When I heard about a Carnevale dance party with the theme of “Viva las Versailles in Venice,” I immediately thought I needed something shiny and bright. I’d always wanted to do some costume with cute, decorative exposed panniers, so I decided on a showgirl type costume with blinged-up panniers. I looked through AliExpress at rhinestone
The first event of Carnevale 2023 was a brunch, which called for fancy pajamas. I went for deshabille because I had these fun things to wear that hadn’t seen the light of day yet! Starting with a custom Victorian corset by Redthreaded, using a cotton stripe fabric I provided, then a ruffly black cotton robe and
Specifically, this is a review of Patterns of Fashion 5: The Content, Cut, Construction, and Context of Bodies, Stays, Hoops, and Rumps c. 1595-1795 by Janet Arnold, Jenny Tiramani, & Luca Costigliolo with Sebastien Passot, Armelle Lucas & Johannes Pietsch, to give the full title and credit to all involved. It’s on sale exclusively from
Sewing before noon, who’da thunk it? Doesn’t look like much yet, but I’m getting there. Interlined with black twill and the cotton lining is also sewn. I’ll bag-line it (one thing I am good at). The thing is at the point where I really need to try it on, but the house is too cold
I boned and bound the corset, gotta go pound grommets. If I’m very, very lucky, I might get to the farthingale tonight. Though I might risk it, skip that, and go straight to the sleeves, since I still need to tweak that pattern. Really, I can wing the skirts without the farthingale, even though it’s
Not perfect by a mile, but relatively tidy, and that’s all I really wanted: Folded the corners a bit better than before, still a little clunky (esp. on the inner corners), but miles better than by machine. However, I’m glad I did do it twice, because the machine stitching is much stronger than my hand-stitching,
2 hours later, I have bound the bottom inside of rencorset mark 3. By hand. Now I deserve an apple turnover and tea. Then bed!
Warning: Self-flagellation ahead, but warranted, I think you’ll agree after seeing the pix. I’m on take 3 of the ren corset. Take 2 is crumpled somewhere in a ball in the sewing room. I’d stuff it in the fireplace and burn it for warmth, but I’m concerned about adding particulates to the atmosphere. Coutil ash
Grrrr… my second renaissance corset SUCKED ASS. The tabs looked like mutilated little fingers. But they looked so nice on paper! So now I’ve wasted the last of my black coutil, phooey. I went back to the original pattern and drew out three basic square tabs on each side, following the image in the instructions.
Much corsetness achieved. Cut everything and sewed endless boning channels (though for once, the bobbin was kind enough to run out at the end of a channel instead of in the middle). Even made a strip of matching bias tape. Might put in the grommets tomorrow, whilst I wait for the boning order. Got an
I actually started something last night! Whoo-the-hoo. I cut and tweaked the AlterYears Renaissance corset pattern to what I hope will be my size and shape. After doing all that, I kinda think I could have used the free corset pattern generator on the Elizabethan Costuming site. The corset shape is so simple. But then,
Whilst laying semi-awake on Sunday morning, I decided what I will be for Halloween next year: Jean Grey as Phoenix from X-Men: The Last Stand movie. No, not the comics, just the movie. See, I have an ulterior reason for this. When I first saw that yummy red costume, I thought, hey, that’s pretty much
Between finishing Aouda and the impending start of NaCoFiMo, I’m feeling fairly inspired to costume right now. Except the next thing on my docket is an Elizabethan corset, and I hate making corsets. It shouldn’t be that hard, that’s not the problem. I just find corsetry terribly boring and annoying. Stupid fiddly bone casings, then