Who Said Corsets are for Girls?

In amongst everything else, I've been sending off orders of corset kits and components. I'm very pleased with how things are going, as though I'm hardly rivalling the fortunes of Alan Sugar, I have sold quite alot of things without having actually done any paid advertising! All I've done so far, is take full advantage of the various social networks online, Facebook, Twitter, etc.,

I received an enquiry from one customer regarding a male corset, right at the same time I decided that I would make one for Mr Marmalade, as I have a pattern but have never made one!

So, I put a Mans kit on the site, and d'you know ... they have been MORE POPULAR than the ladies kits!!

The top corsitiere in the world is a man. He is called Mr Pearl and he has a very very small waist. He is corsitiere to the designers and the stars.

He makes all of his corsets by hand. No machines!

Ofcourse, one of his most celebrated clients is Ms von Teese herself who's waist, I have been told by a very reliable source, is "less than 20 inches". Sigh ...

Sew Poorly

I've been laid low with a horrid ear infection! I thought it was just a little swelling, but by Thursday last I was in such pain that in tears I called the surgery to be told that they only had an appointment the following Monday (today) and that the whole of the West Oxfordshire medical team were "training" for the whole of that afternoon!! I swear it would be easier to get an appointment with Dr Who in his Tardis these days! Anyway, I think the receptionist took pity on my tearful whimpering and, after I explained the problem, managed to fit me in with a doctor before said 'training' event! I came away with a bottle of antibiotic eye drops (yes EYE drops) to drop in my ear, and thankfully, they seem to have done the trick! Apparently the pharmaceutical company who makes these drops, couldn't be bothered with the time and expense of re-licencing them for ear purposes ... not that that decision was reflected in the price!

I'm not the only one who's had some 'medical' attention. While the aforementioned doctors were 'training', a nice man came to my house to service my sewing machine. Yes, came to my house! I couldn't bear to drop her off in a shop and wait the prescribed two weeks for her return, and so it's lucky that I found out about this man.

Look a the state of my needle plate! The nice man had a special file, so it's smooth again now, but these divvets were playing havoc with my sewing as you can imagine! They're there because I had a nasty habit of pulling the fabric through from the back which bends the needle, and then all it takes is one pin to cause a crash, and then a crater.

And look what happens with a blunt needle ... really I had no idea!! The strip on the left is blunt needle syndrome, and on the right, nice new needle perfection.

Meanwhile it's been busy busy busy here, and will continue to be so for the next three weeks. On the table, I've got my ongoing shelf stock makes, a party dress, a corset (for sale), another party'ish dress, and oh .. did I mention my day job.... it's the big conference the week after next .. the one for 500+ people that I was hired to organise ... eeek! The overtime is going to get me one of these ...

So I don't mind too much!

Something Different ..

Here are some things I was very lucky to 'acquire' during my recent shift at Antiques on High - They are vintage, from the 1970's, collars and cuffs which have been hand embroidered with proper mirrors by craft workers in India (or thereabouts).

The collars and cuffs are embrodered onto thin cotton, within printed pattern lines as you can see on the detail picture above. I am supposing that you cut them out with a seam allowance all the way around, and then sew them on, with seam allowance tucked under, to your chosen garment, which I think should also be white as with the best will in the world, it would be hard to entirely hide the white fabric which holds them.

Aren't they exquisite? This green one is my favourite. Here is a detail of the back. The thread used is a thick woolen type of thread - or should I say thin woolen thread?. What I mean is that it is thicker than the usual embroidery floss, but thin like darning wool. All of them have a yellow and black chevron design incorporated, I wonder if this has a special meaning?

I guess those who like to embroider, could make these quite easily to their own design, to sell, or perhaps even for gifting to crafty friends or family members.

These lovely panels need to be cleaned. Very very carefully, by hand, in cold water and on a sunny day!

On the Shelf

I have been busy busy busy! Sewing stuff for my 'shelf', and also stuff for myself!

A selection of red things ...

A selection of brown and gold things!

Dress one - nearly finished, here's a sneaky preview - Dress 2 is currently on the slab, oh ... and then there's Dress 3 - a remake! And I haven't even started on the winter wardrobe yet!

Shopping Anyone?

Yesterday was my first shift at Antiques on High in Oxford, where I have a shelf in the Craft Gallery selling my wares. The shop is a 'co-operative' where antique dealers and crafts people pay a small amount for space to sell their treasures and work one day per month per 'shelf'. It's a great way for people to 'share a shop'.

I thought you might like to come to work with me! No? ... OK .. you do some shopping, I'll show you around...

What about starting the day with some sewing ... there are buttons, and pin cushions, equipment and thimbles, but you might need deep pockets! that little duck down there is made of silver and costs £395!! Worth every penny i'd say!


Fancy a cup of tea? Perhaps there's some cake in one of the tins? Lots of pretty cups and plates to choose from ..

Need some party accessories for later? Choose from bead encrusted bags, divine vintage stones, funky enamel brooches, even collars for the gentlemen and spats for the ladies ..


Glass of wine anyone?? Pick a glass...

Or perhaps just another cup of tea, in a teapot found at the bottom of the South China Sea ... Can you see the barnacles?

When you're Christmas shopping this year, remember, that all antiques and vintage treasures are ...
GREEN!

For more delicious vintage pics from 'Ants', click HERE.

Scrappy Do!

Over the weekend I decided that the time had come for a clearout! Look away now, if you are of a nervous disposition with an aversion to mess!

This was just the start!! It took two days to tidy ...

This isn't my ironing pile ... this is scraps and old clothes for 'restyling' which previously lived ontop of my fabric cupboard.

After a mamoth shredding and sorting session on the sofa, I ended up with a basket of clothes for mending or alteration..

And a basket full of 'spare parts' - that is to say, old clothes chopped into manageable flat folding pieces ready for re-cycling, including a substantial pile of jean pockets which I am planning to make some sort of pockety organiser with, and a collection of Jimmy's old t-shirt fronts from which one day, I plan to make a quilt. Perhaps in time for grandchildren - i'm not anticipating any of those in the near future (obviously!), but the way things are right now, it'll be another 20 years before I get round to it!

My fabric shelf is tidy - can you see the colour theme? Things are easy round here, black, red, white or leopard, with the odd rogue colour thrown in very occasionally - usually if somebody gives it to me!

I have a pile of re-usable notions.

Some scrubby soap parcels made from left over soap shavings from the last batch of soap I made, and some scrap dress net. I have discovered that dress net is a marvellous exfoliator in the shower.

After all was done, dusted, folded and sorted, the pub next door very kindly put on some fireworks to celebrate! Which was nice..

Spoils of London

I've long heard tales of the mythical Goldhawk Road in London... a mecca for allsorts of sewing types, including most of the costume makers of the West End, so when Mr Marmalade and I spent the weekend in London a couple of weeks ago (already!!), we navigated our way through the mostly closed underground system to Hammersmith, and walked the rest of the way through Shepherds Bush then up to Goldhawk Road, and OH MY!!! Such a fabric paradise I had never dreamed possible! I had only intended to spend a couple of hours there at most, but by the time we arrived back at our hotel in London Bridge, it was gone 6 - we arrived at midday!!

Fabric shop, upon fabric shop, roll upon roll of beautiful silks, and linens, row upon row of suiting, pile upon pile of other unusual types of fabric - neoprene, pvc, leather, shiny stuff, furry stuff, stretchy stuff, textured stuff... amazing! I wanted a piece of EVERYTHING, but with a restricted budget, here's what I settled upon - needless to say, none of it is what I set out to get - silk...

I fell in love immediately with this Italian design, British made, wool/cashmere suiting. I wanted 1 metre tops, but the shopkeeper persuaded me to buy the rest of the roll! At just under £8./metre, I wasn't complaining and ended up with 3.5m! I will use it to make male corsets - my very next project!

This is powernet - used to make bra's and foundation corsolette's for dresses. It is expensive most everywhere I have looked - the most I have seen this on sale for is £40/m !! I bought this metre for £6.50 but it is a medium weight which may explain the cheaper price tag.

This is suiting lining - polyester. Lovely pattern which doesn't photograph well. In one shop it was £4.50/m, across the road it was £16./m! Bizarre. This will be used to line the aforementioned male corsets.

I couldn't resist this stretch polyester leopard print with green spots which I will use for lining purposes. I'm old enough to remember the Bet Lynch Glory Days, so will opt out of the evening dress option for this though I do think it would be nice!

The same fabric again, in 'traditional' colour. Again for lining. this was £2.50/m

The best - or possibly the worst - thing about Goldhawk Road is that it is very very easy to reach from my house ... A bus, train, tube, is all I need, as easy as a hop, skip and a jump. Oh dear .. oh very dear...