Scaredy cat has kicked me out of my sewing room! (And corset contest news)

So I got home from visiting family on Saturday and Riley had agreed to puppysit for a friend of his. Which was fun even if they weren't all that well behaved. (One of them kept trying to hump my leg and the other one was covered in fleas and the younger one peed on my floor right in front of the bedroom door.) Well apparently even though his cat is used to big puppies she is not used to being caught by them and it shook her up pretty bad. She's been panting and hiding in my sewing room (Where Riley locked her up to protect her from the puppies) since then although she's finally peeking her head out today so we're optimistic that I can get back to work soon. (This cat just has a personal vendetta against me getting work done.)
Well I tweaked my Damsel in this Dress corset design entry. I think this will totally solve the problem with the curls standing up and makes my design look different from Damsel's prototype so I thought that I would share it. Damsel is apparently re-considering her idea to host a contest for fear of legal ramifications I really hope she decides to do it anyway because I know me an a lot of her fans have been really excited for it.

Ondine corset design

my new design idea

 

 

Kind of sad

So I got really excited for my design for Damsel in this Dress's corset contest and then yesterday I saw this on her page.

Image property of Damsel in this Dress

For those of you who didn't see it this was my idea for the contest.

Design by Me: Bobbi Weth

I feel really unoriginal and silly now and have no clue what I'm going to submit for the contest. I still really want to enter but my backup design is not really a design so much as an easy mod to one of her existing designs to make it more visually flattering. I like it but I doubt it counts as an actual design.

Oh well back to the drawing board... and hours spent making a probably unnecessary collage of my idea to make it look prettier and more like a real corset.

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.

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.