darning

In the last post I mentioned I'd been working on other projects. Here's one of them.

A scarily close up shot of the first darning I've ever done. I had a request to repair some holes in a sweater and was told I could fix them however I liked. It doesn't look too bad, and I think it will look even better after it's worn and the ends of the thread fray a bit instead of being so blunt. There is another cross patching a hole on the back of the sweater. I wish I could claim the red cross idea as my own, I can't. I saw something similar a couple years ago, I believe in Selvedge Magazine, possibly the Scandinavian issue. In case anyone is curious, the sweater is wool, made in Greece, and I used DMC cotton perle number 5 thread.

I chose to work from the front because I wanted the work to show, but I can see how if one was skilled the stitches could disappear. Give me time.

stagnated corselet

The corselet has been hanging in the same spot, and is in the same condition, as it was five days ago.

I wish had an exciting reason as to why. Working on other projects just doesn't sound like a decent excuse. Because it's really not. But now that the other projects have been cleared I'll be dedicating myself to tying up all the those loose threads.  

garters attached

Still not finished! The garters have been sewn on, but there is a lot of hand finishing to do. 

The garters were attached the same way the shoulder straps were. But because of the elastic gores, and the bulk of the seams one each side of them, it was not possible to just sew the bias binding on with just the machine. Here is a close up of the trim near the bottom edge by the gore.

If I want the tucked under ends to look nice I have to sew them by hand. I also still have to backstitch the elastic to the corselet. And I added a couple extra garters too. The pattern calls for four, but I'm using six. I'm heeding the advice given by Mary Brooks Picken in Corsets and Close Fitting Patterns for corsets for full-hip figures. "The person possessing a full-hip figure should have several elastics attached to her corset so as to fasten it down, the elastics should be secured to the hose so as to avoid any break at the bottom of the corset." Not only will several elastics prevent a break at the bottom of the corset, they will keep it from riding up over those full hips. I have a feeling with this corselet I need all the help anchoring that bottom edge down that I can get.

garters assembled

The garters are ready to be attached to the corselet. The hardware was easy to assemble. First I sewed the elastic to the clawed clip.

Then I slipped the garter grip on the elastic and wove the elastic through the claw part.

Above you can see each step. From left to right, the elastic alone, the elastic sewn to the clip, the grip slipped onto the elastic, the elastic pulled up and through the clip, and finally, the clip closed.

Now all I have to do is attach them to the corselet, and finish with bias trim. After 5 months (How did that happen?) the end is in sight!

better garters

One and a half inch wide waistband elastic works well. It fits the hardware much better than the elastic that was used for the shoulder straps.

It looks a bit masculine here, but I'm confident it will look good on the corselet. I should be finished with this project this weekend!

elastic issues

Why is nothing as easy as it appears it should be? Weeks ago, after attaching the shoulder straps I asked for opinions about covering the garters with brocade, or leaving them plain elastic. After reading your comments (thank you for your input) I decided to go with the plain elastic. The contrast against the brocade should look nice, and it suits the time period of the corselet too. But look at this.

One inch wide elastic and 1 5/8 inch wide clips and grips. I've gone to the three closest sewing supply stores and have not found elastic the right width. Argh! If I can't find the right width in the fashion district I'm going to have to cover them. Not the end of the world, but keep your fingers crossed that I find what I'm looking for.

embroidery floss to the rescue

I thought I had set up scheduled posts to run while I was traveling, but clearly I'm not as post savvy as I thought. Brother. 

I have to share how crafting saved the day during my trip. I've carried the same bag for years and have never had to check it. But this time I was told I must, and when I picked it up at baggage claim the handle was broken. So sad. I used the wait time at Gatwick to wax and braid embroidery floss to craft a cord to replace the missing metal ring. 

That emergency fix held my bag, packed to 13 kilos, together for 11 days. Three cheers for embroidery floss. I'll post the project that the brown floss was used for later. Now, back to the corselet. Really!