Archive for September, 2008

So I’ve been looking through my corset collection, and organising my half finished projects to clear them up and make room for more. I’ve got like a tonne of fabric I need to clear out and make up before it starts to breed and take over the cupboard :S Then I started looking at my patterns and deciding which fabric should go into which style of corset One of the great things about being able to make your own corsets is the fact I can decide exactly how I want each one to look. I’ve finally dug the photos out to share…

Ok, so first up, a black fancy pattern coutil. Coutil is the specialist fabric that gives corsets their strength. It’s a really high density weave and quite expensive. There’s nothing else quite like it though so I always splash out on it. This one has a nice pattern in it rather than the usual herringbone weave and I cut the bust area differently to normal to get a squished, push up effect…

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I like this style but it’s heavily boned, which can be somewhat interesting to build. Corsets themselves aren’t that difficult to make once you have your head around how to do it. But you have to be methodical, and organise well. I’ve lost count of how many times I’d attached the side back to the middle front or put them upside down or something. Believe me, the stitch ripper is your freind in this game!!

Ok, moving on. This is the same style as above but without the front opening busk (that’s the clasps down the front) and covered in taffetta. The coutil is still there but covered and lined.

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This one looks less complicated than the first but it is the same pattern, just cut on a straighter line and with less boning as it was for my neice, who doesn’t need HALF the boning I do!!

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Ok, so this one I hacked about a bit. I had some flat steel bones from an earlier attempt. (When you start in corsetry, it normally takes a good few attempts to get the hang of it. My first corsets before I trained should never see the light of day!!) So I made a victorian up in heavy peach satin and hacked it until it fit the bones. It’s too low on the bust to be anything other than a bedroom corset so I stuck suspenders on it for an experiment. Quite pleased with the result but I’ll never work with that peach satin again, it’s horrible to work!!

Ok, moving on, this is more of an Edwardian line. I did this in a course and unfortunately we didn’t have time to fit them properly. So it’s just a showpiece for technique.

Again, clickie for larger images

This one had a number of techniques. It has the busk set in a placket, quilted side panels, machine embroidery down the bone casings and corded panels on the front. Overall the embellishments took longer than the corset did.

Ok, last one, I promise!! This is the same pattern as the one above but taken punky. It’s not done justice in the photos here. It’s in black herringbone coutil with a cotton print quilited sidepanels. The print is ‘Inked Girls’ by Alexander Henry, which I LOVE and I couldn’t resist adding it into a corset. This one features corded front panels which have been hand embroidered but I left off with the casing embroidery. Also with this one I added a cover to the busk, it’s there but you just can’t see it!!

Hmm, that’s all the pics I have at the moment. I’m cracking out the singer to complete another load so should be more soon!!

(apologies, I’m CRAP with a camera!!!)

Once again the Moira Rogers writing team has a new release!! This one is particuarly dear to my heart as the cover for this one is one I did (in my other role as a cover artist!). I shall leave you with cover art goodness and some links!!

Adelaide has a secret: she can see the future. The visions are always unpleasant, until she catches a glimpse of herself engaged in the hottest sex imaginable with hunky police chief Wesley Saxon, a man she’s had a crush on for the past year. Wes has been watching out for Addie for years, even if she did break his heart in high school. But when his attempt to rescue her from an oncoming hurricane leaves them stranded in the basement of an island resort, Wes will face a danger more terrifying than any criminal: falling in love with her again.

Read an Excerpt Online for Free

Rockstar is moving along quite well at the moment, apart from a break last night to simply play Gotta love writing with other people just for the sheer enjoyment factor of it! So, we’re standing at …

at start of play today. The first kiss scene is over so now to start building the tension up for the big sex scene *evil grin*

In other news, I’ve recieved the first round of edits for Lone Wolf which I’ve started battering through. Gotta say I quite like the editing process at the moment, it’s still so new that I’m learning things with each round I like learning new things. I’m sure before long I’ll start dreading it but at the moment I’m just gonna hold onto the enjoyment and newness of it all!

Brat had a good night, we’re potty training at the moment and she’s as stubborn as all hell. So far we’re just sitting on the potty – which she insisted was a PINK one. The other half actually got a telling off because the pullup nappies he’d brought had turtles on them and not disney princesses and her potty was white not pink. So if you happened to see a frustrated Plumber running around tesco’s the other day, that was him!

Finally we have a pink potty, we have the chart with the stickers that go on it each time she wee’s IN the potty and the promise of a bike when all the stickers on the path up to the castle are filled.

Time will tell.

So yesterday was a good day, Rockstar is now at 3017 and we’re heading into the first love scene, plenty of tension to get my teeth into!!

I also had a play with covers, this time for an upcoming story ‘Battle Warden’ which I am really really pleased with…

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This is the second story in a series of three I have planned (so far) but I need to revise the first one, Earth Warden before I start on this one.

A little late starting on the writing today as I finished up the cover art package I’d been doing and sent it all off for approval. One more thing out the way so I can settle down now with Rockstar. I had a pretty good start yesterday with 1916 words. I’m using this to limber up so to speak for nano and aiming for at least 1600 words per day (as opposed to the 1700 i need per day in Nov). However, with this one I’m gonna run out of plot waaaaay before a month would be up as I’m only aiming for about 20k with this one.

So, onto the writing, check back in later.

more animals

Ok, so after a rather icky night and a situation with my brother this morning which required him to head on down to the cop-shop, I decided to get into an argument with my bloody stupid visa agents!!!

So now I’m sitting down to take stock of where I am.

FERAL IS FINISHED!!! Came in at just under 36k and, you know, I’m quite pleased with it. The heat levels dropped a little from Vixen but I think it’s a sweet story all the same I’ve also finished up a cover art assignment and am going to pass it by the ever lovely Bree before I send it in and now, finally I’m settling down to write.

The next project I’m going for is a chick lit / contemporary style romance that’s been kicking around in my head for a while. I just needed to find a ‘home’ for it in a story. Rockstar, Zette and JJ’s story, seems perfect.

So… starting at zero, onto the writing!!

I just got my cover through from Lyrical Press for Lone Wolf and it’s fantastic!!!

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Some freinds of mine have a new book out!! These girls, they can REALLY write, I’m still in word usage envy when I read their stuff. So… here’s the link, go buy!!!

Artist and witch Fiona Logan hasn’t had an orgasm since a bitter ex cursed her five years ago. Whenever she gets aroused, bad things happen. Now, she’s come to Last Call in hopes of gaining an audience with–and help from–its owner, a powerful wizard named Benito D’Cruze. If anyone can break the curse, it’s him. And if he won’t come downstairs to meet with her, she’ll bump and grind until his bar caves in from the backlash. Hurricane: Contents under magical pressure. Experience required. Ben doesn’t get involved with patrons….not even the hot, sexually frustrated ones. But when a lush looking blonde threatens to wreck his bar with her curse and her need, he decides it’s time to take matters–and her–into his own hands. After all, even if he can’t break the curse, he can certainly ease her frustration. And what powerful wizard doesn’t love a challenge?

Read an Excerpt Online for Free

Ok so this morning took the biscuit with brat. She’s generally a real good sleeper, doesn’t nap in the day but sleeps through at night (kinda like me!) however she is LAZY!

This morning she was crying at five am so up shoots mum, running in to see what’s wrong. As SOON as I get into the room, the crying stops like a switch has been thrown and a chripy little voice says, ‘Juicy?’

I needed a drink myself so off I toddle, I deliver the required juicy along with a kiss and a
cuddle before trudging back to bed.

However she kicks up again at seven (work from home so I go to bed later and get up later – at around eight) – I leave her for about 20 minutes because I know she does this because she thinks Mike will get her up (he gets up earlier for work) but then I go into check on her.

Same routine, crying snaps off, little voice says ‘Nun-nun?’ (brat-talk for dummy)

It’s sat on the bed next to her.

KIDS!