Custom Corset

Got happy reviews from the recipient of this underbust corset. I was very pleased with how it turned out. The front and back panels are a gorgeous brocade with Fleur dis Lis's (I am never sure if I have spelled that right) and the side panels are gold silk. All the trimming is a royal blue velvet ribbon. It was painful giving it away when all was said and done...*sigh*

I only wish I had had blue lacings on hand...I hate the black laces in the picture.

Fabric Found!!!

I haven’t posted an update in a while, so here goes:

Test corset is still unfinished, but will hopefully be done by Christmas.

Week before Thanksgiving I had surgery on my right foot, so the sewing pedal is still a little painful to use, but it is getting better. During my recoup time at home a local fabric store went out of business. Their specialty was high end decorator fabrics, and of course I just had to go. So I hobbled on my crutches, dear friend drove me, and WOW was it worth it. On my way into the store a beautiful silk shantung caught my eye. It is light ivory and thick and soft and incredible!!! The regular price on the fabric was 120 a yard. The store closing price was 25.00 a yard, and then because I happened to be there the day before the final day, they only charged me 20% of that price. BUT because I bought the last on the bolt, I got an additional 25% off!!! So the silk for the over skirt was bought, 6 yards of it, for less than…drum roll please…fifteen dollars!!!

Over the last two weeks I have been TRYING to organize my sewing/craft room, to make way for a home office. So I have pulled all of my bins of fabric and reorganized and got all of it onto shelves so I can see what I own. Well, it just so happened that I found a beautiful piece of ivory brocade. It matches the skirt material perfectly, and there should be just enough for the bodice of the dress! YAY for using what you got!!!

Now to just make a final decision on the underskirts…

better too big than too small

So…I made the inner and outer of the test corset this weekend. Took the outer, pinned in all the grommets and did a quick fitting…There were about three inches of overlap in the back….*le sigh*

Removed all gussets, took another half inch in each seam and tried again. Much better, I will have to remember to give Ageless Patterns a full inch allowance. Now I have to order the busk before I can continue. Oh well, I can quilt the gores and maybe start another one while I wait. Ageless has a very nice, slightly simpler corset that I would like to try as well for a possible under piece for the dress.

The first step is of course figuring out what to make. What do I picture myself walking down the aisle in?

Well, here is a link to the wedding site: www.theclaremonthouse.net

It is absolutely gorgeous, and I can’t imagine not wearing an incredible bustle for it.

So I went in search of ideas and found a couple of patterns at www.agelesspatterns.com



The first is just a bodice pattern that I really like the basic design of, but I hate the sleeves and the ribbons on the front. (pattern #1442)










I like the sleeves from this dress (#1273)




















And I love the skirts on this dress (#1275). I would extend the top skirt to have a nice train that can be tied up into an even more incredible (not sure how grammatically correct that is) bustle for the reception:














All of that is fine and well, but of course, you have to start from the inside out. I am using pattern #1061 for the corset after speaking with the woman at ageless patterns and getting her advice on which would will work best under the bodice.

Designing a memory

A few months ago I got engaged and the first question I was asked was “Are you going to make your dress?” I thought one would have to be insane to take on that much stress while trying to do all the planning, searching, and arranging that goes with getting married, especially when it will be a destination wedding 10 hours away. At least until I started looking at dresses. Most of them are made from really gross polyester tent fabric (at least the affordable ones) and those that are made from really yummy silk are quite expensive. Then I had to take design into account and what I like, made from pretty material would run me thousands.

Ok, I took a step back, looked at dresses I already own and did an estimate. If I take the skirt from one, lace from my mothers wedding dress, order just enough silk for overskirt and bustle with accent on the bodice (made from material I have) I should be able to make my dress for under $300.

To me now, it has become a challenge. Can I produce a near authentic Victorian Bustle Wedding dress for less than three hundred dollars. Now, this will have to include all the boning, the beading, crinoline, grommets, busk for the corset, lacings and everything else that will go into and under it. Then I thought, what a fun topic to start a blog about. My mother and grandmother, both of whom sew as well, can follow the project from Maine, while the work is being done in Florida.

Well, this is my journey, let’s see how many potholes I hit on the way.

Erin