Discussion Query: Steel wire petticoats?

[labricoleuse]

I have a few cool posts of projects-in-process coming up soon, but I wanted to solicit opinions on a project I'm just starting to troubleshoot.

Has anyone built a steel-wire petticoat like this before:







I have to build two of these with the following properties (theoretically):

--Hoops must be metal
--Hoops must be round diameter in a cross section (i.e., not flat hooping)
--Tapes must be limp, like wide twill tape, so that if an actress sat in one the petti would telescopically collapse like a camping cup

I've built such things with flat hooping before, and i've seen antique actual ones of these. Anyone who's built one with steel wire, with this dense number and spacing of hoops before, i'd love to hear any pros and cons of troubleshooting it, advice, holy-crap-don't-do-this info, etc.

Comments

[dethany.livejournal.com]

Um, holy shitballs does that look cool just on it's own.

[auroraceleste.livejournal.com]

I thought about it before I made my cage this past month. My problem was the one I had seen in person had the tapes riveted to the wire and I couldn't figure out how to do that. If the wire just slipped through holes in the tape I was worried that it would eventually collapse or become weirdly-shaped due to pressures making the wires slip where I didn't want. That's why I rejected and went with the tape-channels. I don't see, though, why you can't make tape channels like you would a cord, then attach that to the tapes. That way it would still be round, but you wouldn't have slippage. I just thought that'd be too much work for my project. Also, reminder, the wires might rust if they get wet.

Why do they have to be round, if I may ask?

[labricoleuse.livejournal.com]

I have been thinking about the riveting route for stabilizing the tapes on the hoops, and also making channels in the tapes. So tape channels worked good for you, with what type of hooping? Flat steel, spring steel, etc?

They have to be round because the costume designer says she wants them round.

These are for a mainstage show, the final one of our season, runs for i believe 3 weeks. So, they need to stand up to active use but over a relatively short period of time.

[auroraceleste.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the channels worked perfectly for me. There was a bit of wrestling to get the boning into the channels, because I didn't leave enough unsewed, but once in there it was very good. I used the heaviest weight of hoop steel from Farthingales. It's spring steel coated with plasti-dip to be non-rusting (as far as those things go, anyway). Mine seems really durable, it's been on my dress dummy pretty much constantly since I made it, and I've been layering heavy fabrics over it and taking it on and off to work on it, moving the dummy between tight doorways, and it folds well to fit through, but it likes knocking pens off my desk :( It also packs *really* flat, I'm very happy that I'll probably have an easy way to get it places. There are new pics up of it with netting and a cotton petti, and my corset, here (http://auroraceleste.livejournal.com/125282.html#cutid1).

[wendyhouse.livejournal.com]

I've done it but only in doll scale, not human scale.
I sewed the wire to the tapes, but for heavier use I would use twill tape or some such and make channels, just like a casing for an elastic.
I used regular wire, made flat loops in each end with pliers and hooked them together, then taped around the join so it wouldn't a)catch on things or b) come unhooked.

Mine was a regular hoop like your upper picture, but man, that bustle style is freakin' gorgeous. I would love to make something like that with fancy wire, maybe gold, and wear it on the outside. Wow.

[koshka-the-cat.livejournal.com]

I've made one like that with at kit from Needle and Thread (http://www.woodedhamlet.com ). They have specially made supplies to make this style--tapes with pockets in them, narrow wire, little metal dots to secure the wire so it doesn't shift around in the pockets, etc.

It's the most comfortable, easy to wear hoop that I own. It doesn't have quite as many bones as pictured, but twenty bones is still quite a few, and you could add more. The large number of bones makes the skirt sit very nicely on it, and it's very easy to sit in--it just collapses.

Of course, besides the kit, I'm not really sure what options there are to make one that looks so much like the originals.

Mine is here:

http://koshka-the-cat.livejournal.com/457210.html#cutid1

and a few progress pictures here:

http://koshka-the-cat.livejournal.com/455292.html#cutid1

[wendyhouse.livejournal.com]

oh, now that's just *seriously* cool.
bookmarked that for future reference.

Thank you!

[labricoleuse.livejournal.com]

That is EXACTLY what i was hoping someone would turn up--a source for the metal anchors for the wires!!!

Thank you SO MUCH. I think you have probably just saved me many hours of R&D.