It's been a while...

Ho Hum, I guess it would be nice to tell you what crazy things I have been up to for the past month. But, I thought that would be so much of a mammoth post you wouldn't make it to the end so I have decided instead to tell you what I've been doing today instead, and litter you with extra posts later.

Well, today I have been cutting for a new Curve Couture Menswear Collection. Yes...you read it here first!

One of the commissions last month was for some WW1 style breeches, which I found a test of my problem solving abilities as well as greatly satisfying once completed. I also recently got involved in wardrobe for a 2014 Calendar for the Mind Charity in which I will be producing a man and woman's outfit for an image for one month. And this got me thinking quite specifically about Menswear. And more specifically alternative Menswear...there certainly isn't the great variety afforded in Womenswear.

Moving on...so I have assembled roughly on paper the main items I will be constructing with as much detail as I had and started pattern cutting breeches and a corset. So that is all ready to mock up once I've been to the fabric shop tomorrow for supplies.

Also today I have been pattern cutting a new corseted collar with shoulder extensions. I am super inspired by this:

There are two things I love, love, love about this. One: chainmaille. This kind of scale maille is exactly what I have been learning to do the past month or so because I want to use it in the next fashion show. And, two, the raised padded bubble shoulder has crept under my skin as my newest thing to fawn over.

So, this afternoon after my delve into Menswear I began to start figuring out how to make that shoulder style. There are in fact ready made shoulder pads available in this style but hugely expensive so I'm going to give making my own a stab. I also want to introduce this shoulder shape into a corset collar.

Am I blowing your mind or what?

And this is where I am at right now:

So, that's all rather exciting...

Neck corset

For the past 2 days I have been working on a neck corset idea for AFW. I started off with no particular idea of fabrics or styling, but a drawing of what I wanted the structure to be.

This is my original sketch, done in ink with a fat nib. I tend to start all my designs with black outlines and fill in the details as I'm going along. Every designer works in a diferent way...this is mine.

From the design I  create a paper pattern, this time modifying an opera coat collar in Turn of the Century Fashion Patterns and Techniques by S.S Gordan  and then make a test pattern usng calico. A test pattern is necessary in all new designs to check the pattern achieves the task and fits correctly. I am testing the pattern on a standard size 12 dressmakers dummy.

From there I now am compelled to consider style, fabric, decorative detailing before I can progress to actually make the neck corset. That's when I usually stare for an hour at a blank piece of paper with my pencils, inks and paints before inspiration strikes. With my fabrics picked I set about the task of construction. As I do actually want this corset to be stiff I use stayflex to provide strength on the pink satin I have chosen and sew the neck corset in a similar way to a normal one, sewing all the layers as one and creating boning channels.

Here it is so far on the mannequin with the corset that is it's inspiration. I still haven't decided if I will actually bone it yet and have left it unadorned thus far.