Costume Exhibit

My mother just pointed out to me an article about this exhibit that was in the paper a few days ago: Fashion in Film: Period Costumes for the Screen. And said to me, "But you won't want to go, will you; they're just movie costumes?" UM YES I WANT TO GO!

Especially because the article in the newspaper mentions "a 1912 red number worn in Titanic" - if there is even the smallest possibility that that's referring to the red dress I think it is, there is no way I'm missing this exhibit!

Just thought I'd point it out to my f-list in case anyone was interested, though I know not many of you are in this area!

(Also, a clear sign I have been on LJ for far too long: I've reorganized my tags and things, which took forever, and still hardly anybody's posted anything! I think I ought to go to bed...)

Corset-making

Although I just ordered the busk last night, and I'm completely out of cable ties - which I will be using for boning, as per usual (briefly considered buying actual boning but decided I was too cheap)- I decided to start working on my new corset.

Yeah, it would be completely outside of the realm of possibility for me to work on something that's relatively close to being finished - like the polonaise - and wait until I have all the supplies I need to start on this.

 
All the pieces cut out.                                And sewn together. No, it doesn't lay flat.

The fashion fabric is a white poly brocade I've had in the Stash for ever and ever... it dates back to the days of my early sewing when I attempted to make stays and really had no clue what I was doing. (I wish I had a picture. They were pretty priceless.) But happily there was plenty of brocade left over, and I decided to keep it until the day I had occasion to make a Victorian corset. That day has arrived! Bwahahaha.

Ahem. Anyway. (Yes, poly brocade. Oh, the horror! You just wait. This outfit's going to be a Wal-mart Special...oh, you'll see.) The brocade is backed with a layer of canvas, which frays like nobody's business, the wretched thing.

Basically, the process went a little something like this: cut out all the pieces, realize that all the brocade pieces need to be basted to their canvas counterparts because the brocade has a distinct tendency to creep while being sewn, baste all the pieces, sew the four vertical pieces on each side, iron seams, burn finger, sew hip gores in both sides, rip out at least three places on each seam where I managed to miss the layer of brocade and re-sew them, iron. Burn finger again. Decide to hang up sewing for the night.