Crochet trim

I have searched high and low for the perfect trim to go with my edwardian corset and not found the right thing. Sure, there are a lot of suitable lace trims on ebay but the P&P are often more costly than the item itself and the shops in my area have failed to present the perfect one. So why not make your own? After some googeling i found a free pattern (link) for a trim with a lovely antique feel and with the possibility of weaving a ribbon of contrasting colour through it.

I am in no way experienced when it comes to crocheting, my grandmother made an attempt to teach me around the age of ten but I probably lacked the patience. I did learn the basics though and instructions are easy to find online. She did also leave me with some yarn and a needle so I set about trying out the pattern which was easy to follow and turned out well. The yarn was way to coarse to produce an elegant lace though, so I went to my grandmother and was kindly given a ball of the finest yarn she had.

First try. Waay too large.

So, for the two hours following my return home I have been working with the lace trim. It is emerging in a good size and looks very elegant to me but working with it does leave me with somewhat lazy eyes. I will have to wait and see if the colour works with the coutil and if it does not I am considering tea staining the finished lace.

The result so far. My fingers are aching.

This small part of the project will most likely take a lot of time and there is no guarantee that it will cost less than buying a trim would do. But so far it is quite entertaining and  will result in something very unique.

Edwardian corset: mock up

How can one but to love television show such as Downton Abbey and Mr Selfridges? Well I certainly do and thanks to them I have developed a deep love for the edwardian era. This particular era is known for the typical s-bend silhouette, so where better to start than with a corset?

After hearing many positive reviews about the patterns from Truly Victorian and specifically about the TVE01 1903 Edwardian corset above I went ahead and bought it. I am now among those who praise the patterns drafted by Heather.

So far I have managed to put together a mock up. The size used is one corresponding to a 3'' waist reduction and after trying it on I believe it to be spot on. The mock up is made with the fabric MINNA from Ikea. It is a sturdy fabric available in several colours that is easy to work with. I do believe that it would work very well for a finished corset without stretching but i do not dare to risk anything and have already ordered a herringbone coutile.

For my first fitting I did not add any boning and it was a total disaster. After that I was prepared to pick a larger size and make a second mock up. Luckily I decided to sew some boning channels on it and inserted zip-ties left over from a bustle I recently made. That made all the difference in the world and proved that I had indeed picked the right size. There is a considerable gap in the bustline but from what I have gathered this is historically accurate and the patterns includes bust pads that will help fill it out

This picture is from the second fitting. I have not added quite enough bones so there are some wrinkles which I think will smoothed with the additional padding. The reduction looks quite extreme but it is really very comfortable, much more so than my previous victorian corset. The pressure is all in the waistline and nothing on the ribcage whatsoever. 

At the moment I am patiently awaiting packages of supplies from VenaCava and SewCurvy. In the meantime I will alter the pattern so that it is not quite so high and maybe let out the hips some. I have high hopes for this corset. 

A fresh start

So here I am again, blogging. It has been several years since I stopped writing my old personal blog. This time it will be something completely different, a blog about my greatest hobby.

I have been sewing for several years now and am for the moment completely immersed in various projects, most of them of historical nature. A couple of months ago I finished my first corset and more are to come. On top of that (oh I am one for puns) a victorian late bustle ensemble is planned, possibly with some kind of steampunk-twist.

Stay tuned!