Progress is being made ...

[changeling]

Just spent the last (seven and a bit episodes of Lost times forty-two minutes¹) five and a bit hours copying my new corset pattern onto interfacing, cutting that out, and then cutting six copies of the pattern out (fabric, lining and canvas), then copying all those stupid marks onto all four bits of fabric in stupid blue chalk that keeps crumbling. My shoulders are killing me, and I think I hate sewing. Still, I'm past the worst part, or nearly, since I have to baste (ahaha) the canvas (which is, in fact, the interfacing. Crazy, I know) onto the fabric.

Also, I don't know what sort of French drugs the pattern makers were on when they wrote the French instructions about how much material was needed², because I have enough to make at least another corset. Crazy.

Better go back. I have Sayid's episode in the DVD drive of the laptop, and a whole lot of basting to do.

I posted billradish's and darketherdream's parcels today. I Got Things Done. I made a list, and got about half the items crossed off. Go me!

There's something satisfying about wearing a corset while making a corset.

¹I need to watch television so that my brain doesn't leak out of my ears with the tedium. And it needed to be something I don't have to pay attention to.

² I speak not the French, but our country, like the rest of the civilised world bar America, uses the metric system. Hence your English instructions are no good to me.

Comments

[lillithj.livejournal.com]

How do you make a corset? I'm curious.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Can't answer that accurately yet - hain't made one. So far it consists of buying a Butterick pattern, praying it'll fit (really one ought to get it custom fit), buying fabric for the outside & the lining (mine's going to go under clothes, so I bought white cotton "duck" [whatever the fuck that stuff is] for both) and canvas for the interfacing (this is what the pattern told me to do). Then you cut out the pattern pieces - or, if you've been trained by my mother, you copy the pattern pieces onto interfacing because that way you can use several sizes - cut out the fabric, lining and interfacing, then you baste the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric. That's as far as I've got so far.

[lillithj.livejournal.com]

Wow! I'm impressed. All I can sew are square pillows.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

I consider it patience rather than ability. It's not hard to follow the instructions (usually) - it's just hard to muster the enthusiasm to follow through.

[lillithj.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, sounds like my many needlepoint projects.

[bekscilla.livejournal.com]

I have some chalk type pencils that I bought and will neeeever use, and would love to give them to a good home.

Do you have a sewing machine? Is there any chance I could get you to make a cushion cover?

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Love to have 'em if you don't want 'em.

I have a sewing machine. Either you can come over and use it or I suppose I could make you a cushion cover (never done it before; I'm assuming it's not hard).

[bekscilla.livejournal.com]

Awesome, they're yours :)

I haven't used a sewing machine since year 9, so wouldn't want to do it with this - I'm wanting to sew a cross-stitch into a cover.

I wouldn't think it'd be terribly difficult - i want a border around the piece, and just a flat piece on the back. I'm thinking one of those fold over bits, like on a pillowcase, rather than a zip.

I can get it made for $20 at the tailor up the road, so feel free to say no if you're not comfortable doing it :)

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

In theory I ought to be able to do it. Shouldn't be too hard, I suppose.

[bekscilla.livejournal.com]

Thankyou!!! I reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally appreciate this! I'm just waiting on the material coming from the states (I looove finding the right material, and then having a friend say "oooh, i have a bunch just like that that i'm not using!") then I'll see if I can try to make a pattern or something :)

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Don't forget to leave enough room for the cushion's bulk. :)

[bekscilla.livejournal.com]

Good plan! I have a cushion that we bought but really don't like the cover (jeff is strange :P), so I'm gonna make it so it covers that. I figure I'll use the current cover as my base for the pattern :)

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a plan.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Pardon the ignorance, but what is needlepoint? Is it a type of embroidery, or what?

I kinda wish I had sewer friends. If I had company to help my enthusiasm last a little longer, I'd probably do more of it.