Yet more projects and plans...deadline Nov. 20 :)

I had a perfectly lovely day running errands with Ken yesterday. We ran all over hill and dale (namely Atlanta and the regions around it). Our goals were to hit the army/navy surplus stores hoping to get lucky and score some cheap camping equipment for the November SCA event we want to go to. While we didn't score cheap camping equipment, we DID pick up some nifty things for some sewing projects for that event.

Read more »

Corset update....

Well, the corset is coming along. When trimming the plastic cable ties, the tin nips and gently melting the cut ends worked very well. After trimming all of the ties and the jute cord, the corset was pronounced by others as 'really neat'.

Now I'm on the odious task of putting lacing holes in the back. Since I am trying to maintain SOME form of authenticity, no metal grommets are being used, which means simply, that I am doing all of the lacing holes by hand. Yup, I use an awl, split the fibers apart and then with doubled red thread I hand stitch around each hole. It takes about 10-15 minutes per hole and I have 22 holes total to finish.

I don't really mind doing this. I actually like doing this type of hand sewing. The worst part is that I tend to kink my neck in an odd fashion while doing these things, and because of the tension I have to keep on the thread, after awhile it cuts my hands. So, if all goes well, I should have the lacing holes finished and the binding on the corset by the end of the weekend. Heres hoping anyway.... (pictures soon).

The latest FrankenKirtle (tm) drama....

Okay, so I decided to use 'some' cable ties (around 10) spread out over the body of the corset for support. This seemed like a great idea UNTIL, I remembered that I have to trim the buggers and get them pushed about an inch deep into the channel so the ends are lower than the binding. Unfortunately, this task is not easy. When I cut the ends off the cable ties I get very sharp corners. I tried filing them with wood files - no good. The new solution (which has yet to be tried out - maybe at Fighter Practice/A&S tomorrow night) is to cut the ties with a pair of metal nippers, then use a lighter to melt the ends a bit, then use some small needle nose pliers to shove the ties deep into the boning channels.

What is the bet that I end up with melted plastic on my skin at some point??

Conundrum of a burgeoning 'authenticy maven' - to cable tie or NOT to cable tie...

So, here's the deal.

Given my *ahem* Mae West-ish upper body, when making my current project (a corded corset) I decided to use some heavy duty cable ties periodically for added support -- because cord on its own would just not be stiff enough to hold things up or tight against the body.

However, since I really wanted to create as authentic an outfit as possible, the burgeoning authenticity maven in me is having problems with the use of the plastic cable ties. On the one hand, aside from the fact that I have now announced the use of cable ties to the world (okay, my 5 or so readers) no one would ever know about it. I mean, it isn't like anyone but Ken is going to get close enough to my corseted body to see that the cable ties are there.

On the other hand, I feel a bit 'wrong' about using the ties.

Hence the question...what to do...what to do?

Read more »

FrankenKirtle fights back....

I am right-handed and at the moment my right hand is blisters, sore and trembling...due to FrankenKirtle fighting back!

I have spent the last hour wrestling boning materials into the corset section and my hand is SORE! The cord boning is an easy thing. I cut off a section of jute that is 4x the length of the channel, double it twice and thread it through the channel using a bit of floral wire. The jute goes through the channels like a hot knife through butter. However the cable ties are a another matter entirely.

Read more »