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Sewing Updates – 8 January 2012

My Health and Sewing Plans in the Coming Months

Today I finally made some progress on the three active corset orders, cutting out all three mock-ups.  The last time I was able to work on sewing was mid-November, due entirely to ongoing health problems that significantly impact my ability to perform physical tasks.  I still don’t know the cause of my pain, but I am working with a new doctor who gives me hope of a diagnosis even if it’s by process of elimination.  In the meantime, I am on new medication and managing the pain much better, and tomorrow I will begin physical therapy.

If the improvement in my mobility this week is any indication, I should be able to work steadily, if slowly, on a limited number of sewing projects.  However, at this point I do not know if I will ever re-open to general sewing commissions.  Instead, I am planning to focus my energy on things I know I will be able to continue to do.  I will finish these three commissions, as well as a fourth which I have not started yet.  Any additional sewing projects will be used to develop and illustrate articles, tutorials, workshops, and other teaching or writing projects.

The Three Corsets

Scale Concept – Quilted Gore Overbust

The first corset is a re-invention of the quilted gore overbust I made two years ago.  Detailing will be very similar, but on a vastly different shape.

Project: Quilted Gore Overbust

Scale Concept – Fancy Flossed Overbust Victorian

This corset is inspired by two separate extant Victorian corsets.  When finished, it will have a boxy shape, almost full boning, external bone casing, fancy flossing, contrast waist tape, and delicate lace around the top edge.  The detail reference and shape reference are both in the personal collection of Lara of Lara’s Corsets, an excellent corset maker and costumer.

Project: Fancy Flossed Overbust Victorian

Scale Concept – Basic Regency

This corset is a basic regency corset.  Since it involves construction processes I have not yet documented, I will be posting commentary and related tutorials during and after the construction process, starting with a description of how to insert a gore into a slash.

Project: Regency Corset