Today's lesson: I should never work on a project while tired, or while watching The Daily Show. I just set half the grommets backwards.
Unlike a seam, grommets can't be pulled out and done over. That whole end piece of the corset will have to be removed and thrown away. I have enough fabric to cut those pieces again, but I'm going to have to order more grommets. Oh well, it could be worse. At least it can be fixed without too much anguish.
The other lesson for today: the $36 grommet setter from corsetmaking.com is a complete waste of money. In case anyone ever finds this post while looking for tips on corset making, or grommet setting, don't waste your money on that grommet setter. The one that looks like a hole punch, with two handles. It's impossible to press the handles tightly enough to set the grommet. I ended up having to hold it down and whack it with a hammer, which was very awkward. The little grommet setter (just two pieces of metal you fit together and tap) is much cheaper and probably works better too. Although it wouldn't have prevented me from putting half of them in backwards.
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the grommets all look the same to me in that photo. is the backwardsness going to be noticeable to normal humans?
Oh yeah. The ones on the left are silver and the ones on the right are white. The silver ones are in backwards.
ok, now that you point that out i can see it-- i think i interpreted the different shades as glare when i first looked at it.
aw, that really sucks :(
There is some glare on the bottom half of the silver ones -- you might not even be seeing the white ones in the photo, they're on the other half of the corset. There's a long row of silver ones and then a long row of white ones on the other side.
It does suck, but the weird part is that I'm not that upset about it. I mean there was about thirty seconds of cursing, and then I got over it and went to the website to order more grommets. Such a practical approach isn't really like me :)
hey, so you grew as a person :)
We went through a phase of corset-making (with a friend who is a trained fashion designer) a couple of years ago. It's a lot more difficult than it looks (why am I telling you this?) and we eventually gave up after only a few experiments. It was fun though. It looks like you're going to be more successful than we were.
Hi Karen! were you selling the corsets? With most handmade clothes, you can never charge enough to make it worth your time. But corsets seem to be an exception because the market is so high.
I agree that they are more difficult than they look. Which is saying something, since they don't look that easy to me.
We'll see how successful I am when I get it tried on and see how it fits! I didn't alter the pattern at all so it might be too long.
We were planning to sell them but never got that far. When I first came here the plan was to to take a year off (to recover from the whole dot.com over-work madness) but in fact I got restless and bored and began building a studio (of sorts, very tiny) after a few months. We tried out all sorts of ideas - corsets was one. I think in a funny way all of it sort of came in useful, because in fact it was through talking about our interest in textiles that we were introduced to Anna, and it was because we knew her that we decided to do a tarot using miniature costumes - hence Baroque Bohemian Cats! So although for a while it all seemed a bit like a lot of stuff that didn't quite get anywhere, in retrospect it was good to go through this "try out" phase.
We still have the corsets (not fully boned ones in fact, more fashion corset stuff) goodness knows what we'll do with them.
It will all come round again because our basic idea is a studio that will do all sorts of work - textiles, porcelain, products, furniture - as well as publishing. I hope it happens.
With your corsets, are you planning to sell them? They do seem to go for very high prices so if you can "crack" the technique it might be a great idea.
So are your "Baroque Bohemian Cats" wearing corsets? I tried hats for my cats but as lazy as they usually are that got 'em up and running kickin' those hats off as they fled. But i'd definately buy that tarot deck if you ever get it done. sounds like as much fun as the Halloween Tarot (one of my favorites!)I do corsetry also but the "fashion" kind. We just started a line of silk and velvet Ren-faire & Ritual stuff with silk screened metallic Celtic designs on bodices, dresses and capes. lots of work but we have had a good response and have sold some. I also do faerie costumes. I sold "craftwork" and sewing for years and never made enough. now i just refuse to do it unless it pays enough per hour and to cover supplies. Good luck to all the rest of you "crafters", don't sell yourself short. There is a market out there that understands quality and good workmanship.
Jeanne )O( arachnia cronewort