Christine Wickham was one of those amazing people who’s intelligence, compassion, caring, wisdom, creativity, and beauty showed through in everything and everyone who’s lives she touched, a radiance that conveyed what an incredible person she was even through text online.  Like most of the people I know who will miss her, I knew her through the online corset making community, where she moderated several FaceBook groups, owned Ariadne’s Thread, and made freely available a tight lacing underbust corset pattern that she made with the collaborative help of many people from the Learn How to Make Corsets Like a Pro group on FaceBook.

I first met Christine a little more than a year ago through the funding campaign Lucy of Lucy’s Corsetry ran to help with my medical expenses.  The impact of meeting her was immediate and profound.  Just by being there, she made the world a little brighter, and I know I am far from the only person who felt that way.  Her impact among the people of the online corset making community was tremendous, not just for the things she did, but for who she was, and the impact of her passing among the members of that community is a testament to her.

I didn’t know Christine very well, not nearly as well as I would have liked, but it always made me happy when I would see her posts or converse online.  Just a few days ago she dislocated her knee and I was one of many people wishing her well and poking a little fun at yoga, the normal kind of conversation one might have on FaceBook and then completely forget about later.  I believe I will remember it for the rest of my life.  I had hoped to meet her in person some day, but that will never be.

Due to my illness, it has been two years since I last made a corset.  In tribute to Christine, I will be making a corset from her free pattern.  Last year when she was developing the pattern I had hoped to make one to help with the development process, but I never had the stamina.  She was one of the people who gave the medical expense campaign unending support, so I feel it is at least partially thanks to her that I am in recovery and able to slowly resume working on corsets and making art.  I’ll need to modify the pattern a little bit so that it will fit me, so I will also be posting a tutorial showing the modification process.

Project: Christine Wickham Tribute

Other Tributes written in honor of Christine:
In Memoriam: Christine Wickham, by Lucy (Lucy’s Corsetry)
Christine Wickham in Memorium, by Marianne Faulkner
In Memory of Christine Wickham, by Lowana (Vanyanis)