OMG, if you actually start making these, I'd totally take my measurements and buy one as a commission sometime. o,o

I have the leather, I have a machine that can sew it, and I have the skills to make the pattern. >^__^< Going to fiddle and fine tune the pattern before I ever cut leather to make sure this design will work. If you want one- I'll likely have these ready by June (got some plushes and a tail to make first).

My friend Pickles makes some pretty interesting corsets herself. Its work. Catspiracy almost wrecked herself slaving over the one I wore as part of Cabaret last year. They are definitly work. I would be interested to see where your endeavor goes since Im not only a plus sized woman, but a plus sized woman who does not fit the proportions for 99% of the clothing lines out there.
Kat

I took pattern drafting courses as part of my fashion design classes, so I'm hoping that will be enough. gonna make test- garments first, though for tweaking this to fit right. I'm a plus-size, too, and it's a sheer PAIN in the tail to find stuff that fits a bulky, short, broad-shouldered busty female. I'm built like a D&D Dwarf- short torso, thick arms and legs and bulky muscle under the fat. shapely, tho'. *chuckles* Being big or differently shaped shouldn't be an effing crime, and we shouldn't have to pay any more for our clothes than the skinny people do, either. *has noticed prices for plus-size clothes are often a fair bit higher than for "off the rack", though this has been changing somewhat in the last few years*

As for the work- oh yeah, don't I know it. This piece isn't meant to pull you in too tightly though- it's more of a snug fit that can slim you a little, but mostly conforms to your actual shape without being uncomfortable I have boning, but I'm undecided if this will need it- it might. I'm thinking the leather will go a fair ways toward keeping the shape- it's the shape of each piece that will have to be very precise. I'm not the most precise person in this world, so this will be a challenge. *chortle* I'm thinking three layers: leather on the outside, canvas in the middle with the boning and leather on the inside...

Yummy!

Yeah, the one I wore for Cabaret that was made by Catspiracy was more like a corselette (corselettes are things that LOOK like corsets but arent really functioning corsets other than at least having a snug fit). Catspiracy had to do muslin on me first to get her pattern.

Kat

I have pattern-making formulae and I can see about doing a muslin toile first. Because this is such a firm-fitting item, making test-stuff first is probably a definite must do. and, I'm also planning on making this in as few pieces as I can manage- bulky seams from the leather make sewing a real pain across points where two seams meet up. Cross your digits, 'cuz I really want this idea to work. *chuckle*

Let me know if you need a human pincushion. Your husband can giggle at every irk and ack that emits from my lips. haha!

I'm not certain that he's so mean. *giggles* I'm usually pretty careful with the pins, though. He's been my "dummy" on a couple of occasions already, poor, patient man.

Yeah. Patience is a must when fit with a muslin test garment. I wish there were more dressmakers dummies tha cover the plus sized range. Catspiracy has an expanding one but it still doesnt expand much more than when its not expanded. So, she had to use one she made of herself. She is slightly bustier than I but around the same measurements on the hips. So the amount of "pincushion time" was minimal

Oh, graaah, don't I know it! I'd love to get a plus-size expanding dress-form, but even the largest ones I've seen so far don't quite make it to my size, and I'm not all that big as far as plus-sizes go. I'm only about a size 18 to 20, depending on the manufacturer.

Same here. Im a 14-18 depending on the manufacturer. Overall its my proportions that really sink my chances of finding ways to be accomodated when it comse to clothes and making clothes. I suppose if you get a dressmakers dummy with a strong enough base (not one of those light plastic things), you could expand the dummy as much as it will allow and then sew some padding that you can remove with just a side panel of velcro. This might help make your dummy more versatile for when you size more than just clothing for yourself. Its a thoguht anyhow.

Actually, that's a pretty good idea- i just have to get a dress-maker's dummy. Heh. I haven't been able to afford one yet, unfortunately.

Yeah. The ones that arent cheaply made (or that dont have strong bases) are a bit on the expensive side. Heck, see if you can get a non-expandable dummy as it might be cheaper. If you take the suggestion I made, than it wouldnt matter if it was expandable or not since you would be making the "padding pieces" for a given model yourself. Im not sure if polyfil would work for the padding's stuffing. It is light enough not to put too much weight on the dummy but will it "pad/move" right?

If I can find a "comfy" sized vintage dress-form- the kind covered in muslin and are non-adjustable, I can probably make "suits" out of muslin and foam. That way, I can have several different-sized "forms" that I can take off. My only issue is space- those take up a fair bit of room, and my work-room is already crammed with stuff. Once I've finished cleaning it... again, I should take some pix just to prove how ridiculous my mad Tetris skillz are. *giggle* Heh.

Definitely want a dress-form, though- a good one.

Yeah. Its a pain in the ass. I dont really have a workroom of my own to speak of but we got piles of fur stacked up in one of our spare rooms. Its insane.

PS: Does your sewing machine have a stretch stitch on it?

I don't believe so, but I can make do with a zig-zag. My serger can do stretchy materials, though. i'm still learning how to use it, though.

HOLY WOWZ!!! THIS IS AMAZINGLY AWESOME!!! GREAT Work!!!

Fashion-design graduate. *waves a paw* I took the course a couple of years ago back in Canada- I loved it. This will be a challenge to make, but I'm sure it will be fun. I should take some pix of the leather pants I finished this week...

Nice ~!! I love the crossing straps in the front! And who doesn't love buckles ;3

They often cross in the back, but I kind of liked the idea of having that be in the front, instead. >^__^< Mostly because I have big boobs, and suspender-style straps always end in up me arm-pits- NOT flattering, nor comfortable. And buckles rawk my sox. Some studs might show up in this thing, too- dunno yet.

That's an excellent idea o3o No more armpit straps~!
Studs AND buckles? Well that's just a recipe for EXCELLENCE!

*giggle* Finding true comfort in my clothes has always been a search. I like some odd things in my fashion, but I want to make it actually comfortable to wear. Here's hoping that excellence actually shows up in my stuff!

Ugh I know the feeling x3x But that's excellent! I bet you will totally succeed in pulling that off ^^

*blushes* Well, I hope so too!

Um, you seem to have some kind of brain leech sucking on your head.. O__O


*giggle* Your icons are so hilarious...

Hehehe x3 Otter leech is converting little Spencer into an otter! We spread like leeches >:D
Haha thank you x3 is always the mastermind behind them x3

*cackles* Otter leech. Hee.

For those times when you want to get kinky... but still lift and separate.

;)

Dunno about kinky- this is an outside garment. It's more extreme-fashion stuffs. Heh. But, lift and separate is definitely a need for me. *has big rack that's more trouble than it's worth* I never could understand those silly females who wanted to get breast implants to be bigger. I has naturally-large appendages (that's what they ARE) and they give me back problems. O____o

Appendages. Hmmmm.... i could make jokes.... but i find it more hilarious to leave it there....


Anyway... I'd LOVE to see this in action.... who knows... maybe i'll see it at the clubs in a few years

That would be pretty effing awesome, if my designs show up on the bods of club-goers. As it is, I go to the Bar Sinister in Hollywood once in a while, and I'd be likely to be wearing something like this. >^__^< And I have these awesome leather pants with buckles going all the way down the legs. Yum!

I dunno, somehow that particular bit of gear seems like it belongs more in the nurse's division. It might be more comfy if it didn't ride too high in front and the straps fastened side-by-side instead of spaced. Is it going to be leather or fabric?

Heh. I say "Toy Soldier" as a generic term, like Dr. Steel does, as we are all Toy Soldiers- even the Nurses and Scouts- but, yep, that's what it's for. I'm a Nurse, and this will be for that costume. I got the idea from Polermo's designs, actually- she does the costumes for all of Dr. Steel's shows and vids. Mine is a little different in that I have buckles on the front where she uses a zipper, or nothing, and laces in back. I'm pretty sure I saw waist-cinchers like this before I ever saw her stuff, though, so I don't think it's original with her, either. But her designs for other stuff- *drooool* >^__^<

This one is going to be leather- it even says so in the image text. *chortle* I might make fabric ones, though- they'd probably look friggin' AWESOME in brocades. Or even fabric and leather combination! Yum! This design rides a little high, you're right, and I might actually bring it down a touch in the final pattern. I have the straps crossing in front because any suspender-type arrangement ends up uncomfortably in my armpits because of how my chest is built. The points where the straps attach in back may change, too- but I thinking they should be fine where they are. I was more worried about them falling off the shoulders, which is why I put then almost meeting in the centre- that way, no matter how wide of narrow someone's back is, the straps shouldn't shift around too much.

Yay, clothing, engineering for the body. >^__^<

"Engineering for the body"? You remind me of a famous quote, (I forget who said it.) "Bikinis are not so much designed as engineered to do one very important job; stay put!"

DUH! Now you mention it, of course I see the "leather" in the image. I guess I can see the logic in your design; it would be bad to have the strap edges rubbing you and the cross-over would minimize that. Leather and brocade. though? What I wondered about the front though was whether the edge would dig under your, um... endowments. That would hurt! Yeah, I know every regiment member is officially a "Toy Soldier," but without specifics I had to assume the generic. You've probably figured out that I haven't actually joined yet; I want to meet the Robot Monkeys first, gotta look into that.

Robot Monkeys? *perks up in interest* Hmm?

Anyway, I'm pretty sure the top of the corset won't rub too much under my bits- I'll be wearing both an uplifting bra and a shirt under the corset, so rubbing should hopefully be minimized. Leather and brocade is a distinct possibility- it just depends on how I arrange the various pieces. Brocade would have to be interfaced with another fabric and sewn down to canvas to approximate the thickness of the leather, though.

Sounds nifty! Post pictures when/if it's finished?

Dr Steel's Own Robot Monkeys, the 315th, Toronto Reg. (Sorry, somebody's gotta be from there.)

Ah- that place. Heh. I'm from Winterpeg, where if it isn't up to your hips, there's no point in shoveling it. We're not that cool or tough, really, just that apathetic. *giggle* I wanna make a division for Manitoba- but you know the 'Peg is- all the cool fashions hit us about ten years after everyone else has already gotten bored with it.

I hope you do, it would be cool to have more regiments up here!

And no, we didn't have to call the Army to shovel the GD snow this year.

I'd hear TO had done that in the past. Truly sad. Those wimps would die in a Winnipeg winter... of boredom or cold, not sure which would get them first. *giggle*

for non-Canadians Aw come on, it was a pair of once-in-two-hundred-year snow storms back-to-back, no municipality in its right mind budgets for that! And none of our neighbors would help us, (like we did them after the big ice storm the year before.) Even the province wouldn't help, even though they're in the middle of the city! Anyway, we didn't need two Army divisions, we needed two Bison APCs for snow ambulances, (and they got stuck in the snow, too.) If we could've just borrowed the Bisons, we had more reservists in the city than regulars in the two divisions! But no... And now anyone from Toronto anywhere else in Canada gets kidded about it forever! For pete sake, let it go!

Hey, I wouldn't have said anything if you hadn't mentioned it first! *cackles* Back-to-back snowstorms could be a nasty- I've been through some years like that.

But, we just like picking on TO because we're always seeing bullshit in the papers about the "Perennial Have-Not Provinces (Manitoba's on that list, in their minds, it seems), and we feel like our homeland is being sneered at by a bunch of pussies who can't even handle a real winter. *dig, dig*

*giggles and flees*