have a larger bust.
• Clothing that will be exposed to extreme heat or are likely to get wet. (hemp cord loses much of its rigidity when it becomes wet from excessive sweat, rain, or a water-hose down the back! It will become stiff again when it dries, but it may droop a bit until then.)
• Bodices or corsets with an extended point at the waistline.
When cord boning should probably NOT be used:
• Upper-class or late-period styles that require an extreme cone-shaped silhouette.
• When a bodice needs to look perfect and you don't want to take any chances of it ever buckling under any conditions.
• Garments that need to be 100% documentable. I wish I could say that I have proof that they used this stuff, but at the moment it's still just a theory.

None of this is meant to be negative or to discourage people from trying cord boning, but I just want everybody to be informed and aware of the instances where it might need a little back-up. Every material has its strengths and weaknesses, and I just want to encourage you to think about your priorities when making a specific costume so you can pick the type of boning that would work the best for you.

Washing:

One of the biggest perks about this style of boning is that it is completely wash-safe and sweat-proof. After washing a small corded sample, I noticed no major change in the structure or strength, and in fact, hemp is well known for its ability to withstand the elements. However, a few questions about washing this material did arise, and another costumer, Mary Temple, has decided to make a corded corset of her own and has sent her words of wisdom on the subject.

Mary warned me that hemp cord might shrink in the wash, so she experimented with pre-washing her cord. She found that the cord did not change much in length, but it did expand a good bit in diameter. This might be due to the agitation and a general loosening of the twisted fibers, so she concluded that it would be better to construct the garment before washing. The cords sewn into my sample piece did not seem to expand or shrink from their original size, so this does not seem to be an issue with cord that has already been sewn into channels. And by the way, I would recommend that you still pre-wash your fabric before sewing any rows. Mary also noted that a corded garment should be safe for machine washing, but probably should be air dried.

Dealing with shrinkage:

After hearing a few more reports from others who tried making corded bodices, I realized that there are a few things that need to be emphasized about constructing a garment that is boned with cords. First of all, the cords do take up more space than modern flat boning, so there is a bit of "shrinkage" involved once the cords are in place. I haven't figured out a precise ratio for this, and it seems to vary depending on how stretchy your fabric is (my newest corded corset was made of some very stretchy linen, and it did not appear to shrink at all) However, be prepared for a garment to get a bit smaller with the addition of the boning, and the more channels there are, the more it will shrink. You could counteract this by just using your natural measurements without reducing it by the standard 2 inches for the "squish" factor. The boning will make the corset a bit smaller than your normal size, and when tightly laced, it should reduce your waist and bust to a comfortable corseted shape. Many corset makers advice that these garments should have an inch or two gap at the opening anyway, but you still might want to adjust your pattern to allow for this fact.

The shrinkage also comes into play with the placement of shoulder straps. When the body compresses across the width of the torso, attached shoulder straps move a bit more towards the center of the body as well. This is a pretty small amount, but if you cut an outer decorative fabric from the same pattern as the boned layer, the straps will not line up exactly once the cording is added. You can fix this problem by drafting a second pattern after the boning is added (using the boned layer as a guide), by making the outer shoulder straps wider and then cutting them down to match, or by attaching the shoulder straps after the boning is in place. If your corset is separate from the gown and will not have a decorative outer layer, this shouldn't be a problem... but you do need to think about this if you are doing a boned bodice or decorative pair-of-bodies.

And last but not least, if you are matching up a decorative outer layer with internal boning, beware: the two layers will not want to play nice together! The inner layer will become very "elastic" due to the shrink factor from the cording, and it will be much smaller when at rest than it is when worn. If you are trying to sew another fabric to this growing and shrinking internal structure, it will probably be a royal pain in the patoot! That's not to say it can't be done, just be aware that it may not be easy. I made mine work by stretching and pinning the outer layer of fabric to the boned layer while it was being worn, then basting it in place until it could be sewn down. When you take it off, the inner layer will shrink down and pucker up and look really weird... but it somehow manages to look right when it is on. A dress form helps quite a bit with this method, and you can read more about this problem in the Sempstress's new dress diary (go down to the 04.27.02 update). I'm sure there are quite a few other ways you could counteract this problem, but the easiest way is to just make the boned layer separate from the outer gown or just let the cording channels show. And actually, there are a few examples of 16th and early 17th century dresses with what looks like boning channels, like this one, but they are a bit rare. A garment with internal cord boning can turn out very nice, and I absolutely love my corded Florentine kirtle, but it is a slightly more complicated thing to deal with.

As a later post-script to this section, I later experimented with using the lighter-weight 1/16" hemp cords, and they were so small that it did not cause any shrinkage at all. For more info on that project, check out my Ghirlandaio diary.

After all of my lunatic ravings about the wonders of hemp cord, a few of my online costuming buddies decided to join in on the fun! I think it's really great to see the different version of corded bodices so that you can really see what this stuff is capable of. Melissa Heischberg whipped up an amazing version of the effigy corset, and you can see the in-progress pictures of it of half way down her new projects page. (and be sure to check out her corded petticoat while you are there!) Then not to be outdone, Sarah Goodman also came up with a lovely pair of corded stays as a part of her Tudor dress diary. Melissa and Sarah have both been a huge part of this project, and while I just happened to be the first one to try the theory out, I share full credit for this idea with both of them! :-)

Another one of my talented online costuming friends, Tea Rose, just sent pictures of her almost completed strapless corded corset, and I was absolutely thrilled to see how well it is turning out! It is just pinned in the back for the pictures you see here, so it will look even better after she can lace it tighter, but you can already see how well it is supporting... and like Sarah, she also just used one cord per channel instead of two. Pretty darn impressive if you ask me!

I was really excited to get a new set of pictures and a report from another costumer tried this technique. Linda Fikejs writes:

"I found your web page on "Boning with Hemp Cord" and tried it on a corset. I am very pleased with the results. I can't believe how comfortable it is. And what great back support. The only thing I didn't realize is that this method reduces the size of the corset (1 1/4 inches becomes a finished size of approximately 1 inch), so I had to put a modesty panel in the back. But I don't consider this a big problem because when I lose weight (yeah, right!) I'll be able to still wear it."

And here's another gorgeous Elizabethan-stye corset made by Alys Peacocke. Here's her tips for construction:

"My corset is made of zesty yellow linen, and the edges are bound in a rust colored ultrasuede. I found that my corset still buckled under the bust unless I put two spring steel bones in the front, which gave more support but doesn't make the front line too rigid. Two steel bones is much better than fifty...the finished corset is very comfortable."

These next pictures were sent to me by Tish. She also passed along a cool close-up shot of the boning channels and some great comments about the results:

"This pair of bodies is made from two layers of medium weight white linen. I used two rows of hemp per channel. The bodice is designed to go under a Florentine gamurra, and after a 90-degree-plus day of sweating in it, there was no buckling or compromising of the bust curve. The side-back lacing seemed to make it sturdier than another one I've made with lacing in the back. The wearer, 4 months pregnant, reports it to be extremely comfortable - much more so than a bra."

And now Tish has also made a beautiful corded corset for herself as well, which you can find in her dress diary.

A few more costumers have recently created garments using cord boning, and have created fabulous diaries telling about their experiences. The first one is by Marthe Glad Munch - Møller, a costumer from Norway who used sheets of plastic to reenforce the front of an effigy-style corset. You can see her diary here and you can also read about her solution for adjusting the pattern to make a front closing corset fit perfectly. The second diary is by Ben Pung, who has made a beautiful Flemish kirtle for his wife that is stiffened with a lighter weight hemp cord. He also sewed all of his boning channels by hand, which I think is just amazing! And finally, Jenny-Rose White has made a fantastic corded bodice for her new Italian gown that you can read about in the underpinnings section of her dress diary.

Here's there latest new corded corsets on the web. First, Marion wrote a nice diary about the making of her corset, which uses the lighter-weight hemp cord. Sandy also made a very cool corset using sea-grass rope, which you can see at the bottom of her undergarments page.

If anybody else out there decides to try this method of boning, I'd love to hear from you! I'd like to continue to add links, pictures, or personal reports to this page in the future, and I know we would all love to know how hemp cord boning works for you!