gores quilted

Thank you for your suggestions regarding thread color for the quilting. White it is! I came up with a system so the quilting would be consistent on all four gores. First, I laid the three layers together, interior, filling, and exterior, (which in this case are all the same linen fabric) traced the pattern piece, and stitched the three together on the outline. I wish I would have thought of cutting the filling layer to the exact size before I sewed the layers together. But I didn't, so I trimmed the excess allowance of the filling layer afterwards.

Then I made a template to start the quilting lines. I liked the diamond pattern from the quilting test so I cut a piece of paper to that angle and placed it at the top of the gore as a stitching guide.

Once I had the first X stitched I sewed all the quilting lines in one direction using the presser foot as a spacing guide. Then I sewed the cross lines.

I am so glad I went with white thread because you can see the damask design is still visible depending on how the light falls. I think if I had used colored thread it could have looked too busy.

I need to get those bone channels sewn so I can put this corset on and fit the gores!

gore quilting

I've decided to quilt the gores, or godets, whatever your preferred term is. Below is the test quilting. On the left is the just the two layers of linen stitched together, on the right there is another layer of the same linen sandwiched between the other two layers.

Big difference, right? In addition to looking better that extra layer of fabric on the right helps add a lot of structural support too. So the next steps are, quilting the gores, sewing the bone channels, putting the grommets in for the lacing, inserting the bones, then the final fitting for the bust gores.

I've been worried that this corset will look boring since it will be all white and had considered using a contrasting color thread and bone channels. But now I'm leaning to all white. Thoughts?

alexander mcqueen: savage beauty

Wow. What an exhibit. Of course Alexander McQueen's designs are amazing and of course the craftsmanship of the garments displayed is out of this world, but curator Andrew Bolton and the team at The Metropolitan Museum of Art did much more than just show McQueen's garments, they created an experience. If I could I'd see it again. And again. For those planning on visiting The Met to see the show I recommend getting there early in the day if possible. I arrived at 11 am and had a half hour wait, by the time I left the museum it had stretched to over an hour and a half.

As waits go it's not bad, there are plenty of nice things to look at along the way, and you forget about the wait the minute you step inside the galleries. This review describes the exhibit far better than I can. For corset enthusiasts there is tons of inspiration. Awe inspiring cutting and construction. Pieces that you've seen in pictures, like the leather corset below, are unbelievably impressive when seen in person.

Alexander McQueen (British, 1969-2010)

Ensemble. No 13, spring/summer 1999

Corset of brown leather, skirt of cream silk lace; prosthetic legs of carved elm wood

Courtesy of Alexander McQueen

Photography by Sølve Sundsboø

www.metmuseum.org

The exhibition's run has been extended by one week and will now run through August 7th and beginning today, June 6th, tickets can be purchased for viewing on Mondays when the museum is normally closed. If you are anywhere near New York City it's worth making the effort to visit. If you've been already what did you think?

the first piece of the treadle arrives

Yea! I still need to transport the cabinet and treadle to my place, but Singer B971954 is here.

I'm researching the best way to clean this machine up without destroying what remains of the decals. Any suggestions?