IT LIVES!!!! FrankenKirtle (tm) rises from the dust...

Well, I stayed home sick today, so between bouts of marking student assignments, I have been working on the FrankenKirtle (tm) -- mark 10 papers, work for a couple of hours, and so on.

What I've done...

On Sunday I used the Drea Leed's 'Corset Pattern Generator' to come up with the basic pattern. Now, I used this generator when I first attempted a corded corset, it ended up being far too small, so this time I over estimated the length by 3 inches and that seemed to help. I think when it is finished that I will have an inch or 2 gap at the back, but I can live with that.

Additionally, this pattern doesn't have straps, which is something I will be adding to it once the boning and binding has been completed.

To recap, the inner layer is white linen, middle layer is heavy canvas and the outer layer is white duck/drill. (see picture at right). Once the layers were cut out, I marked the center of the bust and drew a line, then sewed that line first. This line is then what I use the whole rest of the time to position the needle for all other lines.

To test how wide the channels needed to be I arbitrarily made the first channel 1cm wide, then tested it with my jute cord and some heavy-duty cable ties that I picked up as alternate boning if needed. When playing with the jute, 2 twisted strands didn't quite fill the channels, so I've decided to use 4. Also, to provide support near the laces I am going to give in and use two of the cable ties along each lacing edge. I feel this will provide the added support needed to keep the fabric from buckling when the corset is laced up.

Rather than marking each line, I just moved my needle as far right as it will go, and lined the left edge of the presser foot up with the test line that I sewed first. Every now and then I'd find that I had wavered a little bit, so I would drag out my quilting ruler, and run a new 'straight' line. As a side note, for those who read my experience in creating the striped chemise -- sewing corset channels is also VERY good practice in sewing a straight line! Thanks to all of the practice I am definitely getting better! :)

I sewed straight channels until I reached the side of each bust (I tested this by holding it up in front of a mirror). On each side of the bust I have a series of straight and angled channels. Since the angled channels don't have a bottom opening, I will use cable ties in these (see picture at right).

At this stage all of the boning channels are finished, so the next task is inserting the cord into the channels. More pictures will be posted as things progress. Getting to this point has taken me about 5 hours (1 to cut out, and 4 to sew channels). The channels are VERY time consuming and a slow slog. I hope to have the cord in the channels by Thursday and have the whole corset part finished by Saturday so that I can start work on the farthingale.

The birth of Franken-kirtle....

Well, after being a good girl and marking 20 assignments before starting my sewing, I was finally able to start working on the Franken-kirtle. YAY! I have to say, marking those 20 papers was a loooong 5 hours! And I have 50 more to finish by Thursday morning! *groan*

Anyway, this evening I got the layers cut out -- inner out of linen (softer against the skin), heavy canvas for the middle layer and duck/twill for the outer layer. (I'll post pictures tomorrow.)

Now, before someone argues that a corset wouldn't be worn against the skin, let me explain my logic.

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Why I will NEVER make SCA garb out of ANY synthetic material....

Okay...I admit it. I started my SCA life with a poly-cotton dress made from a Simplicity 'Maid Marion' pattern that ended up looking like a cheesy 1970's prom dress, complete with an off the shoulder flounce. To cap off this synthetic, out of period nightmare, my first cloak was polyester velvet and I didn't have enough to match the nap, so it ended up looking two-toned.

As I matured in my SCA lifestyle, I remember hearing the oft repeated phrase "NEVER use polyester or synthetic fibers to make garb".

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Tales from the darkside - that is a trip to JoAnn's Fabric

Okay, the morning started quiet enough.. a quick Cracker Barrel brekkie, followed by a run to the grocery, mark 20-30 student assignments and then an afternoon of sewing. The problem is that Ken and I do some of our best thinking as a couple, while breakfasting at Cracker Barrel (must be something in the pancakes?).

Anyway, over brekkie we were debating/hashing out how best to incorporate elements of Ken's SCA arms into the black linen fencing hood that is his current pet project. He wanted to do some appliqued dove tailing onto the hem of it, I was of the mind that doing so would be far more difficult than he thinks (an opinion I still hold). Then we talked about using fabric paint, but were worried that would make the hem of the hood stiff and make it lay funny. Then I suggested that he use stem stitch and fill stitch to embroider his foxes (one major heraldic charge) onto each of the 4 gores in the base of the hood. At last...an idea worth following. One problem -- we can't find our embroidery hoops.

So, it was off to JoAnn Fabrics.

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Back from a crafty hiatus with new ideas and inspiration!

Well, my crafty drought seems to have been broken thanks in part of preparing a dress analysis A&S class for our local SCA group. Now I am all inspired again and getting back to sewing.

First up - a corded corset for wearing under garb. The original plan was to make a separate corset and farthingale (medieval hoops skirt, but the more I think about it the more I think I'm going to actually attach the two parts into a kind of 'Franken-kirtle'. *lol* (Kirtle for those who don't know is kind of a medieval underdress that was tight and 'molded' the body).

So tonight begins the making of....

THE FRANKEN-KIRTLE!

(film at eleven....okay...well...pictures at least later :)