If the notions of an awesome pattern calls for boning, are you frightened away?  What is boning exactly?  Boning has been around for a long time, ever since corsets were invented in order to cinch in waistlines or to create the ideal shape.  Historically, boning was made of wood, ivory, or bone.  These days, corsets are still around and still use boning, but you'll also find boning in bathing suits, strapless gowns, bustiers, and costume garments like hoop skirts.  Boning is sewn into a garment to either provide support or to create shape, sometimes both.

Boning has also evolved in that today they're either made of steel, plastic or nylon.  There are many uses for boning and, therefore, different types that you can use.  In this demonstration, we go over a few different examples of boning and some of the pros and cons so you can decide which one will work best for your project.  We utilize Butterick 5969 to show you how to sew in your boning in a garment such as a corset.  We then take a look at Butterick 5901 to show how to use boning in order to create shape such as with a hoop skirt.  Give this tutorial a try and conquer the intimidation of working with boning.