I got to spend last week working a preview show by Hubbard Street Dance at the college. It was fantastic! I was technically just there as wardrobe, but they let help with the load-in and setup, and I learned 62,458,371 new things, which is always super-great. Yesterday I slept. No, really, that’s most of what I did. But I also got a little dolly sewing done….
All in all, it was a great week. I mean, if a week of washing other people’s really sweaty dancer clothes is something you can deal with – wardrobe isn’t really the most glamorous job in the history of ever. But the folks at the college are great, and the folks from Hubbard are great, and except for a touch of drama it was a wonderful experience. The dancers were very sweet, and inhumanly tiny. (Apparently if you just work out for 6 hours a day, you can eat anything you darn well please and remain a size 3. As it turns out, I can also wear a size 3 jegging… on my arm. That’s good enough for me.)
It did make for a pretty exhausting week, though. I’m still tired today, even. I did manage to get some work done on Tyler’s new corset yesterday.
I still need to bind the edges and cut the coffee stirrer busk down to size. (I’m not convinced that using a busk a la the Pfalzgrafin corset is the right approach for a Tudor gown, but given the amount of negative space between Tyler’s body and bodice, it seemed wise.)
I chose not to bone this like a proper corset. Instead, it’s interlined with buckram. I was trying to get as close to the tudor line as possible, and I felt that stiffening each piece completely would do a better job. (Trust me, it had nothing to do with being sane or making my life easier. I made the choice after sorting out all of the boning locations for the Pfalsgrafin at Tyler’s size.)
More on the construction later!
Hello
I have advanced sewing skills. After seeing the film Marie Antoinette I decided that a corset was easy flattering and appropriate for modern life. I have some projects in mind.
The basic pattern Pfalzgrafin conic corset is perfect to begin experimenting. I wish to congratulate you for your fabulous site. A treasure for anyone interested in sewing and inspiring projects backed by solid expertise.
Linda Sigal
Hi, Linda,
You’re absolutely correct. The pfaltzgrafin is sort of a “mother corset” – a starting point for corsetry up through the French revolution. If you’re looking to make something closer to Marie Antoinette, take a look at the Effigy pattern. It’s got a more sophisticated distribution of shaping.
I’m really glad you’ve been enjoying the site! Thanks for the kind words!