tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21148436776628436082024-02-06T21:23:56.756-08:00Midieval Stiches and Ponderingsmlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-20024748512542706592017-03-09T12:54:00.000-08:002017-03-09T12:54:07.706-08:00Being Unique is not for the faint of heart<div style="text-align: center;">
One thing that keeps coming up in my life is "unique"</div>
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If you have ever seen me in person, you will quickly learn that I am apologetically me. I know what I like, I know who I am, and quite frankly, I'm not all that concerned whether you approve or not. </div>
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I love working with girls in my muggle life. Especially in an environment that encourages me to be who I am. Every day that I am there, it is more and more clear that girls are not told enough that it is okay to be who they are. And it is no wonder when we live in an environment where we work so hard to "fit in". If we are trying to fit in, how can we stand out?</div>
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Now, being unique is not easy. People say all of the time that you shouldn't care what people think, but the fact is, we are trained to be very concerned with what people think, so straying away from that can be a scary thing. People will talk about you. Some will love you, some will hate you, what you have to remember is, do these people really mean anything to you? If not, then why do you care what they think?</div>
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My tribe doesn't always agree with what I'm wearing, doing, or how I'm expressing myself, but they support me doing it 100%. Having that support system in place helps me to be fearless in my uniqueness. </div>
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Not only in my muggle world, but in my everyday life of corsets, cosplay, and steampunk, I strive to encourage everyone to express themselves the way they imagine. Let me help you do you. If that means I'm going to get the odd look or three or fifty, I'm okay with that. </div>
mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-36390918757796856222017-01-01T11:41:00.000-08:002017-01-01T11:41:32.043-08:00New Year's Resolutions....I don't do those. I've never been one to do the whole "New Year's Resolution" thing. It just never really struck me as something that really made sense. If you want to change something in your life, why at the new year? Why not in that moment?<br />
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I have read that starting (or breaking) a habit is easier to do at the beginning of the month because it takes 30 days for a habit to form. But statistically, New Year's Resolutions are broken before Spring.<br />
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Now I do reflect on the year past, and this year there is a lot of reflecting to do! I was in a very dark place at this point last year. On Dec. 5th 2015 my van was totaled in a hit and skip accident. There was some debate over who the driver was, the drunk guy with no licence, or the distraught girl with no licence. At any rate, it was an ugly ordeal, and it took the great kindness of friends, loyal customers, and a bit of burly magic for me to recover. And today I can say that I finally feel as if I am making some ground with getting back to where I was before the accident.<br />
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This year was full of busting tail and figuring things out. With the blessing of a new (to me) PT Cruiser there's been a bit of a learning curve on how to be able to work a show, and more importantly how to work an outdoor show! There is a huge difference between the mini van and the cruiser, but she's a good little car, and she has great potential.<br />
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While I've come a long way from where I was a year ago, I'm still a leap away from where I want to be. This year will be another year of shaking my tail feathers to make every step forward that I possibly can. I see my dreams, I set my goals, and I'll get there.<br />
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In the mean time, I'll keep chugging, and I'll call on all of you to share my work with everyone you know. Share/Retweet/Post when you see something you love. Share my cards when some one is looking for a seamstress. Follow my blogs/Facebook page and group and other social media. And comment where you feel called to. And if you have a fancy for something fancy, remember me. ;)<br />
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mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-67192906986158030312016-07-09T08:09:00.001-07:002016-07-09T08:09:09.739-07:00Fine Tuning a CraftI have been very fortunate in my life to be able to do something that I love. I won't pretend that it has been easy, it has required some hard work, late nights, and doing things when I didn't "feel like it" but all of that has given me opportunity to build on my skill. <div>
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I love corsetry and costume design. In watching Project Runway I almost fell into a bit of that snobbish attitude that costume design is not "as good" as fashion, but that was rather silly. If you have a passion for something, and a desire to be better at it, be the best and others will appreciate your work. You can't help but admire something when you can see the passion and drive that was set behind it. </div>
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If you know much about me you know that I've had to learn my trade mostly through my own playing about. We live in a marvelous age where you can find almost anything online, and I do not take that for granted. Learning to sew and even design with out the aid of a mother, grandmother, aunt, teacher, or master is not as difficult now as it once was, but it does still take a desire to seek the knowledge out. </div>
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There have been times in my life when my head was in a dark space. When my confidence was on a foundation of sand and I feared sinking. I've torn myself to bits as I "un-stitched" pieces or re-cut things. I've cried and berated myself for not being able to figure things out when working on a piece. I've learned to smile and show gratitude when taking a compliment rather than pointing out the flaws that I see in my work. </div>
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You may wonder where all of this sappy reflection comes from. I'm not usually so sentimental. But as I am currently working on one of the largest commissions that I have ever faced, and am concurring challenges with it in a much shorter time span than I would like, I realize that I'm very lucky to even be able to be doing this at all. I'm ever so thankful for the men and women who have taken me under. I have brilliant mentors when it comes to business, and I've had people willing to share their knowledge with me, or bought me books, or handed me some fabric and an idea and let me play. </div>
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I'm still very young as a business, and I still have a great many obstacles ahead of me, but as I improve my craft and situation, I have to be grateful for those challenges. When we stop being challenged, we stop improving. </div>
mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-89829758816120732082016-06-06T07:54:00.001-07:002016-06-06T07:54:53.689-07:00Take a leap, but be prepared to fall. I've been sewing costumes for almost 20 years. Hard to imagine it being that long with me only 33, but it's true. From the first time I took some sheets and curtains that were in the yard sale bin and turned them into a dress fit for Queen Cleopatra, it was obvious that I not only had a passion for it, but a talent. But then, my mother has always said that I have too many talents. In fact, when it came time for career counselors to help me choose my path, they told me the same thing. It sounds rather boastful, but it was rather frustrating at the time. There I was searching for direction, and no one could even point a way out. We tell kids all of the time "you can be anything you want to be" and for me this was true, and I had all of the career assessment tests to back it up. But I had no idea what I really wanted to be.<br />
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I went through the usual ideas, teacher, music teacher, I had an idea of being a one stop wedding shop, then I thought about getting a bridal consultant certificate, but nothing really stuck. In 2002 I got married, 6 months later I had a nervous breakdown that left me with such anxiety that I couldn't leave the house on my own. I still have issues with anxiety that stem from that breakdown, but that moment left me immobile. We had no children, so I took up my sewing machine again. I spent my days experimenting and playing with it, mostly on Renaissance clothing for me and my then husband.<br />
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Slowly I made my way back into the world, and it was through a friend of my then husband's that I found a shop that sold costumes. I was self taught, and had a lot to learn, but the owner saw a talent and a passion in me, the rest he and his other batch of costumers could teach.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sample I brought to the shop owner</td></tr>
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It was there that I learned I could make money with it, but I didn't believe it was enough. I didn't believe it could ever be enough, so I continued to work up the ladder at the fast food place I was working part time at when I found this shop.<br />
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I did work my way up to assistant manager, and I was proud of that, but I still wanted to create costumes. The shop dissolved after a few years, the city it was in just wasn't ready for it, and I continued to work hard at the restaurant job, and sew on the side.<br />
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It didn't take long for me to loose the pride in my assistant manager position, and I began to resent it, then hate it. By 2012 I was waking up with the desire to drink before work, and at some moments I was even suicidal. I wanted something that would fill me with joy again, something I was passionate about, but I was told that this is what life is. You wake up, you go to work, you pay your bills, you do it again. You don't have to like what you do, some people are lucky to have that, but as long as you have a job with great money and benefits, you do what you do. In September of 2014 I couldn't stand it anymore. The job was eating my soul, and if I didn't do something I would either end up in a mental ward, or dead. I came home from work one night and sent off my notice.<br />
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I did take another job temporarily. When I started I thought it was perfect. I was working M-F 9-5:30, pay was good for entry level and I had good benefits. I even imagined myself working my way up in the company. But after 6 months I was so bored with it that the dark thoughts crept in again. So in March of 2015 I decided to use the 401k money from my assistant manager job and go out on my own. I would make my business work. I would take that leap and follow my dream and passion.<br />
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I'm going to tell you those first few months were great. I found street fairs to participate in, I expanded my inventory, I created some new items, I bought new marketing, I felt like I was on top of the world. Then my savings started to dwindle. You see I had it in my head that I would start making enough to support myself with in those first 3 months. Surly by 6 months I would be self sufficient, and I had enough money to keep my bills met until then. When it didn't happen by July, I started to get scared.<br />
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Not only was I scared, I felt like I had failed. There was no getting around it, I had to keep my apartment and electric, and since most of my business is done online, internet. I needed the van to get to gigs and clients, but I wasn't bringing in enough money to support that. I had to take a job, but I needed something that would support both my business schedule and my school schedule.<br />
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It was hard to find it. My credit cards were all maxed out, my savings nonexistent, and I even took out a loan (that I had no idea how I would ever pay back) just to keep my nose above water. But I found a job that was a good fit. Retail, but with a company who had a really good message, and at least seemed to care about their people. And best of all, they would work with my schedule and their busy time was my slow time anyway! It felt perfect and my spirits began to rise again...Then came the accident.<br />
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In December 2015, just as I thought I was going to get all of my bills caught up and everything right again, I was hit by another car. What made it worse was that it happened coming home from a Cin City Burlesque show, and they fled the scene. I felt like my whole world came down around me. My van was gone, I had to keep in a rental just to keep what income I had coming, I was getting something from the gofundme page, but just enough to keep me in my rental. I started to worry if I had made the right decision in leaving my fast food job...not that it really made a difference at this point.<br />
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I did end up with a vehicle in January. It's too small to do the outdoor fairs I had been doing, but I can get enough in to do some indoor shows...when I can get the money together to pay the fees for them...And over all, even though I am struggling just to fill my basic needs, and worry every month on if this is the month I can't make my rent, I'm happier than I have been in a long time.<br />
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I got to do my first runway this year, and I poured my heart and soul into my small section of it. And you know what? My designs stopped traffic...literally. I've gotten some international attention from it, and it's all very fulfilling. I'm still struggling, still bobbing my nose just above water, but I'm paddling like hell. </div>
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You see, you hear it all of the time, fallow your passion, do what you love, be what you want to be. And it all sounds so lovely and magical. And you can do it, you can take a leap of faith and dive into it, but what no one tells you is that it is going to be hard. </div>
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We all know some one who is living the life we would like. For me, I'm lucky enough for two of these people to be mentors. But when I sought them out, I didn't know their past. All that I saw was two successful business women living the life that they loved. Able to take trips, plan vacations, go on shopping sprees, pay their bills on time and have a hefty savings and great credit. Seriously, they have it all! And I thought that would be me, with just 6 months of work. What I didn't see was their struggles. I didn't know the years of work behind just getting the ground footing. I didn't see the months of street performances to make enough to eat for a few days. I didn't see the years of training, practicing, networking, and struggle. I thought it just happened. </div>
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I'm still waiting for the big break that opens my wings and lets me soar. I'm struggling, but I'm pushing, and I will thrive. Follow your dreams, do what you're passionate about, but know that's not an easy road. People will laugh at you, they will tell you that you're stupid, to get a real job, but stay true. Keep pushing. I know one day it will happen. And when it does, I'll tell you all about it. </div>
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Photo set above from Drauma 2016 in Columbus Ohio. Theme given to our team (Discord Threads) was The Labyrinth using David Bowie as main inspiration.mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-36011438524306096532016-05-21T06:36:00.003-07:002016-05-21T06:36:53.169-07:00A little Drauma, and a little FundSo for the past few months I've been a little remiss on my blog. I had really high hopes of posting regularly. Then it happened. I was asked to be a part of a team for Drauma. For those of you who do not know what this is, it is this HUGE fashion show/art show/performance thing-a-mabob in Columbus, Ohio. They gather loads of local make up artists, fashion designers, graphic artists, performance artists, DJs, stylists, pretty much anyone who is involved in any sort of artistic field, and they throw them all together, give them a theme and see what happens. This year the theme is a tribute to David Bowie, my team has The Labyrinth.<br />
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Of course my team dubbed me to complete the ballroom scene. Kinda my thing. But I've also been in collaboration with another artist to do up some steampunk goblins.</div>
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So there's my Drauma. My sewing machine has been a buzzing trying to complete everything on time.</div>
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Now the second half of this blog involves a little thing that I found called the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest. </div>
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<a href="http://smallbusinessgrant.fedex.com/Gallery/Detail/daa2c879-aed5-49fe-a3ed-ce75a0d40ee6/?cmp=EMT-1003335-5-1-200-1111110-US-US-EN-SBGCENTRYAPPROV" target="_blank">You can check out my profile here.</a></div>
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Voting goes until June 17th, and you can vote once every 24 hours. The most votes is one of the things they take into consideration when they go to choose the top 100 finalists. </div>
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Now when you only have 500 characters and 90 seconds to tell the world who you are, what you do, and how this grant would impact you, you miss some details. But all you followers and regular readers know a bit more about what this company means to me, how I've utilized a small amount of money to help launch my first wave, and what I could do with up to $25000. </div>
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So help a wench out! And look for me on the runway in Columbus May 26,2016 for Drauma!</div>
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<br />mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-79386607497304091192016-04-01T08:21:00.001-07:002016-04-01T08:21:43.876-07:00Sewing with Vinyl<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lURzk7C7iTg" width="459"></iframe><br /><br />
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Some quick tips from me on making sewing with vinyl a bit easier.mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-89261509294514514192016-03-27T03:34:00.001-07:002016-03-27T03:34:21.156-07:00Reflections before Dawn<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="e0qjd" data-offset-key="8tcam-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span data-offset-key="8tcam-0-0">For some reason my body has decided that 5:45 is the time to wake up this week. This morning I woke up thinking about the past year. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="2tach-0-0">It has been almost exactly a year since I decided to give up the day job and focus on my business. 6 months before that I had left a job that was making me miserable but paid really well. In August my savings was completely depleted and I had to go back to having a day job. This was a really hard transition for me. I felt like a complete failure. It took a few months to realize that the expectations I had set, weren't really how I felt, but how I felt other people viewed what my expectations should be. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="6mq47-0-0">It took a couple of months, but I found a day job that not only fit with my schedule, but also has a very positive message that aligns with my own values. I love this job, everything about it. And it wasn't long before I felt like it was meant to be, and I belonged there. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="cappv-0-0">In December I had another set back when my van was hit by another car. I had only just gotten over the last mental setback when this took every dollar I had left, and then some. It was a long month, and in many ways this took longer for me to get over. I felt violated, like my dream was stolen from me, like I had no choice in it, rather than it a result of my actions. It was a very dark time. </span></div>
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I don't know how I would have come out of that with out the support of my tribe and my mentors, and even at times complete strangers. I think it happening so quickly after just coming to terms with the previous "set back" and it being something that was not my fault, but felt like I was being punished was hard, even over whelming. But I made it through. I have a smaller cart now, so my business plan for the summer has changed greatly, but I've been able to continue doing what I love to do. </div>
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The point of all of this is that my expectations were unrealistic, and not even my expectations. I had in my head that if I did anything that wasn't related to my business, that I wasn't really devoted to my business. That's just bull shit. It really is a ridiculous notion that you are not a "true" artist (or what ever) if you do not live off nothing but what your art brings in. Am I willing to starve for my work, absolutely, but I'd really rather not if I can help it. It's hard to run a sewing machine from a cardboard house. </div>
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Running a business is hard. It takes a good while before you can expect to be in the positive, let alone live solely off of it. I have to work a little harder to balance my business, the day job, and going to school, but it just means that I appreciate the results that much more. Sometimes life doesn't go to plan, so you have to draft a new one. </div>
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mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-61042924620125159472016-03-26T05:05:00.002-07:002016-03-26T05:05:24.241-07:00Playing Dress up with my live dolls<div style="text-align: center;">
I love playing dress up. I also love dressing up other people. And I love the people who let me dress them up. </div>
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Some people just inspire me. Like this piece worn by the woman who inspired it. Ginger LeSnapps is a brilliant woman, Boss Lady, and Co-founder of Cin City Burlesque. She's one of those people who, when she believes in you, she does so with her whole self. I've been fortunate enough to have this woman as an inspiration and mentor in my life, and from time to time I get to play dress up with her. </div>
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I can't really describe the feeling of putting some one into a vision that you had of them. Especially when it comes together as beautifully as this did. It's like seeing their soul, and then putting it on the outside. </div>
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I will never stop stressing the importance of adult play. I whole heartily believe in it. So take some time out today to color, swing, play a sport, or play dress up. </div>
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mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-39419687320795533682016-02-18T09:14:00.001-08:002016-02-18T09:14:20.420-08:00Be your best selfNow I will freely admit that I've been guilty of looking at other people and going, "man I wish I had her life." I really never expected some one to say that about me. Well, my mom has a time or two, but I tend to throw that in with the whole being my mom bit. <div>
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The thing about envying other people's life is that, you only ever see what they show you. My life is far from glamorous. I left a very financially comfortable position to struggle every day to do something that I love. I work hard just to make the basic needs to keep myself fed, clothed and sheltered. I don't keep normal hours, I can work 100 hours in a week and not make a dollar. You don't see the nights that I am so filled with worry about making my rent that I'm curled in a ball desperately looking over my possessions for something to sell. You don't see the meals I cut in half to make go further. You don't see me waking at 7am and not getting to bed until after midnight, then up again at 5 in order to keep costumes on track, work the day job, and go to classes. </div>
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You do not see what struggles and demons a person fights every day, but I'll admit that I fell into this too. When I left the well paying job and began the struggle to make my costume business grow, I looked to some successful women around me as inspiration. But when after a few weeks my savings was getting smaller and I was just getting by, I didn't understand what I was doing wrong. I looked at these successful women and said, "Why is my road so much harder?" </div>
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It took one of my mentors to point out that I'm comparing myself to the finished product, not the starting model. This person I was comparing myself to started in a similar spot, she built her business, but she doesn't just do one business either. She has side jobs too. I needn't be embarrassed by needing help, we all do. And I can't compare myself to an end product, I'm just beginning. </div>
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The bottom line is don't try to live up to an idea of what some one else is, You don't know what shit it took to get their grass so green. </div>
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mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-33165074842928898112016-01-31T11:40:00.003-08:002016-01-31T11:40:50.934-08:00New item is putting a bustle in my stepI love working on new things, and when I came across these I just had to make one... or a dozen.<br />
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These simple bustles are so much fun to make, and I can't wait to wear them!<br />
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Besides these fun Star Wars and Doctor Who themes, I'm working on some holidays and more formal looking bustles.<br />
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Follow what's new on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Mladys-Coutorier-333197550592/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel" target="_blank">Facebook </a>page, or on <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/MladysCoutorier?ref=hdr_shop_menu" target="_blank">Etsy </a>or the <a href="http://mkt.com/mladys-coutorier" target="_blank">Online Market</a>.mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-82456165427233349982016-01-15T06:22:00.000-08:002016-01-15T06:22:01.608-08:00Something you may not know about me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have quite a few social phobias. Anything that involves talking on the phone to a stranger takes me up to a week to get the nerve up to do. I don't like going out unless I know at least one person that I can use as an anchor all night. I'm also rather shy, and big groups take a lot out of me.<br />
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This shocks quite a few people who have seen me "work a crowd". The truth is, I don't work the crowd, The Sewing Wench does. It doesn't take much to get me into that persona, but every event that I work where I'm selling my stuff, it's The Sewing Wench you interact with.<br />
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It really isn't that shocking when you consider that I'm the first internet generation. We learned that we could be social with out having to show our true selves. We didn't need to face the rejection because while we did have winners, we also had participation ribbons. If you participated, you weren't a looser. You weren't a winner, but you're not a looser either.<br />
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The truth is, becoming The Sewing Wench is kind of like staying behind that computer screen. They don't have to see ME, and it's her they reject, not me. This is why I always support cos-play. My generation and the ones after me haven't grown up in the social worlds as the ones before. Hell even dating is digital and you no longer have to face the person who might reject you, you just send an email and if they don't respond, you can tell yourself all kinds of things. It's kind of like that participation ribbon. If they don't tell you "no" then you participated so no losers here.<br />
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I think that's what most of my social anxiety and phobias come from. That fear of rejection. I didn't have to practice it as a youngster. I was never forced to put myself out there. It also wouldn't surprise me if that's what a lot of the kids my age say their social anxiety stems from too. No one likes to be rejected, but in generations past you had to face it, so the sting was a bit less. Kind of like building up a tolerance for something. If you experience it enough, the effect dull out.<br />
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There are occasions now where I can't hide behind my alter ego. And what I can't wiggle out of I have to face. It takes me a while to do this. I prep and practice what I need to say, and write out a script, but eventually it gets done. And I'm the better for it.<br />
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So don't scoff at that person who always wears Wonder Woman socks, or the guy who wears the Micheal Jackson jacket everywhere. You never know what villains they are fighting in their life.mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-28615555362166346322016-01-03T18:56:00.001-08:002016-01-03T18:56:33.728-08:00Ending the year with a Bang...Literally On Dec. 5th 2015 I was on my way home from vending at the Cin City Burlesque show when the back end of my van was smashed into by another car.<br />
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Because it was an older van, the damage was more than the value, so insurance called it a total loss. Oh yeah, the driver of the other car fled the scene because they did not have a valid license or insurance. There is still some debate on whether it was the drunk fella or the girl driving, but the girl is the one being charged. </div>
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This accident really took a lot out of me. I realized just how fragile my confidence can be. This hasn't been an easy case to handle, it's been a fight at every turn. For the first two weeks I posted a daily update on my gofundme page (gofundme.com/NewCart). Not only was this a way for me to ask (plead) for help, but it was also a bit therapeutic. It gave me a chance to voice to the world every step forward and every hurdle that I had to leap as it came. </div>
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But the other thing that this experience taught me is that I am my biggest obstacle. I would get so into my own head, so into everything that was going wrong, that I couldn't work myself up and stopped doing the things that made me happy. </div>
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I could have been working on more costumes, after the injuries were pretty much on the mend. I could have put a lot more effort into getting things on ebay and such. But I didn't. I stood in my own way a good portion of the time. </div>
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I have let myself get in my own way a few times. I've been scared that something was too big for me, so I didn't go after it. But realizing that you're hurting yourself, is a great start. Now it's time to do something about it. </div>
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No excuses. No "poor me" attitude. I have stuff that needs to be done so by golly it will get done. No one is going to drop a corset company in my lap. I have to make it happen. </div>
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Last year was a great start to making this come true. The year ended very rough, but I survived, and now that I am in January (and have my school reimbursement check because I still don't have the insurance money) I can but my effort into striving, not just surviving. </div>
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I may have lost my way in December. I may have let doubt cloud my path. But today is a new day, new month, new year and a new chance to make things happen. </div>
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mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-24053224766750162942015-10-19T11:50:00.001-07:002015-10-19T11:50:07.003-07:00Pricing shit is hard...For those of you who would rather watch a video than read, <a href="https://youtu.be/NquWSGhPXvU" target="_blank">here's a video.</a><br />
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This post, and the video, comes about because of a few different conversations that I have had with people over the past few months. One is, "why is your stuff so much more expensive" or more accurately "you charge how much?!?" and two, "what do you think I should sell (insert product) for?"<br />
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We can answer both conversations with the same blog (or video if you have now stopped reading and gone off to youtube). There is a method to how I price my items. It's something that has taken me a few years to hone in on, but this is what works for me.<br />
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Now there are some standard methods, like materials x 2 or materials x 3. I've also seen: materials + labor = cost x 2 = whole sale x 2= retail. Let me tell you, if I did that, my corsets would retail for $500 for the cheap ones. These methods did give me a place to start, but to get into my final groove, there is a little more math involved.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuStpFJ4RTFlrOcTdbXLJ6XYkliCxGwjQJ6ZPkJr5GPnsWMAhx1lXuGyRpL_SHqafMu6J-MmAxxLXEGpzcUcjeZp0WqmEM3hrlxWfjTI3xbU1XLSKMWim5NuwcIXVjCYnP3fo6H9YSydaW/s1600/fabric.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuStpFJ4RTFlrOcTdbXLJ6XYkliCxGwjQJ6ZPkJr5GPnsWMAhx1lXuGyRpL_SHqafMu6J-MmAxxLXEGpzcUcjeZp0WqmEM3hrlxWfjTI3xbU1XLSKMWim5NuwcIXVjCYnP3fo6H9YSydaW/s320/fabric.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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To start, I like to build a spreadsheet in Excel. You can do this by hand, or with any other program, I just find an Excel spreadsheet to be the easiest. </div>
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Now we have to figure expenses. Materials are pretty easy to sort out. I use a column for each material and put in the cost. Example I have a column for fabric type, next would be "price per yard" followed by "yardage used" and then "total fabric cost." I break down each material this way until I have all of my materials. Then total material. </div>
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Next section is labor. This is the amount that you will pay yourself when each item is sold. (material funds go back to restock those materials). Price your labor at a fair rate. You wouldn't work for some one else for less than min wage, don't work for yourself for less. For most art types, $11.50-$15/hour is the going rate. So in this section you will have "labor $", "labor time", and "labor total"</div>
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So now we have our material cost and our labor cost, and you can stop here, but if you want to build your business, you need to also add in profit. There are several ways to do this, but I start at 1.5 x (material cost + labor cost). From there I can decide if I need to charge more or less. </div>
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Let's put that math to work. Let's say we've done all of the math and our item costs $5 in materials and takes us 1 hour to make. For this example we are going to use $11.50 as our labor rate. Just in materials and labor we are at $16.50. Now multiply that by 1.5 and we have $24.75. Now we will look at our item and decide if we think that is too much, or too little and adjust accordingly. When our item is sold, we use $5 to restock, $11.50 goes in our pocket, and $8.25 is used to build the business. This could me doing other art shows, paying for advertising, buying different materials, etc. </div>
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Short hand: restock materials + pay yourself + build the business = sell price</div>
<br />mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-47500893610761203522015-10-04T04:57:00.001-07:002015-10-04T04:57:25.978-07:00Inside the Mind of Adult Dress-up<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzt2MWfT3XYtHvepC_KJZLm9ZmFReu6Ig-MM6L4r3w6GwZdKZmgiT0drO_uaNLUvZXZHNOozYpY_z38h5HgvO-V9MNEZ2SoGfQ00ASr19PNq9bhvTA86PdWsceyxYoY4CjjWwaUfDipXa/s1600/10411416_10152458189657253_4915217808468477028_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzt2MWfT3XYtHvepC_KJZLm9ZmFReu6Ig-MM6L4r3w6GwZdKZmgiT0drO_uaNLUvZXZHNOozYpY_z38h5HgvO-V9MNEZ2SoGfQ00ASr19PNq9bhvTA86PdWsceyxYoY4CjjWwaUfDipXa/s320/10411416_10152458189657253_4915217808468477028_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugar Plum, Ginger LeSnapps, and Sassy Frass as The Sanderson Sisters.<br />Costumes by Mlady's Coutorier<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">Yesterday I had a different friend help me at an event. This was her first time with me out in my world. A couple of hours in, she commented that I really knew how to "work the people" and get them interested. I told her, "I really don't. It's all The Sewing Wench."</span></div>
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You see, as my friends will tell you, I'm naturally a very shy person. Almost afraid of my own shadow shy. My mom made my doctor appointments until I was 28, shy. But The Sewing Wench, she's not the least bit shy, after all she makes all of her money on you buying her wares.<br />
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When I go to events, I always dress as The Sewing Wench, whether it is a full costume, a pair of wrap pants, or a corset with jeans, if I'm going to a place where I know there is potential for people to be interested in what I do, I will dress as The Sewing Wench dresses. And it is the simple act of dressing the part that makes me so out going and feel safe to talk to people. People make me nervous, crowds are draining, and when an event is over and I get undressed and into regular clothes, I feel as if the life force has been sucked out of me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophie the Washer Wench with The Sewing Wench at Ohio Renaissance Festival<br /></td></tr>
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Becoming The Sewing Wench allows me to forget my fears. I don't fear rejection, I don't fear strangers, I don't even fear people thinking I look stupid, or I'm making an ass of myself. She can do and say things that I would normally have that little voice in my head going, "what if some one laughs at you?" or "what if they say no?" The Sewing Wench doesn't even have these thoughts pop into her head. Dress as a sheep at a dog and cat rescue event and walk up to people saying "baaaa"? Doesn't even bat an eye. And you know what? I had so much fun doing it. <div>
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This is one of the things with all of these adults you see playing dress up. A lot of them are socially awkward, have some sort of social phobia/anxiety, and/or have been social outcasts in their lives. Pretending to be some one else for a while allows them to do things that that little voice in their head would normally scare them out of doing. When people interact with their character, they get to experience the world in a way that they may not normally get to do, for one reason or another. </div>
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It really is no different than how you feel with you go from everyday clothes to work clothes, or party clothes, or dressy clothes. What you wear can change your whole attitude for the day/evening. You may say, "oh I'm always the same person," but your language changes, your posture changes or in some cases your attitude may even change based on where you are going, what you are doing and in turn what you are wearing. </div>
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This is also why I love getting women in to proper fitting corsets. You can see their personality change right before your eyes. The corset forces them to stand taller, it forces your back to be straighter, this in turn causes you to keep your head elevated. You look more confident, so people treat you as if you are more confident, and this in turn gives you confidence. It really is a beautiful thing. </div>
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All of this is my experience only. I'm not even sure if there have been scientific studies on the relationship between how one dresses and how one's confidence/attitude changes. It would be an interesting study to conduct. Most of this is stuff that goes on in my own head when I get dressed up, or what I've personally witnessed. So while I can't claim scientific fact, my hunch is I'm on to something with this, and I hope it helps you to understand a bit better why I may have flirted with you at the burlesque show for 20 minutes, but I have no idea who you are when you see me at the grocery store 3 weeks later.<br /><br /><br /></div>
mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-25754275389726487162015-09-12T06:45:00.001-07:002015-09-12T09:32:34.004-07:00The difference between custom and "off the rack"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So I wanted to take a moment to explain why I don't keep a lot of different corsets in a lot of different sizes, and it hit me, I have the perfect examples to illustrate this!</div>
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVwvWlkANpx_mE07H_31WKwwF1RtIPkxR0Qh1X5j-ZVPk1d6LlqLr0Rxmd7utbt6jw6pyOOrWcNTlwAMGKMiiIe6ZcMEFCHQAu9zzieyn_NZr7wFDDVNvIPRSj83xm8AYpRF9v3i-6P3g/s320/CE2A9863C24web.jpg" width="212" /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VgQIHDx3w2I/VW8QANvphMI/AAAAAAAABzo/1YHCMyk98Tc/s1600/CE2A1732C24web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VgQIHDx3w2I/VW8QANvphMI/AAAAAAAABzo/1YHCMyk98Tc/s320/CE2A1732C24web.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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On the left (or top depending on how the html decides to play on your screen) is a corset made from "off the rack" measurements. I did not adjust anything to the pattern. This is just your standard "42 inch waist" corset. On the right (or bottom) is one that I altered to fit my measurements exactly. </div>
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Take a good look at these two photos. While the red one is beautiful, you can see some stark differences.</div>
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<li>Take a look at that waist in the red one. There is only a slight curve there.</li>
<li>Looking at the bust, from front on, I kind of flatten out a bit.</li>
<li>Again at the bust, I kind of have a bit of a muffin top rather than smooth round humps.</li>
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Now compare that to the purple:</div>
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<li>We see a sharp indent at my waist, making it very well defined</li>
<li>the bust is rounded out and holding all of me</li>
<li>Rather than muffin tops, we now see lovely rounded mounds over top of the corset, along with signs of more cleavage (the chemise kind of blocks this for the most part)</li>
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And this ladies and gentlemen, is why I only keep a handful of samples and instead dedicate myself to making custom corsets. </div>
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While I love the red one, it just isn't as comfortable as the purple. With the purple corset, I sometimes forget that I even have a corset on (until I go to reach for something!). It fits me like a second skin and becomes apart of me. In contrast, the red one feels very forced, and honestly it doesn't flatter me as well. </div>
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There is just something about having my natural curves highlighted that makes me feel more confident and sexy. This is my shape. I haven't been tight-lacing or waist training to get this figure. My natural measurements are 54-43-53 (as of 9/5/15... I have them posted in my Corset Making 101 DVD and I believe they were a bit different then) Compare that to the <a href="http://butterick.mccall.com/women-s-women-s-petite-pages-463.php" target="_blank">Butterick Size Chart </a> which only allows a 5-6 inch difference between bust and waist and has hips 2 inches larger than bust (where I'm an inch smaller). These are "off the rack" measurements. </div>
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It is the pushing you into standard measurements that makes a corset feel uncomfortable, flatten you in places you want plump, and just generally does not give you the corset shape you want. I can do that, but I'd rather highlight your natural shape, and show you what YOU look like, not what the corset looks like. </div>
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I hope this gives you a better understanding of why I don't carry a mass amount of different sized corsets when I'm at a show. Rather than a quick sale, I'm looking to satisfy my customer and build life long relationships. Corsets should be uplifting, not restricting. </div>
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<br />mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-39764439435819862782015-09-07T06:58:00.001-07:002015-09-07T06:58:32.914-07:00Spreading the word and learning a new art. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjGc2TejaFyAZCJR7mAQH60CQUYfdj6qBirGJ-1mb6GbuKgsCqrPOYAK2Mjvy2VeFhjhQ4Kc_Iv41pyEjqJrJghbEMsBRO2rLMHw1W38woDXlGYRrvHf3Bc9S2R1rEdiicw-tSyJ7cVD0/s1600/CE2A9846C24web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjGc2TejaFyAZCJR7mAQH60CQUYfdj6qBirGJ-1mb6GbuKgsCqrPOYAK2Mjvy2VeFhjhQ4Kc_Iv41pyEjqJrJghbEMsBRO2rLMHw1W38woDXlGYRrvHf3Bc9S2R1rEdiicw-tSyJ7cVD0/s320/CE2A9846C24web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This Summer I took on a project that sounded so simple. Turn my Corset Making 101 class into a DVD. How hard can it be? Right? Right?<br />
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WOW!!! What a summer!</h4>
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The first obstacle was to come up with a story board. I have a lesson plan for live classes, but having some one live asking questions, and being able to "read the room" is very different from looking into a camera. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTChKF6CfQ9HbDt6manigxSlIfG7d6gikfHgGZK89Wi4ORhIfebBRejmN881ynTsnMW06HsqsAbDRTMbKu03T7yE2vfulQQtcTQUovAJsowkJz66ztD2QM0jFX05yWInDSi5PaGVfGxMq/s1600/2014-10-11+18.22.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTChKF6CfQ9HbDt6manigxSlIfG7d6gikfHgGZK89Wi4ORhIfebBRejmN881ynTsnMW06HsqsAbDRTMbKu03T7yE2vfulQQtcTQUovAJsowkJz66ztD2QM0jFX05yWInDSi5PaGVfGxMq/s320/2014-10-11+18.22.30.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Looking into the camera was another difficult bit. Remembering to look up, smile, and be mindful of where my hands were while sewing to make sure the camera could see what I was doing... well, it's a lot! </div>
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But I survived the filming. I thought that was the worst... until the editing started. </div>
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Now I don't have a terrible self image. I'm pretty comfortable in my own skin, but watching myself on film was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Not only did I nit-pick EVERYTHING from my voice inflection to my hand gestures, to what I was wearing, but I also felt very self conscience. I just wanted everything to be perfect. </div>
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As we've continued on, my videographer/editor has reminded me that I'm a seamstress, not an actress, and that coming across on the video is not a bad thing. I don't have to be perfect. I know what I'm doing and that shows. If I trip on my words, or roll my eyes, it just makes me more personable. It's what makes me The Sewing Wench. </div>
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This project has taken a lot more than just my time and understanding. It takes money, and that is slowly running out. </div>
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If you'd like to help support a one woman corset factory, there are a few ways you can help me make this project see its full potential. </div>
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<ol>
<li>GoFundMe campaign here: http://www.gofundme.com/7h3m6z2k for direct donations</li>
<li>Buy the pre-sell of the DVD here: <a class="l-item-library-link-url type-prose-line-height" data-bindattr-6298="6298" href="http://mkt.com/mladys-coutorier/corset-making-dvd-pre-sale" style="background-color: #fafafa; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3ba8de; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4; outline: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; word-break: break-word;" target="_blank">http://mkt.com/mladys-coutorier/corset-making-dvd-pre-sale</a></li>
<li>Purchase anything from the website or the Etsy page</li>
<li>Spread the word through Twitter, Facebook Google+, Pinterest, or any other social media or email/word of mouth</li>
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Sometimes getting the word out is just as important as direct donations. Having the right word get to the right person can have a huge impact. </div>
mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-37445883717728870912015-08-24T04:47:00.001-07:002015-08-24T04:47:07.001-07:00So you now have your corset...Now what?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been on a rant lately over what a corset is and isn't, but it has recently been brought to light that many people don't understand what to do with a corset once they get it as far as care.<br />
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First of all, let me say this. a tight lacing corset is like a bra or any lingerie really, it's meant to be replaced every six months. Now we all have that bra that we have had for years that's just more comfortable, and I'm not saying that it's not possible to extend the life, I'm just saying this is what to keep in mind. Now six months is considering you wear your corset like a bra, at least 12 hours a day, so if you only wear it for special occasions, you're already extending the life.<br />
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Why such a relatively short time? Fabric. Honestly, the fabric of the corset will wear out long before you will break any bones. I have recycled many a corset's insides because of this fact. The same goes for bras and that teddy. Fabric has a limited life span. Period. <br />
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Here are ways that you can extend the life of your corset: </div>
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<li><b>Washing</b></li>
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<li>This seems like a no-brain-er but I'm going to start with this. You should not be throwing your corset in the washing machine and dyer. I am guilty of this, and I do it with my bras too, but the process is very hard on the fabric and will shrink the life of your item.</li>
<li>Instead, gently hand wash your corset (an bras!) with a mild detergent and leave flat to dry. </li>
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<li><b>Multiples</b></li>
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<li>If you do intend to wear your corset every day, it is a good idea to have more than one. This way you can switch them out for washing, as well as give one a brake. </li>
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<li><b>What's underneath?</b></li>
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<li>It's a good idea to invest in some tube tops or tank tops to go under your corset if you are not wearing it over something already. I've always been one of those people who thought, "why bother?" when told this, because I don't wear one under my bra, so why my corset? </li>
<li>This again comes down to the fabric. All day you sweat, you shed, you secrete, your body has a whole mess of chemical processes going on through out the day. All of that gets into the fabric and eats at it. It doesn't make much of a difference what the fabric is, eventually your body will break it down. Having something between your skin and the corset, helps slow this process down. </li>
<li>Think of it like a mattress cover. It keeps all that human gunk from seeping in a bit longer. </li>
</ul>
<li><b>Putting on and Removing</b></li>
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<li>I have heard several people say that they want to lace up the corset and then just leave the laces and be able to put it on and off laced up. </li>
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<li style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">THIS IS EXTREMELY BAD!!!!</span></li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">You should always loosen a corset before taking it off. 1) It gives your body time to adjust back to "normal" shaping. You are pushing around fat, organs, and any other squishy bits when you lace up your corset. Your body needs time to adjust them back and get used to the feel of things again. Failing to do this could make you sick, dizzy or even pass out. And 2) It's really bad for the fabric. Just like your body needs time to adjust, the fabric does too. Fabric (though it is very tight these days) is still a woven fiber. When that fiber is stretched, it needs time to adjust back, or it could rip. It will weaken. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">And putting a corset on is work enough, trying to put it on while it is tight is like trying to squeeze yourself into a pair of skinny jeans that's a size too small. It may be possible, but it is going to take a lot more effort, and won't look as good. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Instead, if you live alone like I do, or other wise do not have a person dedicated to dressing you every morning, buy extra long laces. This will help you keep the laces tight as you work up and down the corset to get the proper fit. It may not fit exactly the same as having some one lace you up, but it will fit better than trying to squeeze into it once it is already laced, and (maybe more importantly) it will extend the life of your corset) </li>
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<li>Storing</li>
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<li>You really should store your corset flat if at all possible. Not fully extended and unlaced, but the busk released and laces folded so that both fabric pieces can lay flat. </li>
<li>If you don't have room for that, the next best thing is to keep the busk latched, fold it at the side seams as you would wear it, then fold those sides in to meet the middle. Don't forces it, allow it to do it's thing. </li>
<li>If you absolutely must hang it, repeat the flat position of step one, and slide the hanger so that the laces are what's resting on it. Laces are cheap and easily replaced if they miss shape, your corset isn't. Hangers are also very mean to fabric. </li>
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If you do these things, you should be able to extend the life of your corset. I do have a few that I have had for 6-7 years. These are ones that I only wear occasionally. 3 years is about the longest I've had a regular use corset go before the fabric started to rip. This is compared to the 5-8 months before I have to toss a bra out. This isn't something you are going to buy one of and never have to buy another. So invest wisely, and take care of your corset!</div>
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<br />mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-34645906828016563762015-08-18T05:08:00.001-07:002015-08-18T05:08:42.583-07:00Love yourself anew Recently I shared <a href="https://www.thelingerieaddict.com/2015/08/can-i-wear-a-corset.html" target="_blank">this article</a> on my<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mladys-Coutorier/333197550592" target="_blank"> Facebook page</a>. I love every word of it mainly because I can relate to so much of it. But I wanted to add my take on it.<br />
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The reason this topic speaks so close to my heart at this time is that I was surrounded by this very notion at my last event. "I'm too boxy" "I have no waist" "I have too much hip" "I never can find a corset that fits me properly"<br />
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<span style="color: lime;"><b>DING! DING!DING! </b></span></h2>
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This is exactly the point. There are beautiful corsets out there on the market that you can get off the rack and have a lovely night out it, but they are not going to fit you the way a custom made corset will.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hum_1d_yy-g/UZQ62_mQJ7I/AAAAAAAAAxo/bY5L5tdh_tk/s1600/100_0854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hum_1d_yy-g/UZQ62_mQJ7I/AAAAAAAAAxo/bY5L5tdh_tk/s320/100_0854.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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The thing about a corset made to your measurements by a skilled corset maker is that it will fit you like no other piece of clothing you have ever had. The point isn't to change your body (though that is an entire method and can be the point, but it's not the main one so never mind that) no, think of a corset more like other shape-ware. Like control top pantyhose for your whole torso.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5NcgrkhkTLqzI6EFLSEcmxw7II5ApEUY8XXppphbqpsRl3_GsSy6sSDnk_s2Kdws8DUACSNhbFNUtVt_TPESEawHOMe7QukIL5-tO0vRmVFBO3CYMwXhSWOEMEdKCOgakSh1X6b9QBzg/s1600/2014-10-11+18.22.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5NcgrkhkTLqzI6EFLSEcmxw7II5ApEUY8XXppphbqpsRl3_GsSy6sSDnk_s2Kdws8DUACSNhbFNUtVt_TPESEawHOMe7QukIL5-tO0vRmVFBO3CYMwXhSWOEMEdKCOgakSh1X6b9QBzg/s320/2014-10-11+18.22.23.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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A corset should feel like an extension of your body. It should hug your natural shape like Saran wrap on the roll. It should be an empowering experience that shows you all that you have to love.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hptVu28TW_Y/VW8JnSYm5NI/AAAAAAAABzY/9jFQA2AttRA/s1600/10531047_10204407373886788_769925561_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hptVu28TW_Y/VW8JnSYm5NI/AAAAAAAABzY/9jFQA2AttRA/s320/10531047_10204407373886788_769925561_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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We are all shaped differently. We all squish differently. A corset hand made for you by a maker will squish you properly so that it is comfortable and support you. Think about it, if a garment holds your body in better posture, literally forces you to stand tall and hold your chin up, how can you do anything but feel absolutely fabulous? It's impossible....well maybe not impossible, but it certainly takes some effort.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxI5mm2UitfVmuIlXNY0gU8x00jR44TqwBrfZyfhSExJJvPP3qI6nty2sPQw0PEQxNYd4jYv6dmCrZzK1T8AegbNaGCszmU3Xjc6KwWQnxjJFvChxl8jogbZ9ld3ucSNDlhiGO_GnA0aN/s1600/CE2A2072C24web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxI5mm2UitfVmuIlXNY0gU8x00jR44TqwBrfZyfhSExJJvPP3qI6nty2sPQw0PEQxNYd4jYv6dmCrZzK1T8AegbNaGCszmU3Xjc6KwWQnxjJFvChxl8jogbZ9ld3ucSNDlhiGO_GnA0aN/s320/CE2A2072C24web.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Having a corset hand made to you is not cheap by any means, but it is well worth every cent. There are a lot of things that goes into shaping a corset to your body, a lot of skill, a lot of work, special tools and materials. I tell everyone I meet that it is an experience that you should treat yourself to at least once in your life. And that comes not from some one who makes her living off of other people having this experience, but as some one who wears corsets and knows the feeling of having that support even when it is hard to hold your head up on your own.mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-12531991192790622202015-08-05T14:02:00.002-07:002015-08-05T14:02:13.236-07:00Counting my blessings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NUsFM2pNDqc/VcJ3fmsNTLI/AAAAAAAACH4/x6SeCMBRiYY/s1600/CE2A9846C24web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NUsFM2pNDqc/VcJ3fmsNTLI/AAAAAAAACH4/x6SeCMBRiYY/s320/CE2A9846C24web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This summer hasn't been all that I expected it to, but I do have a lot to be thankful for. I have some really amazing friends and mentors, people who I know support me and dream big for me when I can't seem to quite see it. Those people are worth more to me than I can even express.<br />
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I have made some progress with my costumes and corsets. My website is up (mladys-coutorier.com/wordpress) and I even have shopping available there. Then there are the models, photographers, and agencies around the world requesting some of my pieces for photo-shoots and publicity. How freaking cool is that!<br />
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And right now I have a cold, and I feel miserable, but it will pass. I may be lethargic for a couple of days, feel gross, not get a lot done, but it will pass. Over all, I am healthy. My ears may ring like wedding bells from time to time, but I can still do all of the things that I want/need to do. This is really hitting me today. I have friends and acquaintances who are not experiencing this. Simple things hurt or are difficult even impossible for them to accomplish, and yet they still get out there and try. So I'm greatful that my little cold will pass and I am only out for a fraction of a week. I'm not sure that I would have the same positive outlook or even be able to project a positive face, if the things I love became too difficult or painful for me to do anymore.<br />
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So here's to friends closer than family. To good health. And to biting life in the ass every day.mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-44484098041490789982015-06-08T06:31:00.003-07:002015-08-24T04:52:49.295-07:00Breath, girl! Breath!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VgQIHDx3w2I/VW8QANvphMI/AAAAAAAABzo/1YHCMyk98Tc/s1600/CE2A1732C24web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VgQIHDx3w2I/VW8QANvphMI/AAAAAAAABzo/1YHCMyk98Tc/s320/CE2A1732C24web.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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This weekend while I was at an event, I had several people make comments about how they liked the look of corsets, but they liked breathing more. Or there were others who told me about a show they watched, or something they saw on the internet where this person laced their corset up tight enough to make their waist 20" or something incredibly tight. And this seems to be what people think corsets are for, and why they avoid them. Uh, no!</div>
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Tight lacing is one reason to wear a corset, but it is not the only reason. I have had people in the past come to me for corsets to help ease back trouble upon doctor recommendation. One of my top reasons for wearing a corset is that they are so much more supportive than a bra, and less stress on my shoulders and back. Like I said in a past post, you don't have to lace your corset to the point where you can't breath, in fact, you shouldn't lace it to that point. </div>
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Well, if the point isn't to lace as tight as you can stand it, then what is tight lacing? Tight lacing is a process, it is a commitment, and it's not something you just jump in and out of. The idea is to slowly mold your form, not all at once. Here are the basic points:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Your corset should be worn 23 hours a day</li>
<ul>
<li>This is what I mean by commitment. If you are tight lacing, the only time you should take the corset off is to shower or bathe. That means that you eat, sleep, and go about your day with the corset on.</li>
<ul>
<li>Note: This again takes building into. You can't go from never wearing a corset to wearing it 23 hours a day, 7 days a week. Start with 3-5 hours a day and build up every week or two until you are at goal. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>Go SLOW</li>
<ul>
<li>The first corset you buy to tight lace should almost fit your body exactly. The best way to get the proper fit is to pull the tape measure tightly when you take your measurements. This is how your corset should fit. It should be comfortable, and you should be able to go about your daily activities with out much (if any) resistance. </li>
<li>From here you can move down. Most corset makers will put a little room to shrink into your corset (covered by a modesty panel). Usually this is only 1-2 inches. Leave those inches until you get used to the fit you're in. As that becomes comfortable, lace a bit tighter until you get to the point the corset is too big. Then you buy the next size down. </li>
<li>That process can take 6-9months at a time between corsets. Again, go slow, don't rush it, or you can do some damage. Your body needs time to adjust. </li>
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<li>Buy quality</li>
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<li>as I've mentioned before, if you are going to tight lace, you need to buy a quality corset designed for tight lacing and made to your measurements. We all squish differently and we're all shaped slightly differently. Buying a generic corset based only on your waist measurement is not going to fit everyone the same, and therefor will not only squish differently, but it could be dangerous to use in that way. No one likes cracked ribs.</li>
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<li>Don't go half way</li>
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<li>Proper waist training is not going to happen in a day. It's also not going to happen if you decide to take every other day off, or wear your corset on occasion. If that's all you want, that's great, corsets are fun! But don't expect lasting results, and stick to the rules. </li>
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Wear your corset comfortably. And breath!</div>
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mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-34278091232335306092015-06-03T07:35:00.000-07:002015-06-03T07:36:37.258-07:00I don't think that word means what you think it means...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeiD1Y2hxkz-jGjLi8rYXHlbJJ3h2N6SjFXhH4Ffw6kRzRJAjhi1t51hr0KeTRxZAeVINhZp90_niYDd1VYC3uZGNyhDNJfK-63_wUD0v-v1Ous4PJGqJw2O2-iRWqp_kWQeqJvFHSIzKt/s1600/10531047_10204407373886788_769925561_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeiD1Y2hxkz-jGjLi8rYXHlbJJ3h2N6SjFXhH4Ffw6kRzRJAjhi1t51hr0KeTRxZAeVINhZp90_niYDd1VYC3uZGNyhDNJfK-63_wUD0v-v1Ous4PJGqJw2O2-iRWqp_kWQeqJvFHSIzKt/s320/10531047_10204407373886788_769925561_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lovely Jess W. Pinup Model in the Mz. Wright corset, a tight lacing corset that she inspired.</td></tr>
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Anyone who spends more than five minutes with me will know that I have a huge pet peeve with what manufacturers call a corset these days.<br />
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Just because it has laces does not make it a corset. If it were that simple, my shoes could be called corsets.<br />
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It has also become trend to make sure everything is steel boned. Yes, this is important, and all of my corsets, corsellets, bodices, and cinchers have steel boning, but the type of boning is just as important.<br />
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So let me lay out a few ground rules for you so that your heart won't be broken hearted when that $20 steel boned corset 1) doesn't fit you the way you had thought it would and/or 2) rips after trying to lace it to as tight as you can stand or 3) the bones snap or bend out of shape.<br />
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Rule 1: Know what it is you are looking for<br />
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When I say "corset" to you, what do you think of? Are you looking for something that will take your waist down several inches? How long do you intend to wear it? Is this something you want for every day or just to break out on special evenings? When you do wear it, will it be on for an hour? two? five? twenty three? </div>
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These are all very important questions to ask yourself before even looking for a corset, because your answers will change not only the price range you are looking at, but the basic construction and essentials to the garment. </div>
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If you want something to wear for a few hours at a time that will give you a bit of shaping and the lacing look that is iconic to corsetry, then by all means, buy what ever you find for $20 bucks BUT do not expect it to be able to take your waist down 2+ inches. </div>
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On the other hand if you are looking for something that will slim your lines this is not going to cut it. Unless otherwise stated, from here on out we're going to go based off of the assumption that we are shopping for something that fits into the latter category. </div>
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Rule 2: Look for layers</div>
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Before we get into bones (which yes are very important) I want to talk a bit about the layers of a corset. </div>
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My own very first corset had a single layer. It was lovely, and I loved it, but it would not hold up to tight lacing, and the shaping was very minimal. So again, if you just want something that will give you the look of a corset, with out the support, stability, or contouring of a tight lacing corset, then this is a fine option for you, but that's not what we are after. </div>
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So what you do want for a tight lacing corset (one that really is what everyone thinks of when they say "corset") is at least three layers. The corset should have an outer pretty layer that is not made of anything stretchy, next at least one inner core layer made of a sturdy fabric, and the lining layer. For the lining I prefer cotton because it breaths, it's easy to clean, and it's light, but other fabrics can be okay. </div>
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Rule 3: The bones of the issue<br />
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I HATE plastic bones. I understand that they do have their place, such as in bodices that just need light support. I can get that. What I can't understand is why anyone would put them in a corset. Next to single lace layers being called corsets, this is probably my biggest pet peeve. The problem with plastic boning is that as it heats up to your body temperature, it softens. This allows it to mold to what ever position you are in (which for me was usually sitting, so the bottom of my corset would bubble upwards at every opportunity), they also pucker when soft, and just plain loose most of their stability and integrity. A huge issue for shape-ware.<br />
Since the issues with plastic boning has become well known, most have switched to steel. So how do these big manufacturers keep their $20 prices using steel? Well, not all steel is the same. It used to be that corset boning would be made of German steel. You didn't even have to ask about the origin, you knew that your steel bones were made from a high quality German steel. However, keeping with the trend of making everything cheaper, China is now making steel boning out of Chinese steel.<br />
Labor issues aside, Chinese steel just does not hold up to the pressure. I have had these bones and busks break on me, and if you have ever had plastic bones snap on you, you can only imagine how much more painful a steel bone snapping is.<br />
Unfortunately, suppliers aren't likely to disclose where their steel comes from. I don't think I've even put that information in my descriptions before. So this one is going to have to be a common sense kind of thing. If the corset says steel, and it's $20, it is going to have one or more of the issues described above.<br />
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So, know what you are looking for. Look for layers. Know your steel. These are your basic guidelines. I'll go further into what to look for in tight lacing corsets at a later date, but this should clear some things up on why you might see a huge company selling "real steel boned corsets" for $20-$100, and then see some one like me selling corsets for $150-$350. Remember, you always get what you pay for.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSmuO3BAAAhzYXHvgbR6IVRD0lMonhvzXVBbrOWG0EIEv4nxotG6-naLE3fkQjX7G0iyPF_ED5z0mOg3znhjXTYcRS5eC7W0LJGiB0xEZIgmQzNycGcZ-YkjLUD0LRavdGdb-dKaagKVS/s1600/CE2A1732C24web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSmuO3BAAAhzYXHvgbR6IVRD0lMonhvzXVBbrOWG0EIEv4nxotG6-naLE3fkQjX7G0iyPF_ED5z0mOg3znhjXTYcRS5eC7W0LJGiB0xEZIgmQzNycGcZ-YkjLUD0LRavdGdb-dKaagKVS/s320/CE2A1732C24web.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-42394856562382389992015-04-16T10:31:00.003-07:002015-04-16T10:31:53.433-07:00Learning to Ask<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dDIbeS3o-_Y/VS_wadaldaI/AAAAAAAABtU/KAVeJj9camk/s1600/photo%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dDIbeS3o-_Y/VS_wadaldaI/AAAAAAAABtU/KAVeJj9camk/s1600/photo%2B1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jess W. in one of my zipper front corsets.</td></tr>
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I've always had this notion that one isn't meant to brag about themselves, nor ask for help. No one ever really told me not to ask for help, and people always say, "let me know if you need anything" but for some reason I've always had a notion that I shouldn't ask for things. </div>
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Last year I decided to step out of my comfort zone, put myself out there, and ask for things. The biggest thing that I have learned from this experiment in asking for things is that while yes, there is a chance that you won't get what you ask for, if you don't ask then it is a sure then. Another thing that I have learned is that I often get much more than what I asked, or even had in mind. </div>
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So, surround yourself with wonderful, supportive, and positive people, and don't be afraid to ask.</div>
mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-1175847637450310342015-04-12T14:31:00.000-07:002015-04-12T14:31:22.763-07:00Wow am I a neglectful blogger!While I may have a wonderful sense of creativity, I have never been good at writing things down.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbCK2QAtwZiugZnrX79bmkRHGV4iiuflHyxlhH4oAUydNdlxNGwZsTxueKOgKl_zwtUpCdz7e-J9mtdpjOgTaBZQbxoA_EiI1AvPjT8kWmnX12UwRs4mA2MgtiRIJrpl8w977Yzx6trY-/s1600/CE2A1760C24web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbCK2QAtwZiugZnrX79bmkRHGV4iiuflHyxlhH4oAUydNdlxNGwZsTxueKOgKl_zwtUpCdz7e-J9mtdpjOgTaBZQbxoA_EiI1AvPjT8kWmnX12UwRs4mA2MgtiRIJrpl8w977Yzx6trY-/s1600/CE2A1760C24web.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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It's been nearly a year since I last visited this blog, and in that year a lot has changed. I will spare you all the boring details, and just say that I have ventured into a new and scary world of living for my art. </div>
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I have also begun teaching classes. This new venture combines a lot of my passions. </div>
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So if you are in the Cincinnati, or Northern Kentucky area, come check me out!</div>
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<script src="https://cdn.sq-api.com/market/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-25642809226635962202015-03-01T18:03:00.000-08:002015-03-01T18:03:31.546-08:00Our new Virtual Marketplace <a href='https://mkt.com/mladys-coutorier' class='sq-embed-menu' data-menu-item-images='small' data-menu-accent-color='1e1f20' data-menu-template='column' data-menu-border='show' data-menu-item-descriptions='show' >Order Online</a>
<script src="https://cdn.sq-api.com/market/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2114843677662843608.post-12614238507070890132014-01-31T11:10:00.000-08:002014-01-31T11:10:03.004-08:00Dementia is a Bitch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgT91oqSj5ZUs6xZyVdEKnK1SIsCKMcyvvp7fb3PVqK7rLJ1dU0eJ460JRzCziOS37kElzGt6nHLK-upN6rroXhAGXsIx5zjDiZWIfqt9L6y6E23WenAETjG4xmJyt0nEy7OYB3CQrMFgX/s1600/1383218_535137229906333_1734099236_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgT91oqSj5ZUs6xZyVdEKnK1SIsCKMcyvvp7fb3PVqK7rLJ1dU0eJ460JRzCziOS37kElzGt6nHLK-upN6rroXhAGXsIx5zjDiZWIfqt9L6y6E23WenAETjG4xmJyt0nEy7OYB3CQrMFgX/s1600/1383218_535137229906333_1734099236_n.jpg" height="320" width="273" /></a></div>
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It all started with my uncle posting this picture with the comment, "sounds like something my dad would do." I smiled and felt reminiscent because, yeah it sounds just like Grandpa, but I wasn't prepared for my next thought, "I miss him"</div>
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You see, while Grandpa is physically with us, he has dementia and is not always mentally with us. </div>
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When you have a relative with dementia, it feels like a form of death. The person you know and love disappears. They're body is still there, but you watch as their personality changes, everything that makes that person who they are in your mind, leaves. It's not Grandpa's face or figure I'll remember always, it's him choosing to play with the kids rather than have coffee with the adults, and building swings in the back yard, or the smart ass quibs he always had right at the tip of his tongue. Over the years, those things have slipped away. </div>
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I can't help but feel sometimes like he has already died. I'm not sure if that will make it easier or harder to handle when he is gone, but there it is. </div>
mlady's coutorierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09429626617187185674noreply@blogger.com0