DD: Mock-up three, or: how canvas really does stretch

[janestarz]

Welcome back, it's been a busy weekend. Previous posts in this dress diary:
The prelude;
Part I;
Part II;


A quick picture of the materials. I had found a lovely coupon of silk dupioni for only € 8,40 in Marianne's shade of pink. I still have a petticoat in that exact colour, and if I want to recycle this outfit, I might as well take rosewood linen with pink accents. Isn't it absolutely nauseatingly sweet?



After the second mock-up, I figured it was time I would use real coutil and even more bones for my third mock-up. Though the second mock-up was a bit loose around the boob-area, I was confident that I could, with a simple alteration, fix this. So the loveliest scrap of red rosewood linen was found and fused to the coutil.
Throughout the bodys I am planning to use modern dressmaking and corsetmaking techniques. Fusing your 'fashion fabric' to your strength fabric is the very first step and a good example of modern corsetmaking. In the olden days, these layers would be basted together.


Thanks to WonderUnder, I don't have to baste. I can fuuuuuse.


I know of no other garments I can just stick pins in without them coming out the other side...




I had already decided that the third mock-up would be a wearable mock-up and therefore I would use spiral lacing, enough 7 mm flat steels to keep everything in check, and satin binding. This also included machine-sewn eyelets in stead of grommets. I use 5 mm RVS steel rings for strength and use the eyelet plate of my machine to sew the eyelets. This was quite enjoyable, because of the lovely weather, the excellent company (Steelweaver came over and there was much rejoicing, sewing, drinking of tea and procrastinating!) and the fact that I always think sewing eyelets is worse than it actually is.


Next up: the bones!

I always wear protective goggles when working with metal. Be it sewing eyelets into a corset, cutting bones, or even sewing on the binding -- which goes right next to your bones! -- protective goggles can save you a world of hurt. Yes, they're uncomfortable, but they make sure I can still see how beautiful my bodys will be. Or not.

Once the boning channels were all stitched, the bones were cut and tipped, and everything was in place, I had to try it on. I was so curious as to how the pattern was! The last mock-up was rather loose, but when I tried on my coutil bodys, I really noticed the difference.
The canvas I used, stretches. And if it does so with these bodies and mock-ups, I can guess it also stretched in the stays I made last year. No wonder the fit was so bad, that canvas was my strength layer!

And my pattern? Well, see for yourself what a difference coutil makes:




And it's odd, because the first thing I thought when I saw my reflection was: Squee! Perfect Venetian bodice!
Yeah, 'cos we can really use another project. *grin*


This is how much coutil doesn't stretch.

The bodys were really comfortable, and though it took a bit of getting used to it, I was sure that when they were bound, a lot of discomfort of the edge digging in the flesh could be prevented. Also: the pattern had tabs! I nearly forgot about those. So after carefully measuring how much pink cord I would need to close it, I set to binding the tabs, followed by binding the stays.



This method of binding something can work really well, and I managed well enough on the tabs, but on the bodys themselves I wasn't too happy with how it turned out. Of course, you can only see that they're not perfect on the inside, and it still beats sewing your binding on by hand. This method also made the corners a lot easier to do!




Yesterday I finished the bodys and convinced NoKey to take some more pictures. I wore my italian chemise, pink petticoat (again) and a 17th century cap. The bodys were indeed more comfortable with the tabs attached, partly because they help bend the bottom edge, I think. The petticoat underneath the bodys is also quite comfortable: they tie at the sides and that part is not underneath the bodys. I still need to make a modesty panel though! And look...


...even when it's not super-tight I still get period cleavage! (please excuse the fact that my cleavage throws the camera off-focus, some of you lucky fellows can see it live at Puerto next weekend!)

Finally, we took some pictures with accessoiries!



Though this all looks rather spiffy, I don't think it would be very good to walk around like this (in what is basically your underwear) in New Amsterdam at Puerto next week, even with a modesty panel. The puritans would not approve! So I tried the ensemble with my mantua. Yes, I know I still need to sew pleats into the sleeves and add the cuffs and that the chemise doesn't work with the mantua. But the way it looks now... I don't think I'll wear this ensemble like this!



And because it looks like ass with the mantua (and frankly, the layers of wool on my back were rather warm), I decided to whip up a quick, light-blue gown over the bodys.
Next time: sidetracking for a moment...

Comments

[erwinl.livejournal.com]

Ziet er echt goed uit.
Je bent heel druk geweest dit weekend. :-)

Shurf

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

Valt op zich wel mee. Steelweaver kwam donderdagmiddag langs en toen heb ik de eyelets gedaan. Het innaaien van boning tape is gewoon een kwestie van een rechte lijn kunnen trekken met een lineaal, en NoKey heeft mijn baleinen getipt met epoxyhars. Het vervelendste was het satijnen biasband langs de randjes, en dat heb ik gisteren gedaan.

[anemoona.livejournal.com]

Jammer dat het 'ondergoed' is, het is mooi genoeg om zo mee rond te lopen (al lopen wij in de 20e eeuw ook niet in onze bh, hoe mooi die ook is ^_^).

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

And wow, I'm so tall in those pictures!

Ik heb weinig moeite om in mijn bh rond te lopen. Op het strand dragen mensen ook een bikini! Ik zal het niet op een terras doen of ergens midden in de stad, maar bij mijn moeder in de achtertuin of op 't balkon heb ik er geen moeite mee. De buurman heeft me ook wel eens in mijn bikini zien lopen, en dan zijn je benen ook nog eens bloot.

Het probleem, het grote probleem hierin, zijn de puriteinen. De jongen die een puritein speelt kan dan in een band spelen (chainsaw) met een vrij heftige slogan ('Blood, meat and metal') en vaak genoeg met bloed bespetterd worden, hij wist ook al haarfijn te vertellen dat je alleen in de kerk blootshoofds ging, tenzij de dienst buiten was, dan deed je ook maar een hoed op je hoofd. En als je ging slapen een slaapmuts. Ik heb ook een zakdoekje voor in het decollecte. Een heel doorzichtig zakdoekje (je bent francaise of je bent het niet), maar het is in ieder geval bedekt!

[anemoona.livejournal.com]

Vraagje: dat eyelet dingetje, is dat een apart voetje? Kan dat op elke naaimachine of moet je een bepaald soort steek hebben om dat te kunnen maken?

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

Het is een plaatje wat je op je steekplaat klikt. Ik weet dat Pfaff en Husqvarna erg goeie eyelet plates hebben. (Ik heb zelf een Pfaff)
Je kunt een gewone zigzag gebruiken, en het mooiste van de 5 mm rvs ringetjes die ik in de eyelets gebruik is dat ik de standaard-maat zig-zag kan gebruiken, dat past perfect!
Een apart voetje is niet nodig, ik moet zelfs mijn voetje eraf halen! Het transport hoef je niet uit te zetten (kan bij mijn machine wel), want daar zit het plaatje overheen. Je stof kan dus vrij bewegen (ronddraaien om het nippeltje op het plaatje)

Een video hoe het eruit ziet staat hier (http://www.sewingmachine-sales.co.uk/sewing_machine_info/video/41/eyelet-plate.html).

De borduurring is niet nodig, je kunt ook zelf de stof strak houden met de hand. De stof draai je dan rond, totdat alles netjes bedekt is. Bij die ringetjes in de eyelets heb je naast het voordeel dat het steviger is ook nog eens het voordeel dat je makkelijk kan zien wanneer het klaar is: dan is de ring niet meer te zien. Ik maak altijd twee rondjes, zodat het goed gelijkmatig verdeeld is.

[the-gersemi.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that is lovely. The colour is just gorgeous, and fit - awesome. I'm rather happy with the pattern I have, but I'll have to give this one a shot, too. =)

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

The fit is awesome except for the fact it should close completely in the front ;-)

It's so comfortable I could hardly believe it. It does press on my hip bone a bit, but there's no uncomfortableness around the ribcage - which I hate. I can hoist everything up a bit with the straps, if need be, but expanding the ribcage is a new feat in engineering!

This pattern is the bomb, you should so order one from Kass!

[alhandra-s.livejournal.com]

WOW that looks great!

I actually like it that it doesn't close completely, it's nice.

Is this only a strength layer fused to a fashion layer or is it more???
I'm interested, my own corset project has three layers (1 fashion, 2 strength) and they are hard to line up correctly.
hmmzz...fusing...

very nice colors, it's also very Marianne ;-)

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

Try watching the corsetmakers and the_corsetiere community. They have loads of tips!
I used boning tape, special stuff to have your boning in. It's harder to line up the layers, but I did that for my first corset as well. I never get my linings in nicely, but then most corsets are meant to be worn with some kind of chemise or shift underneath.
It's all in your style, and everyone hops around, trying different styles until they find one that works best. I might want to try two layers of strength for my next overbust. Basting your layers together (d.w.z. rijgen) will help align everything! Align the seams and just baste straight down over the seam, making sure you stay on the seam with both layers!

I love to work with coutil, because it is so very very tough. Just one layer of coutil and some bones in sturdy boning tape can really change your silhouette! You can really hammer it into shape, but it can be ironed quite well.

[steelweaver.livejournal.com]

Woo, boobage! And it doesn't look too in your face (pun intended).

I'm glad it's comfy, and light blue (or any kind of blue, for that matter) would be awesome with the red and pink.

Btw, it looks like since my boss is away and her replacement is rather clueless, it's going to be an easy week for me. He's pretty busy and can't really be bothered to have me do more than the immediately obvious. I'm probably going to be home most days, except maybe for tomorrow. Want to sew&bitch? :)

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

How about Wednesday afternoon? I've got a talk with Sogeti in the morning, so there's plenty to bitch about afterwards. Thursdaynight I'll be helping Puerto out with the setting up of New Amsterdam, as well as all day on Friday.

Wednesday, somewhere around two-ish? I'll set up the machines.

[steelweaver.livejournal.com]

Cool. I'll be there, possibly with bells on.

I could do dinner too since Twi will be at D&D, but I'm not sure how you feel about that.

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

NoKey doesn't object and it will be fun. Maybe he can make us quiche while we stitch?

[steelweaver.livejournal.com]

Quiche is good:)

[woran.livejournal.com]

Nou ben ik niet zo van de roze, maar dit is wel vet cool. En boobies! Yay!

[steelweaver.livejournal.com]

Agree. Many things are better with boobies.

[cabaray.livejournal.com]

Yeohzaa! Ben ik even blij dat ik met Puerto in het Franse gedeelte aansluit!

[dragonwort.livejournal.com]

Can you tell me about how you sew the eyelets on by machine, I have a PFAFF too. They look wonderful.

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

Let me Google that for you (http://www.sewingmachine-sales.co.uk/sewing_machine_info/video/41/eyelet-plate.html)...