FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
La Fortuna
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Outline the story …
“The circus arrives without warning.” This is the opening sentence of the spellbinding novel, "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern. From the moment I read that first line, I was captivated and delighted. I have reread this book many times and it continues to charm me. The novel creates a beautiful and wondrous environment of a magical travelling circus. The circus is devoid of all color but black and white and shades of gray. It is open at dusk and closed at dawn. I chose the character of Isobel the Fortune Teller. She is both a part of and outside the circus.
My entry is an 1890s styled corset in black and white, staying with the period and theme of the circus in the novel. Simple in color but yet complex with contrasting details. Elements of the mystical are incorporated in the flossing.
Outline the construction…
I drafted the 1897 Symmington style 2360 corset from the FR article. This is my first drafted corset. I found the drafting to be logical and straightforward. I took the drafting a step further and redesigned the three front panels to incorporate a piece of horizontal cording at the front hip. I created 3 separate toiles and many practice pieces. Each element of the corset was tested and refined before the final corset was sewn. I used the Facebook group for help to adjust for my fuller bust and refine the fit. I incorporated several new skills: external boning channels, cording, exposed waist tape, decorative flossing, and an alternative way of inserting the busk.
This corset was created with a single layer of white cotton coutil and a layer of black cotton sateen. I used cotton yarn for cording and German plastic boning. My design incorporated stitching in white on the black for contrast. This contrast stitching was the most intimidating portion. It challenged my skill for sewing and could amplify any mistakes. The flossing was done with white silk buttonhole twist and was based on mystical and alchemical designs. The flossing was another challenge: it needed to be both practical and yet conform to my designs. I relied heavily on FR articles throughout the project, and specifically to learn flossing techniques to complete this portion of my entry.
Beautiful work with the contrasting thread! Wonderful product!
This is literally AMAZING. The shape is absolutely PERFECT and I am awe-struck. I love it!
A lot of details in this corset! You can easily see the hard work that went into this piece and it was way worth it. The shape is wonderful and suits you perfectly♡
The shape for this corset is stunning! Well done! And so beautifully finished, I love the alchemical symbols in the flossing which give it such a unique twist! I can definitely see your inspiration coming through in this piece, wonderful work!
This corset is beautiful. i really like how you used two contrasting colours for the fabric and the thread.
Gorgeous!! So many Night circus entries, y’all really want me to read this book 😀 I love it. The corset has a great shape, and the inside looks super neat!! 😍 The flossing details are also really cool.