1910 Corset

I am currently working on a 1910 corset for my Downton Abbey dresses to go over, from Ageless Patterns. In the newly tidied sewing room. It looks lovely, and has brought on simply loads of inspiration, but I have to finish what I have already started. Firm emphasise on MUST.

Ageless Patterns Corset Nouveau

 The measurements were nearly the same as mine, so I'm hoping to only to minor fiddling to get it right. And so far I am very pleased with how it is going. I sewed like a maniac for no reason, perhaps other than that I was bored (not obsessed!) on Sunday. It's all I seem to do on my days off work, apart from a little writing. So, after all the sewing, I realised I forgot to take photos of the start of construction.

 Except for this one. My little foofoo was only too happy to steal the spotlight, after she'd been relaxing on my pattern pieces.

 Further Construction or Inside The Corset. It is made up of one layer of tea dyed coutil, sewn as one with a light greeny-cream striped fabric on the outside. I had to take about 2 inches off the center front seam, since I found the corset measurements were for when it is fully laced, which did not change my figure at all.

Outside view

 I covered the seams, after trimming them down, with 1/2'' boning tape. I was going to add a waist tape, but decided against it, since the corset seems to be doing perfectly well on its own. I'll post more picture when I get some more spare time from working the hectic hours I'm doing over Christmas. I will be soo glad to have a break from my full time job to work on my part time hobby!

Attack of The Bird

Right, I feel like a yo yo, bouncing around between my sewing. Maybe I just have a tiny attention span. Oh well, at least I have fun! That reminds me of a great bumper sticker I found online the other night, 'I'm not completely mad. It only affects my head.' Haha! I am tempted to buy it.
Yesterday I was working on the Regency short stays and petticoat combined, I think they are known as boned bodice petticoats. My sister's bird, Princess Snowflake - or PS, decided she like the look of what I was doing, and jumped down off the lounge where she had been playing in her pillow cave.

Ooh, yummy!

Then she sort of sidled over and nibbled on the edge of my precious coutil. She must have thought it was delicious, because I couldn't get rid of her after that. PS obviously doesn't understand human, because my entreaties to leave my expensive material alone only made her more rabid.

The beastly PS takes great joy in toddling 

I have a feeling that this boned bodice will make me insane. The mockup worked well, but I can see problems with the first stages of the coutil. I definitely need to cut the armholes bigger. And the bust gussets need a lot of work. I got them to a perfect curve only to find that my -ahem- smaller endowment was a little lost. Sigh. But I will see how it goes.

Edwardian Underthings

I have just washed and hung out to dry some beautiful white cotton voile, out of which I am going to make the Truly Victorian Edwardian Underthings. Or is that Truly Edwardian?

Truly Victorian Edwardian frills

I am really looking forward to wearing these under my nearly completed Edwardian corset. What I really want is some gorgeous matching lace to trim them with, but I am not feeling very well, and a raid on Spotlight doesn't sound very nice right now. I couldn't be a conquering hoard of one, snatching all the choicest booty, with my slight head cold sniffling all over the place. Besides, I spend outrageous amounts of money every time I enter that shop!

Fab Shoes

Oooh, I just noticed that American Duchess are giving away a pair of the latest shoes. Hence the reason for this quick post. I love ogling all the American Duchess shoes, dreaming of a not to distant future when I have enough money to squander on shoes I don't really need, or more importantly, room in my shoe cupboard. While the 23Skidoo shoes are very nice, what I would like are the Astoria's to go with my upcoming Downton dress and my Edwardian clothing. They are beautiful.

Some eye candy to feast on

I love the idea that you can paint any of the AD shoes whatever colour you want.But I would be scared to spoil them. Anyway, much as I would like to win, good luck to all you other entrants, as there will no doubt be heaps!

Here is the link to the American Duchess giveaway page:
http://americanduchess.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/v308-23skidoo-1920s-shoes-giveaway.html

Victorian Corsets

Here is some of my sewing history. I think I will get the older, finished projects out of the way, and then work on documenting my newer sewing adventures. Bearing in mind that some of my projects have been sitting around for years waiting to be finished!

These are two Victorian corsets I made a couple of years ago, from the Truly Victorian pattern, which I love. Each one taught me a lesson. Do not make too small. Do not make too big. The black corset is double layer black coutil and the brown corset is single layer coutil, which I dyed. Oh, another lesson I learned; always wash coutil before you cut it out, is you are going to be dying it. I'm glad it only shrunk on the top and bottom.

Ahh, so pretty at the front!

I think the main rule I forgot is that if you pull in the waist, you have to leave extra room above and below. So I dyed lace, inserted ribbon and flossed the bones, which my poor fingers did not enjoy. Then I put it on, expecting to be blown away by my brilliance. I was not. As you can see. In my brilliance, I also put non-rigid  steel bones into the back, which warps into my back when I lace the corset up. I have ordered some rigid bones to fix this, and my current corset boredom, while I wait for them to arrive, gives me time to write this.

What is this ghastly gap? I didn't put that there.

 

The Beginning of My Blog

Hi, I am a self taught costumer, hoping to in some way inspire and help others who are starting historical and costume sewing. If something I post can help someone else in their quest for answers, or just the right way to start a corset, which was incredibly daunting for me, and without the knowledge from some amazing blogs I would still be in the dark.
Of course, I wouldn't start a blog without some inner desire to show off my creations, but mostly I need an excuse to make more clothes. I'm sure there is a disease that goes with costuming, the symptoms involve a strange compulsion to make yet another corset or dress, when you know perfectly well you don't "need" it.
To be depressed or gleeful about this slightly insane state, I can't decide, so I have decided to embrace it heartily.
It will be a learning curve to do this blog and I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun.
Thanks to Mum who has let me gradually steal her living room to use as my sewing room as my  "illness'" progressed!