More sewing and a trip to Wal-Mart
You know what? This digital camera is kind of addictive, as is sewing on my friend D'Andrea's sewing machine, which runs like a top, unlike my own weepy emo Singer. At Wal-Mart I bought spare bobbins, so I don't have to waste thread every time I want to change colors, and spare needles, so I don't have to worry about breaking a needle. I will give all these things to D'Andrea when I return her sewing machine...
Sometime in late August of 2010, I think. ;)
At any rate, this blog is turning into a dress diary until after New Year's, when we will no doubt return to my usual bitching and moaning.
This is a 'waist cincher' sort of belt thingy that I made for a local steampunk get-together. Yes, I know it accentuates all my worst figure flaws. I don't care. The picture is huge because I could not get all the detail to show in a smaller resolution.
I am just so tickled pink with this thing. The red fabric is a remnant from the Renaissance gown I made for a co-worker's daughter. The black is a synthetic linen-look remnant from ye olde fabric box. It's lined in the black, with pseudo 'boning' made from plastic pallet straps scavenged from IKEA. The brass trim is all from a piece I bought from a thrift store years ago, that I never could figure out what to do with until yesterday. I never could figure out if it was meant to be a really big necklace or a teeny-tiny belt. Now it is trim on my waist cincher of DOOM. Oh, and the longer chain is a pocket watch chain, also thrifted, which is the same old tarnished brass color as the necklace bits.
Consider that we started this project with Spike wrapping my waist in duct tape (which may sound kinky, but it's a tried-and-true method for making an accurate pattern). Spike was very enthusiastic with her duct-taping--by the time she was done, well, let's just say I actually had a waistline for the first time in years. Yay! I was also having difficulty breathing--Boo!--which is one reason why there's a considerable gap here in the finished product.
The channels for the 'boning' are all covered with various scraps of upholstery trims left over from different projects. Proof that it can be good to never throw anything away. I had to go out and buy the grommets, as I only had nickel colored ones on hand. Bright brass would probably have matched better, but they only had nickel and antiqued brass at Wal-Mart... Which is actually pretty cool; I'd never seen antiqued brass grommets before. The grommets and the grosgrain ribbon are the only things I had to purchase to make this, and I used the gift card my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas. So, I didn't spend a whole lot. Woot!
Sometime in late August of 2010, I think. ;)
At any rate, this blog is turning into a dress diary until after New Year's, when we will no doubt return to my usual bitching and moaning.
This is a 'waist cincher' sort of belt thingy that I made for a local steampunk get-together. Yes, I know it accentuates all my worst figure flaws. I don't care. The picture is huge because I could not get all the detail to show in a smaller resolution.
I am just so tickled pink with this thing. The red fabric is a remnant from the Renaissance gown I made for a co-worker's daughter. The black is a synthetic linen-look remnant from ye olde fabric box. It's lined in the black, with pseudo 'boning' made from plastic pallet straps scavenged from IKEA. The brass trim is all from a piece I bought from a thrift store years ago, that I never could figure out what to do with until yesterday. I never could figure out if it was meant to be a really big necklace or a teeny-tiny belt. Now it is trim on my waist cincher of DOOM. Oh, and the longer chain is a pocket watch chain, also thrifted, which is the same old tarnished brass color as the necklace bits.
Consider that we started this project with Spike wrapping my waist in duct tape (which may sound kinky, but it's a tried-and-true method for making an accurate pattern). Spike was very enthusiastic with her duct-taping--by the time she was done, well, let's just say I actually had a waistline for the first time in years. Yay! I was also having difficulty breathing--Boo!--which is one reason why there's a considerable gap here in the finished product.
The channels for the 'boning' are all covered with various scraps of upholstery trims left over from different projects. Proof that it can be good to never throw anything away. I had to go out and buy the grommets, as I only had nickel colored ones on hand. Bright brass would probably have matched better, but they only had nickel and antiqued brass at Wal-Mart... Which is actually pretty cool; I'd never seen antiqued brass grommets before. The grommets and the grosgrain ribbon are the only things I had to purchase to make this, and I used the gift card my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas. So, I didn't spend a whole lot. Woot!