Materials for Sewing Corsets

THINGS YOU WILL NEED TO SEW CORSETS:

THREAD ( UPHOLSTERY or TOPSTITCHING or Quilting - I prefer DMC machine quilting, Gutermann toptsitching or Coats Upholstery.
NEEDLES (Made for sewing on denim, upholstery, topstitching - I use Singer style 2020 (size 110/16)
BUSK Busk should be at least 1" - 2" shorter than corset. If busk is shorter than that, use heavy hooks and eyes at the bottom (or two or three lacing eyelets at top and extra lacing) and add pieces of 1/2" boning (preferably an inch or two shorter than the full length of corset, short pieces tend to shift) to extend stiffness. I've used 12" busks for almost everything, but they are available in several lengths from 9" to 17".
GROSGRAIN RIBBON(or TWILL TAPE) Corset waist measurement plus about 4 inches
BONING (STAYS) Flat or spiral steel. Flat is available in 1/2" or 1/4" widths, spiral in 1/4" width. Both come in lengths from 3" to 20". Also, inserting strips of 1/2" boning behind each side of the busk stiffens it more.
LACING Up to 8 yards (Sold especially for corsets, or try a shoe repair store than has cut-to-order lacing. If you're going to wear this more than once or twice don't use ribbon or twill tape, they won't last long.
AWL (STILETTO) (0R ICEPICK) For making eyelet and busk button holes. Do not use hole punch/eyelet setter pliers! The hole punch severs the fibers which weakens fabric (and does terrible job of setting eyelets). Awl spreads the fibers apart with less damage.
GROMMETS, EYELETS or D-RING LACES 30 - 60, I prefer two-piece grommets, but small ones are harder to find. Tandy Leather sells small one-piece eyelets that work well. If you can go to Lacis in Berkeley they have small grommets and a machine that sets them nicely. D-Ring laces also make beautiful decorative laces - see links and resources.
EYELET SETTER
HAMMER
ZIPPER FOOT FOR SEWING MACHINE

OPTIONAL BUT USEFUL:

REGULAR THREAD FOR BASTING
HAND SEWING NEEDLES
SEAM RIPPER (Just in case...)
BONING TIPPING FLUID, or BONING TIPS metal tips put over ends of boning to minimize friction from ends of boning on fabric, which has been the demise of one of my corsets so far. The metal tips tend to snag on the fabric, making insertion difficult, and requring slightly wider boning channels.
BONING CASING For inside boning on alternative method, or for boning not placed at seams on traditional construction, or use strips of lining fabric cut about 1 1/4 inches wide, folded into thirds and pressed.
OR Use strips of fashion fabric or other contrasting fabric for outside casing
BIAS TAPE (extra-wide, double fold) Can be used to bind top and bottom edges, or bias-cut strips of fashion fabric can be used,
FRAY-CHECK Or other fabric "glue"
VELVET OR SATIN RIBBON For decorative trim over boning channels, can also be used as top and bottom edge binding, but it is trickier to get to lay smooth over curves than bias cut fabric or tape.

LACE