Back to work...

I've not been working full strength for the last month or so, because of some moderately scary 'health stuff'.  But I'm getting back down to it now, so thought I'd share the thing I'm working on at the moment.

Another dolman, still under construction, this one not a historically correct one, but to be worn as a modern coat / jacket.

It's cut to fit a woman, so has darts at the front, under the braiding, which is a new challenge (getting the braid to sit correctly over the shaping.

Hopefully I'll manage to get it done in the next few days, and show you some proper 'finished pics', but here are some teasers in the meantime!

A corset.

Today's my birthday, so I'm doing stuff I want to, rather than stuff I have to.

I designed this corset (or pair of corsets - one's under and one's over bust, obviously), last year, but haven't got around to making it yet.  (The photo file tells me I photographed it at the start of January 2010, though I'd designed it over Christmas).

Rough sketch below (very rough!).

So I decided that today's the day!

The actual design is based loosely on a rifles dolman (Napoleonic).

So far today I've done the pattern for the overbust version (in a basic sample size 12, because I already had a block to adapt in that size).

I now have to work out what materials I'm using - the braiding will probably be a russia or tubular, and the outer fabric either a wool or a silk. 

So the next step, this afternoon, will be to go and find the fabric and get on with it!