Instruction

Fascinated by corsets? Always wanted to learn how to make a corset but found it daunting?

Gerry Quinton, the Chicago Corsetière behind Morúa has years of corset making, fashion industry, and teaching experience. Her corsets renowned for her graceful cinched silhouettes, elegant detailing and remarkable fit. In 2014, she moved her business to Chicago after almost a decade of working in London. Since then Gerry has established and grown her practice and expanded into the world of lingerie.

In Corset Making for Beginners you will gain the knowledge you need to a make real, quality, Victorian inspired corset. You will make an over bust corset, fitted to your body, from a Morúa corset pattern, optimized for modern bodies. Classic techniques and observations from the study of antiques will be explored.

Each three day workshop will be held at the beautiful Morúa shop and studio: Department of Curiosities. The workshop is located in Chicago’s trendy Logan Square neighborhood, a hub of great restaurants and innovative watering holes in one of America’s most vibrant neighborhoods.

Class is strictly limited to a maximum of 6 students for an optimal learning experience.  Larger workshops may have a dedicated teacher’s assistant to ensure that each student has as much help as they need.

 

 Winter Session is now Live!

Feb 15–17, 2020 President’s day Weekend

 

In this course you will:

• Learn about real steel boned corsets: shaping, function, the best materials to use.
• Learn how to take precise measurements.
• Alter a pattern to fit your body.
• Make a mock up or “muslin” version of a corset to test the pattern for for fit.
• Learn how to trace and cut you corset fabric accurately.
• Explore techniques for stitching strong, smooth, wrinkle-​free seams, and accurate boning channels.
• Learn how to insert a traditional corset busk fastening.
• Use tools to cut and tip steel boning so that you don’t have to rely on pricier pre-​cut lengths.
• Learn how to set two part eyelets. (Also known as grommets)
• Tips and tricks for binding and finishing your corset.
• Methods to lace, condition and wear your corset.

Corset Making for Beginners also provides:

Access to a specialty design studio and tools during the course: but also the knowledge of how to use simpler tools at home to achieve professional results.

Opportunity to study a range of finished corsets, explore a working fashion studio, and access to study materials.

Lunch for two days and refreshments for three days. On the last day students are invited to bring a pack lunch or explore one the Logan Square’s many restaurants.

Materials included in the course:

• Black or white coutil: a special corsetry fabric. Please specify you color choice when registering.
• Overbust Corset Pattern. You will make your corset from a proprietary Morúa pattern. This pattern is not commercially available, but you will be able to take a personalized version home.
• Pattern paper, cotton “toile” fabric, hardware, fittings, bindings and trims.
• Two part steel busk closure.
• German spring steel and spiral boning.

Supplies are value of about $100.00. Boning and coutil is provided by Sew Curvy in the UK. A range of samples from this excellent supplier will be available to the students.

Requirements:

Intermediate sewing skills. You should be familiar with a sewing machine and able to sew basic garments. This is an intense course, and the instructor will not have the time to dedicate to basic sewing skills.

What to Bring:

• Sewing Machines: The studio has two domestic Bernina machines, two industrial Juki straight stitch machines and one Singer semi-​industrial sewing machines available for your use. If you are able to and prefer to use a machine you are familiar with, it is recommended that you bring your own. Please specify whether you are bringing your own and if not when booking. Machines are available on a first come, first serve basis. PLEASE NOTE THAT AS OF JAN 1, 2020 ALL HOME SEWING MACHINES HAVE BEEN SPOKEN FOR.
• Sewing and marking tools: Please bring your own sewing kit, cutting shears and rulers.
• Trim: If you’d like to add a bit of trim, such as lace to embellish the top edge of your corset, please bring it along.
• Please bring something to wear that you will be comfortable in when fitting your corset.

About the Corsetière:

Gerry Quinton was born in Costa Rica, has also lived in Spain, and England. Morúa is named for her maternal surname. Her work is influenced by a sense of displacement and nostalgia that comes from leading a life split amongst continents, drawing on old world craftsmanship traditions of tailoring and corsetry.

Gerry’s career began with an education in Fashion Design at Columbia College, where she won Best Women’s Wear Prize and showed in the Driehaus Award for Fashion Excellence. Upon graduation, Gerry relocated to the UK. While in London she worked as a pattern maker in the fashion industry and as a CAD pattern-​making trainer for a wide range of industry professionals and learning institutions.

The designer found her passion catering to private clients from her studio in Holloway in North London, where she gained expertise in corsetry and fitting. To further her skill, she studied the antique corsets in the archives of Symington Collection and the Museum of London. Her commissions have ranged from aristocratic weddings, traditionally tailored frock coats and producing a line ready-​to-​wear corsets for Violet’s Box boutique. Gerry teaches yearly master classes at Julia Bremble’s renowned Oxford School of Corsetry in England and is one of the founders of the Oxford Conference of Corsetry. From time to time she also lectures at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Location:

Classes will be held at the Morúa studio located at 3013 W Armitage Ave. Chicago Il 60647
There is ample street parking. The studio is about a ten minute walk from California stop on the CTA blue line, which goes directly to to O’hare airport and downtown Chicago.

Refund Policy:

Charges for the course are non-​refundable, but are transferable to a future course if cancellation is made with 30 days notice.