Latest Posts

Cat Nap

Published by The Dreamstress

Oh dear.  I’ve been dreadfully busy, and a dreadfully lax blogger, and have missed a few posts.

And I’m still busy!  Busy having an AWESOME time in Melbourne of course!

But I am going to try to be a good little blogger anyway, with the last of my posts on early ’50s fashion in Japan tomorrow, and Rate the Dress on Tuesday (because I never miss Rate the Dress!).  And on Wed I’ll tell you a little about Melbourne.  And when I get back to NZ it will be sewing galore, because I’ve been doing so much.  And some exciting new projects.  Good fun!

For now, here are a few images of Felicity being her cutest as she naps in her favourite sunny spot on the corner of the couch.

When politicians advise on fashion

Published by The Dreamstress

The debate between the aesthetics of fashion and the health and practicality of garments is never more pointed than when it comes to the matter of corsets.

In 1904 the argument had one last great fling in New Zealand, with a series of international specialists visiting the country to declare the ill-effects of the garment.

The anti-corset movement saw a surge in popularity, and the politicians, ever after a chance to see their own popularity surge, jumped on the bandwagon, not always wisely, as this period cartoon shows us:

 

The quick, easy, and brilliant, underbust corset

Published by The Dreamstress

Were you guys getting bored of the post about my corset class in Melbourne being at the top of the blog?  I was!

Be ready to be slightly bored by this post: it’s going to be sticky for the next four days (so scroll down for new content).

But I’m not bored by the idea of the class – I’m super excited about it!  So just in cased you missed it:

I’ll be teaching a corset making workshop at Melbourne’s fabulous craft lounge,  Thread Den  on Friday the 6th of April!  To read more about the course, check out  Thread Den’s class description, and then rush over and  book it.

When I mentioned that I was teaching a one-day corset class, a number of you commented on how little time that is to make a corset.  And that’s true!  Which is why I’m so excited about this class, and so proud of myself.

For over two years I’ve been working on a corset pattern and construction method that can be made up quickly, successfully adapted to a whole range of body types, and taught to those with no experience in historical sewing and corsetmaking.

The hot pink sateen underbust corset

Some of my corsets take over 25 hours to construct, multiple fitting sessions, and lots and lots of hand-sewing.  Most clients can’t afford them, and the construction techniques are impractical to teach.  Thus the quest for a quick, affordable, teachable corset.

Hot pink sateen, curlicue lining

The corset in these pictures is one of the many prototypes I’ve worked on in developing this corset.

Multiple boning channels, hot pink topstitching

To develop my sewable in under 5, teachable in 8 corset, I’ve looked at and tried all the different methods of corsetmaking that are used commercially today, as well as historical methods. I’ve even played with a few innovations that I’ve never seen discussed in any book or pattern, but I’m sure other people must have hit upon.

Lacing grommets between bones

I’ve tried some things that worked really well, and those have gone into the ‘keep’ pile.

And I’ve tried some things that well, really, just weren’t that fab.  And my students and clients will be benefiting from those trials too!

The corset shaping

I’ve made underbust corsets over and over again, checking fitting, checking boning, checking binding, and checking my time.

Back lacing

Now I’m finally at a place where I am confident in teaching the corset, and in offering it to clients!

The lining - Mrs C let me steal the fabric from her stash. Awwww...