Evaluation

I was really looking forward to the challenge of this project. So many elements were my choice and it was nice to feel in control of my learning path. I had never worked with a client and wanted to give my self a personal challenge. I had thought for a long time that I wanted to learn about corsetry in my self directed project and the added bonus of a one of these corsets going to The Arts Education School in Chiswick was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss. I’ve really enjoyed working with a client, Its given me a taste of the real world. There are many elements to consider with a clients and it was important to liaise with Ase and to fulfil the specifications the client requested. For instance Ase wanted the two side seams not enclosed so there was the option of the corset being altered in the future. There is also the budgetary elements to consider, we kept the line of contact open throughout email to Ase on all the financial and constructional decisions. Fittings also had to be arranged and scheduled , all of this put together forced me to keep on the ball. It would be unacceptable of me to turn up with below standard corset or unfinished even if it was only for the first fitting. I gave my self the challenge to keep high standards but also give my self time to work methodically and not get behind, worry and lead to slap dash work.
The dynamic of working in a group was also was beneficial, It was a good way to set the pace and was also a nice forum to bounce ideas around, share construction tips and solutions. I surprised myself when I was able to help a member of the group with the stage of the construction I had not yet tackled myself, from the depth of my mind came a stowed away piece of knowledge from previous projects. I was a bit emotionally and mentally broken from the ‘Concept in Context’ project and had also lost my confidence. I needed this project to build me up again ready for third year .I hate using dyslexia as an excuses and I like to think it doesn’t effect me but unfortunately it seems to reign, its not unknown that I find time management hard, its not the case im lazy or unmotivated it just I cant compartmentalise sections of my work. I will spend to long on some parts and obsesses about others while other things get left behind. This and pattern drafting was my two major opponents in this project which I wanted to defeat. Im very under confident in the pattern drafting area and I wanted to concur this, making sure in third year it would not be a opposing factor in my work . Graham’s method of pattern drafting for corsets has really turned that around for me. It was almost a ‘Eureka’ moment I was on my second pattern and something just ‘clicked’. These weren’t just lines on a pieces of paper, I suddenly understood the proportions, how it work in 3d and how if something didn’t look quite right I had the knowledge to reshape and work with the contours of the body. Its like I develops my pattern drafting eyes. This sudden understanding off the drafting was then reflected in my successful fittings. Not to be cheesy about the matter but my first fitting with the 18th century corset was a poignant moment for me. The successful fitting of that brought back a bit of confidence which I’ve lost these last months and it relight and verified why I was doing this. At no point of this year have I ever wanted to drop out far from it. I put my heart and soul in to this course but I was starting to wonder why it was me always falling behind, why everything had to be explained to me twice. Should it be this hard? This thought was subdue after the success of my fittings. I saw my development progress further in my next two fittings, firstly with my Arts Ed corset there was no tutors present and then my S-bend corset. Being an impromptu fitting due to circumstances with my model I was able to successfully assess what was wrong and what was need to rectify it to corresponding with the complex pattern. It may take me longer than to learn tan others but the satisfaction I got from being able to see the improvements in my work and self, was more beneficial to me than getting 1st all year. Of course grades are important to me and I would love to be able to be proud of a finished project and a grade reflecting that, but also I know im still learning and the important thing is to address my weakness and improve.

photos

20th century construction

The construction for my 20th century S-bend corset is coming along but slowly. The set back I’ve had for the making of the 18th century has put me behind schedule. Its also a shame my model will not be returning in time for a second fitting. I no normally for corset you don’t have a second fitting but because of the complex structure I wanted on to double check . I have finished the drill understructure though and shall soon be cutting out top fabric. The drill section was easier this time to construct because I had done it before in the toile and also the adjustment have made some of the curves more gradual making sewing a lot easier. I used to have issues with curved seams and I can truly say this corset has sorted that out for me. I'm getting slight anxious with time know. I’ve been very dedicated with project so it frustrates me that my behind schedule.

18th Century Construction

The construction of my 18th century is going well so far. I’ve cut out all top fabric pieces making sure the CF and CB patterns will match. The CF was tricky as it’s going from a slight curve at the bottom to a 1cm divert at the top. The fabric has to be on the straight of grain so matching the pattern on top of that is tricky. But after many hours and many swear words it’s got done and im pleased to say it looks good. Im proud of my self keeping the attention to detail. When I get stressed, I tend to be a bit slap dash but im trying to give myself enough time to work without worry. I need to enclose the front seams and sew boning cannels next

Arts Ed Construction

The construction of my Arts Ed corset is going well. I had to keep reminding myself that Ase wants the two side seams NOT ENCLOSED so in the future it can be altered. This will obviously affect binding. So I shall make it in quarters. The first three panels either side of the CF need to be enclosed and bound. Next the two panels either side of the CB enclosed and bound then sew the open seams. Press open the seams, and place in a fell seam and slip stitch down the seam allowance, doing a fell seam means Ase has the seam allowance required to adjust it. The fabric give to us from Ase is good fabric to use but I got a bit frustrated when sewing the seam lines, as I was trying to match the patterns together and realistically because of it being curved seams they were never going to match. I’ve made sure the CF and CB will match when on the body. This is the first time I’ve tried enclosed seams and so far its going smoothly and see the importance of having accurate pattern pieces or else the top fabric and backing won’t match up.

Disater strikes

Over the weekend i decided to give my lovely sewing machine a much needed oil to say thank you for all the work its been doing. I oiled it then cleaned it up so when it came to sewing it should be all ready to work. So there i was sewing away with my bone channels of my 18th Century Corset when suddenly a dollop of black oil appears on the drill. As you can imagine i was not impressed and spent the next 40 Min's taken my sewing machine apart and wiping it down. i manged to get rid of the stain and 10 Min's later my machine in a last effort to anger me chewed up my top fabric. why i don't no! to conclude remaking the back panel and the sewing machine is in the corner of the room thinking about what its done.

emails

Ase sent an email back today verifing which busk she would like from Vena Carva website. So I have ordered 3 from Mandy, George and Me. I belive charlie has brough one already.

emails...............

After scouring the Soho haberdasheries all day last week we have come to a conclusion to find the busks on line. We found some on http://www.venacavadesign.co.uk/ a corsetry suppliers. We have sent an email to Ase with the options and will order them when she decided.

Toile Construction

My 18th Century toile was very easy to construct and it only has 4 panels and the seams are pretty much straight . Sewing the bone channels are timely but no problems have arised yet.

My 19th Century Arts Ed corset also smooth sailing on Toile construction side, the seam have all matched and the curves have started to shape the fabric as it should.

My 20th Century S-Bend corset is a little harder. The seam lines are dramatically curved and if not matched properly will ruin the whole look. The gussets where fiddly to insert but have i managed to sort them out.

I’ve gone from a 4 panel corset to a 10 panel corset to a 12 panel corset and so far construction has not been to stressful. The task will come when its time to enclose seams and make sure they all match up.

Arts Ed Fittings

As all the actresses where available we ponced on an opportunity to go do a first fittings. I had one corset fitting before with Graham which had gone very well so I felt confident going in to fitting and being able to conduct my self in a professional manner. There was a worry of it begin out of my comfort zone and there would be no tutor support but I had to trust in my own making and altering skills.







I was very pleased with the fit of the corset. All the panels and side seams where place correctly and panels seemed to be in portion to the historical pattern. The actress felt comfortable in the corset and it had room to go tighter once the actress got used to it.

The alterations needed -

- bring in on Bottom of the CF 1cm each side to get rid of excess
- Follow the chalked bottom design line for better finishing off shape.

Once the fitting was over we clarified some questions with Ase-

- The pattern we were working from indicating using a Spoon busk. Researching into them they are expensive and wanted to noe wat the client (Ase) would prefer. Ase suggested looking for a spoon busk in a Soho haberdashery but they can be hard to find and expensive so a straight front will do also. We shall collect information and email her choices.

- As Ase is suppling the materials we suggested to email bone sizes needed or we could buy them and email recepts and reimbursements. Ase prefered if we email her sizes and she send them to us.
.

- We asked if she has any decoration preferences for the corsets. Ase gave us free reign on that and suggested some lace and if time permit flossing. If I do run out of time up to hand in, I intend to add the flossing before I hand over to Arts Ed.

Overall very pleased with today and am feeling impressed with my pattern drafting skills. As I’ve already said this is a weakness for me and not many fitting happened with out so little adjustment. The next step is to recut the corset in the pre-washed drill and add top fabric.

S- Bend Fitting

My last Fitting to do is my straight Fronted Corset. Unfortunately my model for personal reasons could not make the scheduled fitting in the coming week. As I was very conscious that time was moving on I decided to conduct the fitting by myself before she flew home. I was worried by this as the S- bend corset is on the hardest out of my three. Even thought I was worried I believe that I have enough knowledge now to rectify any mistakes. The Pattern doesn’t have all the bones drawn on it as the other two became the boning channels go through seams. I believe that the easiest solution is to get the corset on my model then draw on the bone placement.

The fast task is to make sure that all the seam lines and gussets on the hips are sitting in the right place.

Considering this pattern was quite complex to draft I was glad that overall the fit was correct but need some alterations to get the correct shaping.







Alternation’s needed -

- The hip gussets need to be lifted about 1cm for comfort for the model. I cut off the gusset snipped upwards to make the hole bigger then repinned the new size and shape of the gusset.

- The new size of the gusset had affected the front seam lines so I will take a could of millimetres off each panel piece to achieve the desired shaping.

- The to design line needs to lowered to new chalked line.

The next step was to chalk in where the bone channels needed to be placed. Obviously the bone channels are very important for the structure so placement of this is crucial. Hopefully my model will be able to return soon so I can fit her with the bone channels in place.


Considering this pattern is most complex I have tackled I feel I should be proud of the challenge. It wasn’t as well fitted as the last two fitting but it distorts the figure in a entirely different way. The other two corset make the torso sit behind and synched in waist . Where as the S-Bend corset moves the torso forward. Also this my first attempt to work with gussets . I love the shape it brings to the corset but they are trick to draft perfect first time. I shall make up in the drill with the new adjustments and hope my model can return soon.

Blog tutorials

Had a tutorial today with Graham about blogs and using them as a tool for reflections this are the points I need to focus on -

- more self reflection
- more posts about construction
- A label for 'Working with a Client'
- A 'Tutorial Label'
- Fitting Notes

Choosing Top Fabric

Over the Easter I did a weeks work experience at the West End Les Miserable and while I was there I was taken around various haberdasheries and fabrics stores in the area . A particular one that took my fancy was The Cloth House http://www.clothhouse.com/. This is wear I found my top fabrics for my corsets.

For the 18th century I found this one . The brocade and colour matches the style of the time and the cost was low. I am not on a budget like I would be on a production but still need to bear in mind costs.


For my S-Bend corset I have two choice which I couldn’t decid on . The striped on caught my as I toyed with the idea of have a Sweeney Todd-esq look to it. The teal also caught my eye for an alternative. I brought them both because I would love the challenge of the stripped with all the seams but will make an informed decision after fittings.

oh baby baby ....baby BABY

This scary looking contraption is a maternity corset. These corsets were common during this 19th century period of time to minimize and disguise the look of the pregnant body. Most had two rows of laces up front, side and back this allowed the corset to be adjustable as the ‘bump’ gets bigger. Sometimes this corset is necessary as women who have worn corsets since childhood had weak abdominal muscles and needed the support.

18th Century Fitting

My first fitting is the 18th century corset. Im was very nervous before fittings as in previous projects they haven’t gone so well. I have always got high marks on the professional side and how I conduct my self and make my actor feel at ease but I’ve never had on with only a few alterations needed. I believe its down to my pattern drafting and is something I’ve defiantly tried to work on in this project.











I was pleasantly surprised !! The corset was a good fit. The model felt comfortable and there was a gap in the back for tightening once she had got used to wearing a corset. The arm hole was comfortable and the model had easy movement. The only alteration was the angle of the strap. The strap needs to slop around the shoulder leaving a wider view of the bust area, Graham told me that changing of this angle had nothing to do with the lack of drafting skills, the placement is different for every person, and that’s why we do the fittings.

Things need to alter -

-Bring top design line up using all the seam allowance.
- change angle of strap and size of strap

the next step is to recut the alterations in drill and top fabric. Hopefully my next fittings will go as well.

Drafting

Reflection

I Just wanted to reflect on the pattern drafting so far. Graham has taught us a different method of drafting without using a basic block. I was hesitant at first as I thought for some reason that a basic block was like security blankets as we have used them in all the projects. Once I began drafting Grahams way I realised how wrong that was. This newer method allows a bit more freedom to pattern drafting. If you get the first 3 step of a basic block wrong even buy 1cm your whole toile will go wrong , where as this way because you are dictating were to put the lines not following equations I believe it made me really think about what I was doing. It also helped me understand the shaping of the corset and I managed to visualise it in 3D . This is something that I haven’t been able to do before and preferably would choose cutting on stand but this method seem to gel with my way of learning. Because this is a weakness of mine I’ve been double checking everything which has been helpful but also time consuming and I need to have confidence in what I’ve drafted and start cutting out. The real test will be when it comes to fittings to see weather I have managed to overcome my fear of pattern drafting .

giving it a go

know that Ive drafted my patterns Ive asked graham to give them a look over and he seemed pleased and at first glance looks all is well. Next step is to start making up the toile.

The Corset Crusaders take on London..........

‘The Corset Crusaders’ (Mandy, Charlie, George and I) headed to London today for our Arts Ed meeting and hopefully some museum seeing. Ase Afar the head of the costume wardrobe at Arts Ed had some initial ideas for what they wanted and thankfully we were all on the same wave length and had a clear idea to proceed. The corset structure we had chosen as a group matched the one Ase had chosen so the next step is pattern drafting.

Things we need to bear in mind –

- All bones will be enclosed expect the side seams for ease of access for future alterations.
- Backed in drill
- All corset to be different but need to work as a collection

Once we had finsed bombarding Ase with questions we loaded up on an ungodly amount of drill and headed into London.
To get inspiration and to broaden our cultural horizons we head to ‘The National Gallery.’ I’m a notorious Postcard fiend and here are some of my favourites from that day

The Tailor – Giovanni Battista Moroni 1520-1579
The title and subject matter made this a firm favourite of mine to begin. But with the added beauty of the Tudor men’s doublet and slashing embellishment it stood out without contest.




Mrs Siddon- Thomas Gainsborough 1727- 1788
A stunning example of one fashion phase from the 18th century. Mrs Siddon was one of the 18th century most famous actresses.



Marriage A-la-Mode: 2. The Tete a Tete- William Hogarth 1697- 1764
The lacks poses seem to bring a almost modern feel to the painting. Beautifully dysfunctional.



A girl with a kitten- Jean-Baptiste Perronneau 1717-1783
An interesting example of a children’s corset and the strange silhouette its give a young figure. A slight uncomfortable painting as there’s an aspect of sexualising a child. A slight dark undertone maybe, but covered with adolescent qualities like the rosy cheeks and kitten.

Drafting

Today Graham Showed us his method of drafting a pattern without using a basic block. I'm looking forward to trying this cause even thought its my weakest area I'm very interested in pattern drafting.

we also got to look in detail and take photos of his corsets for are own research and guidelines for us.



This 18th Century Corset was made using the same pattern we shall be drafting. This corset is only made from two layers of top fabric and enclosed seams. We shall be making ours with two layers of drill and one layer of top fabric so strength.

Decisions, decisions...........

After having a meeting with my tutors I have finalised the three corsets I shall be making. And the winners are –

18th Century ‘half boned stay’



19th Century corset – this one will be going to Arts Ed



Early 20th Century corset – similar to the 19th century one but is straight-fronted, also the boning placement is tricky which makes it much harder to construct.



lovely arnt they.

My Mission..............

Is to make three corsets from different eras each distorting the female silhouette in its historical and individual way. Also to push my techniques and abilities to the next stage while learning the history, social and medical aspects of the female under structure. An added bonus is The Arts Educational School London would like one of these corsets be made and fitted to one of there actresses and become an addition to their costume department.

Let it Begin!

Corsets, Brassieres, Basque, Slips, Smalls, all a ladies prerogative and the bedrock of woman's fashion since we first woke up and realised there's TWO very different things about men and woman. Now I no in polite society a lady of good upbringing would never openly speak of such things but for the purpose of educational meanings we shall push through this taboo! Come with me through the trials and tribulations of making three different styles of a very important historical understructure- The Corset! Also delve deep into all things 'unmentionable' which would make a Victorian Gentlemen blush and the pope weep in all things decent.