Autumn Zebra

Yesterday I finished all but the front centre boning channels on the corset. I tried it on just inning it shut and it is AWESOME . It may be slightly, but noticeably, too big around the bust and hips if I don't lace it fairly tightly. I am going to have to take a whole heap of material from the front openings to get it to fit. I think it will be fine under the dress, but I was hoping to be able to wear it over my normal clothes as a fashion item. It may look too silly for that. But we'll see how it works out, it is still a success so far. I think the sizing issues come from the fact that I asked a person who had made it what length the front centre opening was - 13". Ok, cool. BUT, later, after making most of it, I read on her site that she added 1 1/2" to the length. So...presumably the front centre should only be 11 1/2", for the purposes of scaling. Which would make the thing fit more sensibly without having to take 1-2" off the front edge on each side.

Well, in the second half of the weekend and over the last couple of days I have made lots of progress, or so I feel. After scaling up all the pattern pieces I cut them out (in lining, interlining/interfacing/whatever and surface material) and sewed them together, as you do, and then started on the channels for the boning. This is kinda what one half of it looks like layed out on the floor with no channels. And the second picture is one I played with in photo shop to try and get the colour in the photo to at least slightly resemble the real colour of the material. For those who do not know much about corsets I will say how they are stiffened. Historically, I believe there were two broad categories - long, thin stiff stuff put into channels, or broad, flat stiff stuff between sheets of material, with combinations of both. Broad, flat stiff stuff might just be stiff material, or material stiffened with glue or some such thing, or "cardboard" (presumably not like our cardboard) a

With the person who sits at the desk next to mine away for two weeks, and the other person who sits at the other ajoining desk normally only here on Thursday and Friday, I am feeling a bit lonely at work. The other tech and programming people sit on the other side of a wall that partially divides the room - and the other closest people are management and marketing! So that's no good. It is just me and the desks and numerous unplugged cables emphasising the absense.... (Why are there unplugged cables you ask? Because everyone except me and about two other people have at least one laptop they bring in and hook-up. I'm not sure whether most of them actually have a computer or just a laptop.) Before I started, there were 12 people in the office, and 1 more that worked part-time. Then I started and the new technical support guy started. Then the general manager became full-time. Then the sales and marketing manager started, then someone who does something - websites I think- starte

Here is a cool link I stole from someone else's blog - snowflake maker . You can make your own snowflakes, or look at other people's creations as they float down. Some of these will make you feel like a complete moron because your's is random cut outs and theirs are fantastic creations with flowers and faces and so on.... You can also print them. Also, upstairs in the Dunedin Art Gallery at the moment, in the Otago Daily Times gallery (top of the stairs, and where I will be getting married next year...) there is a Buddhist monk making a sand mandala. Cool. Unlike last time they made one in Dunedin, you can go up and actually watch him make it. This will continue until the 15th of October. And after it is finished- they sweep up the sand and scatter it somewhere. Reflecting the ephemeral nature of life I think, and the inconstancy of everything and how we can't and shouldn't try and hold onto (material) things, but should appreciate what is present in the moment. Fi

This blog is written to tide me over until I have the time and motivation to develop myself a website. It's probably going to be mainly about the clothes I make, but you never know. We'll see what happens. It's possible I'll just get bored of the whole idea soon anyway. I recently decided to make a Victorian costume so I could dress-up and go to the Historic Oamaru celebrations fete in November. Actually, it was the other way round; I decided to go so that I could make a costume. (Although you don't have to dress up to go.) When you read the costuming websites on the net, everyone else has all sorts of events and "faires" to go to and so forth, whereas the Oamaru thing is all I know of around her. Being that we are not in the US, Halloween isn't really that big of a thing here either, so there isn't really a big dress-up opportunity there either. Plus, I don't like that Halloween is celebrated firmly by date rather than season - it makes no sen