So after trying on the latest version of my hybrid again I find I'm not as happy as I'd thought. My disappointment is due to the issue that arises with every Elizabethan type corset I've ever wore... the issue is side boob and not attractive side boob. I usually wear a chemise under my Elizabethan corsets which makes the side boob issue not very apparent or bothersome but I wanted this corset to be wearable without a chemise under. This was practically a non issue with the earlier incarnations as they had a curved bust seam but that those small curves prohibit the Elizabethan bustline. I'm going to add a detachable halter strap to the last corset to see if that helps I'm also going redraft and try to see if I can raise the underarm curve enough to fix the side boob but still have it low enough to be comfortable. I'll be keeping the first two drafts as is (with the curved seams) but renaming them as I continue trying to adjust and fix the third draft until I have a hybrid I'm pleased with.

I Think I'll Settle Here For a Bit

Anyone who bothers reading my blog (namely me and the one or two of you out there in the aether who actually care what new boring things I'm up to) will be aware that I've been working on a signature corset based on my latest hybrid pattern. At its Genesis  I was intending this to be a long term project which is why I don't feel bad putting it down and walking away for a bit.

As I was working on this corset I kept coming up with more ideas, more embroidery patterns, more colours etc. It dawned on me that it was becoming quite likely that I might just end up with a clown corset. Now I have absolutely nothing against clowns but when you start wondering if something is too gaudy even for a clown it's definitely time to step back and reassess.

During my reassessment period I figured I should probably work on a simpler version of my latest hybrid draft. Now I'm left with the easy task of picking out fabrics... while essentially it is indeed an easy task it still has the potential to be time consuming. In the interest of saving time I best be off to my textile cache.  Under the delusion that others find this stuff as interesting as I, once the lucky fabrics have been chosen. I'll undoubtedly post pics of my picks.

Today 4/4/2013
Well I wrote all that previous stuff a couple days ago and when I said that fabric selection would be easy yet time consuming I was half right. As I had to reorganize my fabric yesterday anyway I figured it'd be the perfect chance to choose my fabrics. And it turns out I was wrong about the easy part. I ended up with a little over a half dozen choices by yesterday afternoon one of which was what seems to be everyone's favourite print as well as one of my favs, the World Map print. I quickly decided against the map print... then for it... then against and so on for a bit. The world map print is undeniably in my top five favourites and I've had several ideas of ways I'd like to utilize it in the future, however once I'd taken into account that this print has been seen already and more importantly that it's one of my more pricey fabrics I easily decided to go with something else. That left a few brocades and a few quilting cotton prints. The brocades were then dismissed without too much consideration as when compared with 100% cotton (which is probably the most easily worked in my opinion) polyester brocades are a nightmare albeit a beautiful one.

After all the eliminations I was left with two choices. The first a fabric with a Da Vinci inspired print (Vitruvian Man, notebook etc) on a light green background. The second a cutesy geisha pattern (the geisha on this one remind me more than a little of Samurai Jack which was the huge selling point at the time of purchase) on a pale yellowish or perhaps cream coloured background.

I went back and forth several times trying to take into account what colours would be best for spring, what other fabrics I had on hand that I could use for the binding and several other factors that I can't recall. It turned out to be a tie on every single comparison. How was it that I couldn't find a forerunner with either?  I was beginning to get a tad cranky. The deciding factors would have to be, of which fabric I had most of and of which I could get more. Turns out I can't get more of either as both are out of print. I found both fabrics at a now closdd quilt shoppe that was liquidating their inventory. I bought all that was left on the bolt for both... sadly there was only slightly over a yard left on the bolt of the Da Vinci print but luckily there were many several yards left of the geisha print. Decision finally made. Cutesy geisha print is the winner! And with a fabric such as this that contains so many colours, the binding colour can be just about anything. I'm thinking a blue but I'll burn that bridge when I get to it.

The Road to the Kontinuum Corset: Part 3 - Transfers and Tribulations

Initially I was planning on transferring my logo to the corset once it was finished but my plan of attack has changed.

The obvious and technically easiest route would be dressmaker's carbon. Notice I said 'technically'easiest? Absolutely it would be easy to transfer the design but finding dressmakers was apparently a lot more difficult than I expected. As my Jo-Ann's didn't have any I tried looking for a transfer pencil where they usually are but oddly there weren't any... And I couldn't find one anywhere else either.

My next attempt was to make a stencil so I could just draw the design on. I ended up making three different stencils, one with cardboard and two with overhead transparency sheets, none of which would allow me to get the curves as precise as they need to be. Apparently cutting a spiral stencil with a moderately sharp Exacto knife isn't as easy as I thought it should be. After the first stencil didn't work I rethought the design slightly making certain parts wider in hopes it would make the new stencils easier to cut. It did, but once they were finished there were still some jagged edges that would mess up my tracing.

I continued to rack my brain in search of a solution. It took awhile but I decided to go old school and transfer my design to tissue paper and stitch over it as accurately as I could. Finally started and it does seem to be going well. I'm still doing all the embroidery after the corset's completion but happily this should make that go much more smoothly. Now that's all sussed time to hit the road and continue to venture forth.

Next time: The Road to the Kontinuum Corset: Part 4 - Boning Channels (unless I need to rearrange my construction order again)

The Road to the Kontinuum Corset: Part Two - Flossing Sampler

I've made it passed Preparatory Lane and it looks as if I'll soon be ready to turn off Flossing Sampler Way, grab Mabel and head out on the Corset Highway straight to Completed Creation. Mabel has been rather bored with the trip thus far but will soon feel the electrical current flowing through her cord once again.
After doing a few purely decorative flossing patterns I decided to stick with securing stitches thus keeping the sampler small at this point and to get me on the road sooner. As most of the securing stitches were fairly simple, the sampler gave me few if any problems. It's nice to think that flossing the corset goes just as smoothly but not very realistic.

Next time: The beginning of construction, pattern assembly & cutting, fabric prep etc.

The road to the Kontinuum Corset: Part One

As usual on my journey to a place called Completed Creation I decided to take a detour and go the scenic route. This decision brought me straight back Preparatory Lane. I was already expecting my Kontinuum Corset trip to be a moderately lengthy one, so happily this doesn't set me back any. Initially I was planning on heading down to Flossing Sampler Way so I could figure out the direction I'd most like to go then heading straight for the Kontinuum Corset. As I started heading over to Flossing Sampler way something occurred to me... I think I've taken my travel metaphor as far as I'm going to for now... anyway, I finished boning the fabric for the sampler when the fact  that I still had no dressmaker's carbon surfaced yet again in my brain. I put the fabric for the sampler aside and set off again on trying to find transfer solution. As I was at the computer doing research I took that opportunity to resize, edit an print my logo. I decided to try making a stencil and while it wasn't a total fail it definitely isn't a method I'll use again. Once the stencil was made I needed too test it on something and that something; my took case. I transferred the design using my stencil and a white marking pencil and white chalk. The design wasn't transferred as perfectly as I would have liked. And because the fabric is handled a lot while being embroidered I've already had to go over the design again with my marking implements. I figure maybe I could try reprinting the stencil and perhaps use an exacto knife. That way maybe the lines would be smoother and as the fabric I'll be working with for the corset is bright white I'll be able to use regular mechanical pencil to trace that should help to further the likelihood if smooth lines and fix the problem of my marks slowly disappearing as I work.
Because I went to all the trouble with the stencil and tracing it only made sense to go ahead and start embroidering the logo so I can see how badly out of practice I am and to give me a chance to finalize the colour placement. Additionally it will help get my fingers in shape before undertaking the task of flossing and embroidering a whole corset. So here's where I'm at so far and I'd love to finish this up and start on the flossing sampler today.

Signature Corset Intro: Colour Palette For My Kontinuum Hybrid Corset

I've long been searching for the perfect rainbow fabric with which to create what will be my signature hybrid Kontinuum Corset. I didn't have much luck (apparently rainbow fabric is hard to find) and the few fabrics I did find were pretty atrocious. I then decided I'd make my own fabric with plain white canvas and fabric markers. I sat with this idea for awhile but while flossing another corset it dawned on me that I could just make my plain white corset (and a plain black as well)  and embroider the colours and patterns I prefer. So with the decision made it now seems that my Kontinuum Corsets will end up being an extended long term project. The first step being to chose colour palettes. Now that I have my colours picked the next step will be to make a  sampler to help me decide which patterns of flossing I would like to use. So, for now here are my colours and with luck I'll have my sampler done soon.

In part 1: Creation of flossing sampler pics and probably some ranting about all of the trials and tribulations that accompany the sampler's creation.