A while back I saw @carolclairclair on Instagram and TikTok take her grandma's vintage linens and turn them into a corset top, and it looked really good. Around the same time I found a pair of needlepoint pillowcases on Facebook Marketplace for ten dollars. I bought them, then let them sit in my stash for a couple months before I did anything with them.

The Facebook Marketplace listing for the vintage needlepoint pillowcases, priced at ten dollars

Once I actually got around to it, the corset felt like the right project for them.

Reusing the Gemma Corset Pattern

I've made a few corsets before, some with boning and some without, from a couple different patterns. I considered the free Helen Castillo x Mood Fabrics corset pattern, but I already had the Gemma Corset Dress pattern printed out from making it a couple of months ago in the polka dot cotton from Mood Fabrics, so I went back to that instead, just the bodice this time. Instead of shirring the back like I did last time, I wanted grommets and a lace-up back.

What I Used

Piecing the Needlepoint Panels

Before I cut anything, I thought about where each needlepoint design would land on the panels. I didn't want it lined up even and symmetrical like it was on the pillowcase, so I cut it so the designs staggered across the different panels instead, and flipped some of them upside down for a bit more variety.

Pattern pieces cut from the pillowcases, needlepoint designs staggered across the panels

The edge of the pillowcase had a blue zigzag needlepoint thread running along it, so I used that section as my back panel, with the zigzag lines running parallel to the grommets.

The two back panels cut from the pillowcase, blue zigzag needlepoint trim running along the top edge

Finishing It Off

@carolclairclair used trim along the top of hers, so I added some vintage trim I already had on hand along the top of my bodice too.

Close up of the vintage trim added along the top edge of the corset

I used almost all of both pillowcases in the end, some of it for the lining too. There were a few small stains here and there, but nothing major, nothing I couldn't work around.

I also went back and forth on the bias tape for the bottom. Part of me wanted to use a color, like red or blue, for a little pop of color, but I ended up using the same white fabric from the pillowcase instead. I'm glad I did. It all matches.

The plain white pillowcase fabric used as bias tape along the bottom edge, next to the blue zigzag trim

Grommets Instead of Shirring

I had both silver and gold grommets on hand. I set the silver ones down first just to see how they looked, then decided I liked the gold ones better and went with those instead.

Silver grommets set down first to compare, next to the blue zigzag needlepoint trim The gold grommets used instead, next to the blue zigzag needlepoint trim and the bag they came in

Right after I set the gold grommets, I grabbed the whole bag of them and headed outside to hammer the rest on. I dropped the bag on my way down the stairs and watched every single one scatter down the steps. Oopsie.

A bag of gold grommets spilled and scattered down the stairs

For the lacing, I tested it out with white first, but it didn't feel right. I ended up going with this light blue ribbon instead, a nice subtle pop of color that still matched the bodice.

When I lace it up tight though, the back bunches up a little, and the fit through my bust isn't quite right either. I think boning would have helped with that, and so would smaller grommets, more of them too. But that's okay. We're learning.

Emily wearing the finished corset top, back view, showing the grommets and light blue lace-up ribbon
The finished corset laid flat on the cutting mat, front view The finished corset laid flat on the cutting mat, back view, showing the grommets and light blue lacing
Close up of Emily wearing the finished corset top

I love how this one turned out. It pushed my creativity more than most of my other projects have.

If you make a corset out of pillowcases too, tag me on Instagram @DesignsbyERB. I want to see it.