Hand-stitching sure takes a while..

Doing the finishing touches to an authentic 1780's fully boned stay is tricky. If the bones aren't cut to the exact right length they either won't support the corset properly, or they'll get in the way of the tedious bias binding. That's what I've spent the past day and night doing - bias binding round the corset.

They're the fully bound corset, very nearly finished, from the front. All that's left to put in is the eyelets.

The corset from the inside. Showing the structure. The seams have been slip-stitched down aswell. All in all a lot of handstitching goes into one of these. It takes a while!

Vamp me up.

I recently had my own fitting in the Vampire costume being made for me. Big love to Maudie Manton, my maker, who has done an incredible job at making a corset os unbelievably tight that I can barely breath in it! That's how it should be.
Being prodded and poked and measured and photographed is a truly novel experience and I'll never take what actors go through for granted. The whole point of this project is so we can see everything from the other POV and it's doing a mighty good job. It certainly is novel to see how an actor or model would feel and makes you as a maker far more aware of how you behave toward them.
Here are a few photos of me in my costume, being truly cinched in...

It was a great experience to be fitted. I still have one question though, what to do with you face when the photo's being taken??

Fittings

Had our first ever official fittings yesterday. As well as being quite intense, scary, and high-pressured they were actually the most enjoyable experience.
Seeing your costume, something you've made yourself, from scratch, with your own hands, (and a needle!) in 3D on the model and not just a stand is an amazing thing. When you've spent hours drafting and redrafting patterns, and sewing and unpicking and sewing again. It makes it all worth it when you see it all come together.
Chatting with the designer Frances Tempest (costume designer of BBC's Robin Hood) and getting her feedback was incredible. Her enthusiasm for getting her hands in there (literally - and sometimes down the cleavage) and pushing and pulling the model and your costume around was great, if a little worrying. Especially when she decides to simply rip your stitching apart.
All in all, an amazing experience, can't wait to carry on!


Here are some photos from the fitting with my wonderful model Imogen.

In her costume before it got ripped apart.

The 'puff' with hip pads underneath to make it even larger!

At the end of the fitting, with all the alterations made. Can't wait to get hair & make-up into the mix.

Lack of activity..

I knew it would take me a while to get into the flow of actually posting, but I didn't realise it'd been this long!

Here's some updates:

- Vampire project is coming along pretty well, we've got our first model fittings tomorrow, so will have more to say then, plus hopefully some photos.

- Met with the make-up students who are going to be making us up and there's talks of fake fangs, extremely long false nails and lots of wig work. Going to be exciting to be on the other side for a change!

- We're learning more & more each day about the importance of historical accuracy. Construction isn't a joke. Making costumes is hard work.

In the meantime... Stumbled across an amazing artist the other day. Let me share.

These beauties, come from Willard Wigan, Micro Sculptor. If you're wondering quite what is it, and if it's true, yes, they really are modelled inside the head of a pin. As someone who makes clothes, I know how hard it is just to get a piece of thread through my needle so cannot imagine the dedication (and magnifying glass!) that helps toward creating these. My personal favourites found from his collection on, www.willard-wigan.com are these two. As a massive Harry Potter fan, I love the character models done here, especially the addition of Hedwig. The top Fairy tale image is just beautiful and the detail out of this world. Having tried my hand at model making, these sculptures are no mean feat.

In the words of Mr Wigan:

 “It began when I was five years old,” says Willard. “I started making houses for ants because I thought they needed somewhere to live. Then I made them shoes and hats. It was a fantasy world I escaped to. That’s how my career as a micro-sculptor began.”

If only we could all discover our talents and career at age 5.