Edwardian corset finally finished!!!

This weekend I finally finished my Edwardian corset!! I didn't end up using any of my antique lace because I didn't have enough of the Irish crochet lace (it was about half an inch too short to go across the top), but I found this cream-colored pleated lace at Hobby Lobby and immediately knew it would be perfect.

I'm very happy with the way it looks on me, though I did learn a few things in the process of trying to tighten the laces by myself.

1. I only set every other grommet, except for at the waist. When I was tightening the corset, the edges of the lacing strips bowed out around the curve between my waist and hip. I think I now know why the grommets are so closely spaced on the pattern--because it helps the distribute the tension on those areas more evenly.

Now, this could be because I couldn't tighten it evenly from top to bottom, but I really think I need to go back and put more grommets in. I'm thinking this shouldn't be a problem, I'll just undo the stitching on the bias binding on the bottom, take out those two bones on either side of the grommets, and stick a few more in there.

2. If you lace the corset to have those loops on either side of the waist, you really can't tighten the corset yourself because there's no way to hold the loops and tighten at the same time.

3. If you've torn your rotator cuff in the last six months and are trying not to put too much stress on the joint so that it can heal, trying to tighten a corset by yourself is a really good way to aggravate the injury. My shoulder had been feeling almost all better, and I've screwed it up again because I couldn't wait to try the corset on. But what can I do, since I don't have anyone to help me. My ex said he would have helped me, but I think that would be weird.

So I only have a few pics from the front, since I couldn't lace the back properly. Like I said, I'm really happy with how it looks. I was afraid I would look like a chunky sausage in this thing.

The underbust and waist fit quite well. I'm not sure if I'll be able to maintain parallel edges of the lacing strips all the way down though. I just can't get a feel for how it will fit over my hips when it's laced properly.

I can see that this style of corset isn't meant for waist training or creating any kind of an hourglass figure. It's meant to create a columnar silhouette for those long, lean styles of the 1910s-onward.

I think it's very interesting that girdles in the 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s kept the same form as the Edwardian corset. I'd kind of like to experiment with making some girdles of my own because I like that kind of thing and I have a problem with getting very bloated sometimes--I can never predict when--and I have to wear loose clothes all the time because of that. I would love to have a corset/girdle to wear under my work clothes so that I don't have to worry about looking okay in my dress in the morning, only to appear to be 5 months pregnant later in the afternoon because my GI tract is so touchy.

Too much information? I'm sorry. But, it is a problem that a lot of women have.

Anyway, yay for my first REAL corset being finished!!

Old letters: SFC Freddie Cagle writes to his wife, Mattie, 1951

In this edition of Old Letters, we will continue the story of big meanie Freddie Cagle and his wife, Mattie. I see he's stationed in San Francisco now. Let's see if his attitude has improved any, shall we?

[FROM: SFC Fred Cagle 38418724, Co C 64 Tank BN, San Francisco, CA TO: Mrs. Mattie Cagle, Rosebud, Texas / June 9, 1951]

My Dear Wife,

Just letting you hear from me once again. Well how is Daddy's Baby this time. As I told you before we are back across the 38 now and for a few days the going was kind of tuff for the boys.

But for me a day before the ruff stuff started I was relieved from my job to give my replacement which was my gunner a chance at tank commanding. So when out on mishin I stayed back with supply and C.P. The first platoon lost all but one of there tanks and that was the one that I use to have when I was in the first. But the tank commander of it got all mess up. For over haft of the boys in the platoon got hurt. Lavine was back here with me. I thought for a while that I would have been on my way by now but the date has been set back. 

All I am doing now is walking around from tent to tent and from company to company bull cornin the boys telling them that I just thought I would drop around before I go home. (smile)

Well I am glad you did what I told you about that beer and wiskey because I might get in at night. (smile)

As I told you before I am still having those dreams some time to in one night. I really must be loaded. (smile)

I recieved those last pictures you sent that boy is really getting fat. For Jane look like she was in a strane holding him.

Well how is rosebud now days for I know I will here a many things when I come back from those clowns. I hope none of it sounds true. (smile) For you know me in that line I am the same way. For I don't believe in know clown messing with nothing of mine. Get what I mean. (smile)

Well Baby Daddy still love his Baby and can't get home to you fast enough. I have been looking around to see L.G. but haven't seen him yet. So when you write tell me what outfit he is in I might try to see him before I leave here. I still haven't heard from Elmo yet. (over)

Now give my love to all and tell them it won't be long. 

Then to remember to be a good Girl also don't for get that Daddy still love his Baby.

Love,
Daddy

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Well that wasn't too bad, but ugh, I just feel so grossed out when men call themselves "Daddy" and their wife or girlfriend or whatever "Baby." And he hints at having sexy dreams, which is really more than I need to know. But it's not his fault that I bought his private letter to his wife. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Has Mattie taken up drinking? I'm sure I'd need lots of alcohol to endure being married to this man. Is that what the beer and whiskey reference is about? Or had he advised her in a previous letter or phone call to stock up on beer and whiskey for when he comes home?

Just thinking of Mattie and Freddie makes me so happy to be single. Well, lots of things make me happy to be single, but any suggestion of marital strife just makes me send up a silent prayer of thanks that I am no longer in an unhappy marriage, and don't have a man in my life to make me cry.

I'll end this blog post on that happy note, and all of us who are single can contemplate how wonderful it is to be free to be ourselves without having to reassure or explain or excuse or apologize for it to some man who acts like you can't do anything right anyway, no matter what you do (but still expects you to cook for him and sleep with him). How wonderful it is to be free to do whatever we want, whenever we want. How wonderful it is to not have to get naked for someone you really aren't attracted to anymore, and who isn't really a pleasant person to be around anymore, but you force yourself to do it because you can't be in a relationship and not have sex, and you try to believe that this time you might feel differently even though you know you won't.

TL;DR, in conclusion: no more sexual boredom, no more crying, no more feeling like I'm not good enough. This is why I love being single!