Damsel in this Dress Corset Design Contest.

I have been working on making a new corset design for Damsel in this Dress's Corset Design Contest. Basically the goal is to come up with a unique corset design and put it up for others to see. At the end of January a winner will be chosen and they will receive a copy of that corset. I have two designs I would like to enter but only one is allowed so I will show both here.

Starting with the one I will actually enter in the contest. The Fae Corset.

 

This is something that I would love to have around for Faerieworlds. It's a very versatile design (at least I think so) and  I like how simple it is. 

The other design I cam up with is just a top stitched web overlay design on the Victorian longline underbust pattern to enhance the slimming effect with an optical illusion. 

Steampunk illusion underbust by Bobbi Weth

I will be posting this on Damsel's facebook as an invitation to come talk about ideas for the contest so I hope some good critique and conversation will be forthcoming.

My craft room has exploded

Riley got me some shelving and I have been hard at work trying to sort through tangled mess that is my supplies in the hopes that I can get it organized and inventoried so I know what I'm working with.
Let me just say that I have a lot of fabric. Most of it has been gifts or inherited pieces that I never had a plan for. I also have a work in progress pile that got upgraded to a box because it was too much to sit on the worktable.  I keep finding projects that I really need to finish or repair. Also I found pieces of family gifts that I didn't even know I hadn't finished which is nifty considering our late Christmas celebration is coming up and I did have anything to give my dad and sister. I also found some camouflage fabric I will attempt to make something out of for my sisters boyfriend but I haven't a clue what to do with it.
Also, Notions SO MANY NOTIONS! I have trims, ribbons, bells buttons, thread, elastic and god knows what else! I may have to relegate these to their own box soon. Riley did get me a small piece of knicknac-y shelving that I think I want to put dowels in to keep thread and ribbon spools onto.

So I have some frantic organizing and last minute sewing to do before I head home for a week to catch up on the holidays. Then I will be back to conquer my WIP pile and start my new designs for eventing season. Good lord you'd think I was making this into a job or something! Well I will be back soon with things to show you all. Have a great New Year.

Costuming Business Ethics 101

Ok I already posted this on Damsel's facebook but I decided to rant about it a little on my own blog. I know that total originality is extremely hard and that most things start from a basic concept and evolve. Creative property can be a little hard to track and that inspiration comes from many sources.

That being said this is a blatant theft that annoys me to the  very core. I know I don't really have readership yet to bother complaining to but really I don't care. I take a lot of care in designing and working out prototypes of my designs while I am still teaching myself the fine art of sewing. (Although books like this are a great help)

Salem Libraries Rock!

When I do finally get my own store up and begin sharing these designs and products I know it would absolutely make me furious to see one of my own designs being so flagrantly copied as what I am about to show you.

I am a huge fan of Damsel in this Dress bodices. I have tried on some of Michelle's pieces and if I'm lucky there is one waiting for me this Christmas. Her designs are elegant and flattering and I understand why someone might want to emulate them. Like I said they are awesome. But I don't want to sell copies of her bodices I just want to make ones of a similar caliber in my own design and aesthetic. I just want to be as awesome as she is with my own designs.

So on to the thief. It is poorly rendered so it may take a moment to realize that this

Photo belongs to http://twospools.com even if they stole the design

 Really wants to be this

Photo belongs to Damsel in this Dress http://damseldress.com

The worst part? The badly made copy costs only $25 less than Michelle's original design. The person orchestrating this theft can't even flatter a mannequin with this piece let alone a woman and expects to get $125 for it!

Why am I ranting about this so much? It bothers me, it bothers me a lot that someone might actually buy something that flimsy and cheap for such a ridiculous price. Why? Doesn't that mean that I should be able to make a ton of money when I get there. Well honestly it scares me because I'm afraid it means that people don't know enough about clothing to recognize quality when they see it and maybe I am wasting my time trying to learn the proper way to do things and working out the best methods to provide quality when I could just churn out something like that and sell it for $100.

Readers (hey someday there will be some) please please please, say no to bad quality ripoffs and reveal them where you see them. This is no way to run a business and honestly it's just no way to live.