Really, I did finish the last corset I was working on. I swear. I even have the pictures to prove it. Where are they? On my computer. Why are they not here? Because I really am that lazy. I'm making matching cord skirts for myself and Judie next. Pictures will show up sometime in the next year or so.. haha

Ok, so I still haven't posted pictures of the finished product... Shame on me. Soon though, soon!

Almost done...

This is the fully boned, turn-of-the-19th century transition stay I began several months ago. I've been working on it for a week now, hand-sewing at every opportunity. I think it has turned out fantastic! I am very impressed with the instructions provided by Saundra Altman (the woman who drafted the pattern based on a museum piece). This picture is a blurry representation of the inside of the corset, opened up flat. The bones are made of reed and come in a circle like a wreath and so need to be soaked and steamed after inserting them into each channel in order to flatten them. All I have left is to whip-stitch and put the binding on the top and bottom edges and sew in the breast-bone casings which will house to metal bands to prevent boob-smooshage. Heh. I'll update the pictures when I replace the batteries in my camera.

Threatened with the prospect of help from my mother-in-law, I'm pleased to report that I have actually begun to finish some of my latest (some, VERY late...) projects. I have switched bathrooms with Gavin, learned to use hot rollers in my formerly uncooperative lengths of hair, and launched fearlessly into my first hand-sewn project in earnest. I cut out the corset many months ago and have been making fearful glances at it ever since, until last week. I am so, so (sew--ha ha.. *buh-dum-dum*) glad that I did. It turns out that hand-sewing is EASY. Not only is it easy, it's EASIER than using a machine! AND you're not STUCK somewhere!

For those of you who know me, and I'm guessing you do if you're reading this blog, you're aware that I am the harrassed stay-at-home-on-the-go mom of a rapidly moving toddler, and toddlers don't care much for hanging out and watching mommy sew, or cook, compute, or anything else that disallows thier participation. But hand-sewing is different. It's small, it's uninteresting, and it's totally mobile.

More on this later, with pictures too!

So the room is re-arranged, the closet is mine, and there is blue prep paint covering about 3/4 of the window and door trim. Painting is still a ways off and I'm looking at a shirt I started making (two years ago...) and getting closer and closer to busting out the ole' sewing machine. I hand stitched a pair of pants for uly that are also unfinished, but almost done. That seems to be a major theme in my life. Almost there!

I've decided that I'm not going to plug in my sewing machine again until I finish the minor maintenance on the master bath, and after that I'm going to paint and re-arrange the office and claim the walk-in closet here for my very own. All books, diplomas and electronic gadgetry that could be useful-but-aren't will be packed up and gently placed in what will then become Gavin's walk-in closet. I've come to the understanding--at last--that part of a happy, healthy relationship with another person is to reserve some space for your very own to be as tidy or piggy as you like and not be nagged about it or constantly nagging.

This room will be mine. It will be blue. I will put shelving up to hold all my sewing supplies. It will have white curtains. My son can play in my closet with my shoes without fear of injury.

It's going to be awesome!

I'm going to veer off from my usually scribblings and talk a little about more personal stuff.

I spent some time yesterday reading Uly's blog and it was a warming reflection, unlike any of my attempts to document my goings on earlier in my life. Parenting, as exhausting, confusing, and disorienting as it has been, is also the most character-redefining experience I've ever had. I believe with all my heart that I am truly a better person--and certainly more patient--because of this experience. I may often be tired and complain-y but I am actually enjoying a consistent level of happiness like I've never had. I certainly feel more settled. Two-and-a half years we've lived in our home in Oak Ridge. This is the longest I've ever lived in any one dwelling. Still, there are many boxes unpacked and hundreds of pictures waiting to go on walls. I just can't seem to believe we're actually staying put. I'm not normally superstitious but I have some dorky fear that if I put things on the walls I will be moving shortly thereafter, so I have been reluctant to do so. I know this is lame and I ought to make a promise to myself to have one wall "pictured up" by Thanksgiving. Hmm, that's actually not a bad idea...

Parenting:

More and more I come to see the differences between my parenting style and of those of most of my community. I have little respect for arbitrary rules and I believe children--even very young--should be allowed to make a great deal of their own decisions. I will nurse my son, regardless of how difficult this is for most of our adult population to get a grip on themselves, for as long as his needs require, and I absolutely will not feed him with a blanket over his head or in a toilet. Ever. Period. I will though find the quietest, least traveled area to avoid excess interruption or undue stress. I hope Americans can learn to deal with nursing moms sooner rather than later.

Nuthin'

I've put most of my sewing projects aside for a bit. It is absolutely impossible to sew with Uly awake, and the sound of the machine wakes him when he naps. I sew a little here and there when Uly's Gramma Moe comes over and looks after him, but I've found that trying to work on a project is mostly just frustrating. Toddlers are curious creatures, and pins, needles and pretty fabric are just too interesting to keep around.

Karen wuz here

Past Patterns Corset #030

This one scares me. I'm thinking of hand-sewing most or all of it according to the historically accurate instructions. It might be faster this way because my young son is currently very interested in the sewing machine and will drop everything-including his nap--in order to investigate.

Sewing Space

This is wear I work my projects and as space is an issue, it is the largest contributing factor for choosing them. Corsets are the perfect sized projects!

Past Patterns 708 take 2--Red Silk Dupioni

This corset is looks orange. It isn't. It's red. VERY red.

I'm nearly finished. All I have left to do is place the grommets for the back lacing. They should be arriving in the mail soon...

Finished!

Past Patterns #213 Victorian Corset

I started making this a few months after having my son. I underestimated how quickly my figure would change and by the time I finished it I was several sizes too small to wear it.

This was a lot of fun for me to make. The body of the corset was very, very quick to cut out and sew together; I did it in one of my son's rare 2-hour naps. I was also able to cut out the 40 strips of fabric used to make the stay casings during this nap! After the basic body assembly, the casings were simple and wonderfully tedious to sew on. This is a VERY good project for someone like me who has a great deal of very short breaks throughout the day. Each casing is first basted on which done carefully, only takes about 2 minutes. I basted all of the casings here-and-there over the course of about 2 weeks. Sewing them permanently is a snap after that.

I also like this pattern because you assemble the hardest parts first: The center busk. Every time I've done this (a total of three times) I am reminded of what an incredible Pain in the Ass it is, not to mention very hard on the fingernails. Perhaps I'll illustrate why on my next project.

I will be making this again with the following adjustments: reduce waist by 5", reduce back/neck length by 1 3/4", reduce bust by 2", reduce hips by 4". Overlay fabric in black silk or silk-satin, reduce the number of bones by about 10. Double-sided grommets instead of eyelets.

Dress-form isn't flexible. The pictures show the basic shape of the corset but do not accurately examine the garments shaping possibilities.

Simple Skirt and Top

Another outfit I made shortly before I became pregnant.

I wore the skirt a lot and often, the shirt is still unfinished and laying on my fabric stack :D

Ironically, the shirt was too big in the bust and too little in the waist when it was constructed. Now the opposite is true. A little tweaking and It'll be ready to wear by summer.

Tweaking to do: finish fitting top seam, finish edges and place zipper, add straps

Past Patterns Corset 708

Not bad for my first corset. I have wanted to make a corset since I first began seriously sewing but was too chicken. In fact, it was this exact pattern that first fired my imagination. I was loaned a catalog of Saundra Altman's Past Patterns and drooled over them for a very long time but knew I wasn't skilled (patient, really) enough to tackle anything in there, and it wasn't for many years that I had $50 to spend on something that might go terribly wrong.

I'm happy to say, I completed my first corset and it was a marvelous project. Ironically, I became pregnant soon after it's completion and that was that. It's OK though because I made the corset directly from the kit and did not correctly measure my back-to-waist length and so it never fit very well. Too long of a corset tends to shove your boobs up (this is great) and out at weird angles (not so great).

Aside from the bad fit, this corset is very comfy to wear. It has only three bones per side and so is pretty flexible. The hardest part for me was putting in the gores (the little triangle insertes on the bust and hips that make the corset flare out). Took awhile to figure out.

Keep in mind that the dress form is not flexible so it's hard to get an 100% visually correct interpretation of how this corset fits and shapes.

Retro Butterick (B4790)

This dress truly belongs in 1952...Cute Idea, unflattering results. It looked better on my sister so I gave it to her.