heartsdesire_eu

making my fingers bleed...

2006-08-27T16:43:09Z

yes embroidery can be a combat sport. Pushing a needle through velvet gets very tiring, and it's heavy to actually throw around the sewing machine, but I just love making these.

I'm really pleased with how this one has come out. Used the usual combination of vintage and modern textiles -stuff from the 50's onwards - then hand embroidered faggot-stitch along the edges of the patches plus the odd bit of chain stitched decoration.

Garment is up for sale and will hopefully find a new owner to love it and prance about in it at DragonCon.

channelling the 'artnouveaho'

2006-08-23T18:12:33Z

Stage 1:

Some children are difficult births, but after plenty much of the swearing, I think I win. Don't know why this one gave so much trouble in the actual making up. I have recut the pattern pieces somewhat to deal with the most irritating hitches. Next one in this pattern should be a lot easier.

Note to self: cutting strips of bias velvet is never easy, cutting strips of vintage crushed velvet is a bloody pig of a job.

But it was the right solution for the design, so plenty much more swearing as the bias bounced away from the scissors. You know what this means - means I love her; she's worth it. And besides, the outside of the corset is scratchy, so you need something soft and fuzzy next to the skin. Nothing is quite as strokey-nice as antique velvets, softened by time.

On the actual making there are only eyelets to go.

Obviously not fitting the dummy yet as no eyelets in bacl or shoulder straps.

Then the final embellishement which will be an attached string of beads; very Renn. I have a pile of 19thC malachite beads that I've had for a good 12 years waiting a purpose. Their time is now. Even when the corset eventually wears out, artnouveauho is as thrifty as me and will keep them for a new adventure.

If I pull my finger out, I can get it into the mail tomorrow.

It's alive!!!

2006-08-23T11:08:12Z

http://www.heartsdesire.eu/

EDIT: Demonstrating appalling manners, I forgot to mention that this site exists through the talent of velvetdahlia writin code and arguing with servers, and the copywriting skills of artnouveauho. Both are available for freelance works, so go and given them all your money. Talented women such as these deserve support, and to wear tiger print velvet.

Humble apologies for such a shocking oversight.

I really should post in this journal more

2006-08-23T11:02:15Z

Tried to mail things out to the art show yesterday. After trying to grapple with the new Post Office rules it seems that my parcel will cost £36 and take 30 days as it's over 2kg. So brought it home to reparcel into several smaller under 2kg items to go airmail. Could have cried as already having an edgy day in self-employed-artist-angsty way. Having incredible friends stopped me from going into total meltdown.

Images of things for the show are over on my personal journal, which is a paid account so has Scrapbook facilities. Just tried to get a paid account on this journal and LJ doesn't like my debit card...note: not 'there's no cash to cover the payment', (because there is for once!), error messages, but just it doesn't like my particular card. Have had this issue with paying my eBay fees so will go talk to the bank about what is it with my card that is frelled?

Meanwhile anyone wanting to support a starving artist by donating a paid account is very welcome to help.

Back at the coal face for DragonCon continue apace. I have tons of clothes to finish and guests this weekend. Eep. However, have finished />Now, who could this be for? Who wears green and like Renn styling...hmmm?

Work, obviously still in progress - more decorative stitching into the top layer to do, but boning and lining layers cut out and sewn, just need to put boning channels in, put the layers together, bone, bind and eyelet...

Have finished a similiar patchworked corset, bar the eyeletting, inspired by gipsy_queen. Made of antique and modern scraps of textile, this is a corset for a gipsy queen to dance in. In larger size, about a waist 34" (can't remember exactly) but hoping a volumptouus American will drop some hard currency for it. The black lace is modern, but the velvet binding is from the most beautiful 50's velvet I've ever handled...shame not very strong any more, but perfect for binding, and so strokable

and for me, in my tidying up I found a purple pvc waspie I'd totally forgotten about!

It does lace closed more at the front, but I was being lazy and just had chocolate cake.

Right - to finish today will be the embroidery on a new chaos coat all in multi-coloured velvet. Two fronts done, back halfway there...then these go together quickly at least, with lining and binding, cuffs and collars. My fingers hurt from doing faggoting stitch* until very late last night.

*Is also known as feather stitch, but calling it faggoting amuses me in a puerile way.