Entry for Foundations Revealeds competition: The peacock corset

This is the UK dress diary for my entry for Foundations Revealeds competition 2013: Ornamentation. The corset was produced in december 2010, but as it fits the ornamentation category so well, i decided to give it a go.

The technical specifications:

• single layer coutil
• 7 mm spiral steel boning at all seams
• 7 mm spring steel at center back closure.
• Thais silk fashion layer
• 151 peacock feathers
• 26 metal eyelets
• satin band

Construction:
I used an old self-drafted pattern, with a discrete overbust shape, and no reduction at the waist, as it was to be used for new year eve dinner, and I'd like some comfort while wearing it. Using the pattern as a guide, I planned the position of the peacockfeathers. The feathers were placed, so the eyes of each feather was shown to its best advantage.

 The pattern used for the corset.

Each feather was then cut, so the eye and a little rim of brow flowy featherparts were kept. Each feather was then sewn on to the olivegreen thai silk, -a leftover from my wedding gown. In order to keep and overview of the project, each feathers position was marked with a pin. Each feather was then sewn on with approximately 5-7 stitches around the stem of the feather.

A feather sewn on to the silk. discrete stitches have been used around the stem to secure the feather.

After having sewn on most of the feathers I realised, that the placement pattern was not good. All though all feathers were displayed as well as possible, it never created a whole. It was a corset, with peacock feathers on, not a peacock corset.

 The original placement of the feathers did not work as a whole.

So I removed all exept the lowest line of feathers, and fiddled with the next layer, until I had a design I liked. After that, it was a simple question of stitching feather on. I used different sizes of feathers depending on the diameter of the corset where I was working. The big and medium feathers were used on the hip and chest, while the small feathers were used at the waist.

 

 The two lowest lines of feathers, with an overlap that shows of the feathers, while still creating a whole.

As the stomach and back area was getting done, I had to decide on the placement of the feathers on the chest, as they had to line up in a nice way, in order to expose as few ugly stems as possible. In order to keep an overview, I regularly mounted the silk/featherlayer on mu dress form, to assess how everything was working together.

I decided on changing the directions of the feathers gradually, so they pointed away from the center of the chest. Thus, the last stems wound be covered with only three well placed feathers.

 

The almost covered fashionlayer. The feather eyes are almost covered by the brown fluffy part of the surrounding feathers. 

After the feathers were all sewn on the fashion layer, it was time to finish the structural layer. All seams were ironed open, and covered with a tube for the 7 mm spiral boning.  At the back metal eyelets were placed with more eyelets towards the waist.

 

Finally the fashionlayer were sewn together with the structural layer, all done by hand. At the back the fashionlayer overlaps the eyelets, so the satin band is kept away from the feathers, and stress them as little as possible.

After assembling everything I trimmed the feathers lightly, in order to make the corset less fluffy and show off the eyes of the feathers.I tried to trim the feathers as discretely as possible.

And the peacock corset was done! 

Det færdige påfugle corsage

Så kom nytår og påfuglecorsaget blev færdigt, sammen med en simpel sort nederdel jeg lavede til. Her er det endelige resultat:

Her er lidt flere billeder fra processen:

Godt nytår til alle, og må det kommende år bringe mange fine kjoler og glade øjeblikke!

Inspiration til Påfugle-corsaget

Her er et par fine billeder af min inspiration til nytårskjolen:

 

Lee Klabin's Midnight Moth corset, -åbenbart brugt i Sex and the City. Det kan man jo ikke bebrejde kostumekoordinatoren til serien for. Super lækkert stykke tøj. For de nysgerrige er der et interview og flere billeder her.

Afdøde Alexander McQueen havde i sin sidste kollektion en super sej gylden fjer-jakke. Super facinerende!

Endelig er der denne påfuglekjole med 2009 fjer i. Faldt over den ved et tilfælde da jeg kiggede på bryllupskjole designs til mit eget bryllup, men må indrømme at den er en smule for meget, selv for mig.

Påfugle -corsage

Så nærmer nytårs aften sig så småt, og jeg er gået igang med min nytårskjole. Siden foråret, hvor jeg var i Goa har jeg drømt om at lave et corsage fuldstændigt dækket i påfuglefjer, ud af nogle af de ca 300 fjer jeg købte.

Jeg startede projektet ved at tegne mit basis corsagemønster op, og skitse ind hvor jeg forventede at fjerene skulle side. For at få dem placeret pænt og jævnt satte jeg dem op efter et gittersystem som man kan se på mønsteret her:

 

Corsaget er bygget op med et lag corsagedrejl med stivere inderst, og derudover et olivengrønt lag silke, hvor fjerene er syet på. Jeg havde oprindeligt forventet at jeg skulle havde brugt turkis eller kongeblå som basisfarve så det matchede øjerne på fjerene. Det viste sig dog, at øjerne poppede mere ud, hvis jeg valgte en basisfarve der var tættere på farven på resten af fjeren.

jeg startede med at sy fjerene på efter det mønster jeg havde tegnet op på mine mønsterdele, men fandt hurtigt ud af, at de sad for tæt sammen rundt om corsaget. Dvs at der var for mange fjer til omkredsen. Jeg havde heldigvis kun syet ca 10 fjer på, på det tidspunkt og kunne hurtigt pille dem af igen.

I andet forsøg satte jeg fjerene en lille smule længere fra hinanden i bredden, men beholdt det oprindelige antal baner fjer i højden. Da jeg havde nået at sy alle fjerne på, med undtagelse af brystpartiet testede jeg den på kroppen. Det skulle jeg havde gjort før...
Fjerene sad så spredt, at det lignede et corsage med fjer syet på, istedet for et corsage af fjer. Det så helt basalt fjollet ud. Dertil kom, at fjerene sad meget løst på, og stak der hvor de var klippet af. Alt i alt en rigtig irriterende situation.

Resultatet blev, at jeg fjernede alle fjer undtagen den nederste bane, og begyndte at sy fjerene på med mere overlap. På den måde ser man ikke så tydeligt påfugleøjerne, men det giver et bedre helhedsindtryk. Jeg gav desuden de stikkende ender af fjerene en klat klar neglelak for at gøre dem mindre skarpe, og nemmere at sy helt ind til stoffet.
Jeg pønser på at tynde lidt ud i de fluffy dele af fjerene, så øjerne bliver mere synlige. Det vil forhåbentlig også fjerne noget af det bulk som fjerene giver, og mindste den øgning af taljeomkredsen som de skaber.

I mine test af corsaget har jeg brugt en lynlås syet på corsagedrejlet. Kombinationen af fjer og lynlås er rigtig dårlig, for alle de flagrende dele ender i lynlåsen til skade for begge. Jeg vil derfor udskifte det med en snørrelukning i ryggen, hvilket også vil give mulighed for at have en smule corset-effekt og snørre taljen lidt ind.

Mere information kommer om sådan ca 50-70 fjer...