Valentina Grim......

Ive been busy moving somethings around, my workroom has moved into the garage, so not much sewing and more organising/planning at the moment unfortunately. But I did do a shoot for the port of a lovely MUA recently with Valentina Grim and a few other girls.

CorsetDress and Headpiece:- FORGE
Model:- Valentina Grim
Makeup:- Hello Pretty - Freelance Makeup Artist
Photography:- Trinitynavar 

Canterbury Collections May 2014

Wow.... Canterbury Collections came and went so quickly, it was an amazing experience and I enjoyed meeting all the lovely models and having a reason to sew my butt off. I'm even thinking about doing it all again in October!!!!

I do need a wee rest the last few weeks prior to the show were a bit mad, my industrial sewing machine broke so had to sew my treasures on my domestic machine at the kitchen table while also having all the children home for school holidays. Very busy times, but it all got done and seemed to be a wonderful success......so I'm pretty proud of myself!

Model:- C/O Denyse Saunders
Photography:- ForeverYoungPhotography
MUA:- Hair Art & Beauty
Wardrobe:- Forge Fashion

~Everything bar the white shirt on the first male (which I would have also made if I hadn't run out of time) is authentic Forge Fashion made right here in my wee studio or at my kitchen table.......and I do mean that literally, I was sewing right up till it was time to dress the models!~

Basic Curvy with a side of Tea and Lace ....

I have few projects/orders on the go so I have some posting to catch up with yet again.....

Here's something from the basic curvy files (this is my fashion or 'gentle lacing' range that gives great shape but is quicker in the making and kinder on the purse).

Since this is actually headed off to a local photographer for one of her shoots, I also made the dress.  For this look I snatched some lace from a vintage table cloth and did a bit of tea dying.......actually making this was very satisfying, from cutting to hand gathering it was an all round goody (sometimes things just flow nicely like that).

Other recent blog worthy activities include...

*The completed 'Tails Corset' 

(will do this once I've made all the matching accessories)

*Ruby Ruins costume for her Burlesque performance

(will post after the competition)

* 3 part Collection (including corset dress) as planned at the start of the year

(mock ups were completed way back, but finally onto the actual garments, so before the end of the year) 

Other Activities to consider before the end of the year.....

* A Tightlacer for Kathy Chin

* Custom made Corset for Threnody in Velvet

* Getting some Mentoring

* Adding more to my ETSY Store

* Finish up other Projects

* Preping for the New Year and Goal Setting 

2013.....big love for the new year!!

Here we come....another year of fun & frivolity - well potentially and really anything is possible at this point! So far it's just loose ideas and partially formed plans, but it's kinda like the moment you step on a plane to a new destination - full of optimism and hope for the future (let's hope 2013 brings all the good things we desire) :D

I must make a real effort to blog - at least weekly (or close to).......I totally love reading back over my recorded rants and seeing my progress year to year. Livejournal definitely contains a lot of years worth of my memories and work (seemed to have a bit more of a relationship with my LJ, guess the active communities helped entice me more regularly), but out from under the umbrella of the mushroom I shall try to hang.

Ok thinking about the last few weeks and those immediately ahead.....

The last few weeks has seen me playing photographer again, this time for both  'Forge' and also 'Trinitynavar'. I did a shoot with a lovely friend specifically for editing/retouching practice, which was awesome and the difference with not having my garments as the central focus is huge (another creative outlet). Also my lovely Canadian model Rebecca popped though over the xmas  break so I was able to have a quick jewellery shoot with her as well (pics to come).

The garden has really started to take off and I feel very excited by all my growing produce, since I really haven't had as big a garden previously I am finding it quiet the learning curb. But the rewards are just  awesome, time outside with more diy projects happening, totally unintended (I should start a 'pinterest made me do it' folder to keep a record).

Coming up......

- More damn 'Underworlds', though I am quiet excited by the addition of 'Sonja'
(variation to my bread and butter).

- Collaborations (a few already lined up for 2013)

- 3 Piece Collection = 2x  Corset Dresses and x1 Matching Underbust (all cut and ready to go)

- More Basic Curvy Overbust and Underbust going into stock


PS Have I mentioned how adorable my daughter is, she 14 month now - how quickly that went......she's no longer my tiny baby, instead a strong active toddler running rings around me (but mothers little helper just like her big sister and brother never the less) :)

It's all about garters.....

The last few weeks have whizzed past in a blur, but I've muddled on with my moody winter self......trying hard to stay on task. Definitely would love to be working with someone else, for motivation and feedback, but hey I guess that's where the internet is some kind of substitute.

So my current red suspender corset is coming along nicely, I used the garter tutorial from the Bridges on the Body blog, which is very simple but look fantastic!

I'm not going with traditional garter clips this time preferring the industrial look of actual suspender clips.........

So not much left to do, a couple more garters, eyelets and a floating modesty panel. Should get it finished this week - that equalsYay!!

*My next project is already cut out and ready to go, you may have guessed by my preparedness that I'm supper keen to get started. I will be putting in my first swing hook closures, since I love trying new things I'm really looking forward to this. Also over the next week or so I will be putting my corset dress patterns to the test with a couple of mock ups.

Wrapped up good......

Over the last few weeks I've also been  playing around with design ideas and trying various pattern making and corset techniques. One such design needing a pattern was this corset dress....

Now instead of my traditional methods of pattern drafting I decided to try something a little different. Based loosely on the duct tape method I've seen all over the net, I set about wrapping my mannequin and marking out my desired pattern lines. There are actually x2 separate corset patterns marked out, being that only half the body is required for each pattern (I'll get back to the second one in another post).

Because I used clear packaging tape it had quiet a cool ghostly effect once it was taken off the mannequin, you can also see how it keeps it's shape too....

Of course it still ends up a paper pattern anyway - so I can add the seam allowances.

Now to test my lovely new pattern with a mock up.............:)