Black Beaded Corset

JoAnne Zeegers has opted for a classic elegant look using an 18th Century corset pattern but making it in black silk with stunning black jet beading. The whole front panel is beaded and while Joanne did not do the beading herself working with beaded fabrics provides it's own challenges. This period corset pattern will look nothing like a period costume as the fabrics she's chosen create an elegant and sophisticated look. Joanne has every intention of wearing her corset for a special occaision...her  birthday in February - a very special number that is not 29 :-)

Joanne's corset will be on display at the Farthingales Booth during the Creativ Festival in Toronto the weekend of Oct 22-24th, 2010.

Corset Making Tip

There are many ways to make a corset and inumerable types or styles of corsets. A detail that had totally slipped my mind has been incorporated by Joan Scheerer. She stitched her two layers of coutil together - (note: this is vintage coutil) and as you can see in the photo she then heavily machine stitched a section above the one bone casing. This area will be under the arm when the corset is complete. The stitching ads support to the corset under the arm but keeps the bone away from the arm pit. If you're shorter than average in the torso you'll know how uncomfortable it can be to have a bone digging into your underarm!  This is a great tip!

Joan's corset will be a simple coutil Victorian shaped corset and she'll be modelling it at the Farthingales Corset Fashion Show during the Creativ Festival in Toronto on October 22, 2010 at 1:00

Corseted Ladies Suit

A buisness suit with the corset built right in! Jennie Wonnacott designed and is creating this vintage inspired suit for model Terri Dans whose short hair and glasses create an incredible professional look.                                                                                            The suit jacket is boned and features lacing up the back just like a corset, visible bone casings have been included as a design feature and the herring bone weave panels are beautifully cut to meet.      The photo is of the mock-up stage "Yes, there will be sleeves." 
The skirt is also spectacular with several panels creating a flared hem and some of the panels are bias cut.  

This is a great example of what a corset can be when we think outside the box.

You can see the finished version of this corset suit jacket at the Corset Fashion Show on Friday October 22nd at 1:00 during the Creativ Festival

Hot Pink Silk and Machine Embroidery Inspires Corset

Hot pink silk duoppioni with machine embroidery in briiliant blue, green, red and white is the starting point for one of  Melanie Farrar Jacksons 3 corsets. The little bags hold Swarofski  crystals that will be hot fused on once the corset is complete. Melanie has made corsets in the past and is excited about building 3 new ones despite a tight schedule.        She's also working on a leather corset - not basic black but white leather with black patent.            The variety of corsets being creatied for the Farthingales Corset Fashion Show is amazing!  Come see the show during the Creativ Festival October 22, 2010 at 1:00. About 10 corsets will be on display for the weekend but there will over 30 on stage.

Corset as Works of Art

Kathi Posliff isn't just making one corset for the Farthingales Corset Fashion Show at the Creativ Festival; she's making two! And never one to settle for the ordinary Kathi is creating her own fabric for the second one to. What you can see here are the tabs for her blue 18th Century Corset.              The stomacher of this corset is stunning and it reminded me of sun setting over the ocean. Even for those who  have no interest  in corsets will want to see Kathi's corsets as they are "Art".    

Hand woven fabric Corset

Kathi Posliff is participating in the Corset Fashion Show in October. She's never made a corset before but with guidance from fellow team members she's well on her way despite having decided to create her own fabric!

The sample at left is a small portion of her fabric. I'm not showing any more for two reasons:

Kathi's progress is being published in the Canadian publication of "A Needle Pulling Thread" magazine and to really do the garment justice you have to see it! So come out to the Corser Fashion Show at the Creativ Festival on October 22nd at 1:00
Kathi will be modeling this corset and another and this one will likely be on display at the Farthingales booth across from the runway at the Creativ Festival.

Corset Fashion Show background details

Sara Brzozowski is the first to finish her corset for the October Corset Fashion Show at the Creativ Festival! She chose to make a waist cincher from black silk satin and an Asian inspired cotton print. To continue the "fan" motif from the side panels into the black silk panels at the front and back she cut fans from her printed fabric. She fused the fabric with "wonder under", made sure the fans she cut followed the pattern, confirmede their placement and fused them into place. She experimented with gold stitcing and opted against idea as the fans stood out so well in contrast to the black.

To see the completed corset and find out if Sara added any further decoration to her corset come to the Creativ Festival in Toronto on October 22nd. Fashion show starts at 1:00 corsets will be on display at the Farthingales booth all weekend....though Sara may be wearing hers!

Corset Mock-up

For those who don't know what a mock-up is - it's a test garment. You cut your pattern out of inexpensive fabric to test the fit and design lines. This photo is of a corset mock-up for Sharon Gashgarian's corset entry for the Corset Fashion Show that will take place in Toronto on October 22, 2010. This mock-up is on a stand but will be fit to the models body, it's made from muslin. The actual corset will  have wings and be painted.

Corset for the runway

There will be over 30 corsets on the runway at the Corset Fashion show at 1:00 on Friday October 22nd during the Creativ Festival in Toronto.

This sketch illustrates the idea Sharon Gashgarian plans to execute for her daughter to model. The corset will have detachable wings painted by Sharon's neice. While the wings will create a costume fairy effect the corset will be remarkable even without them. To see the final and complete look come to the Creativ Festival http://www.csnf.com/

By Sharon Gashgarian