Day: April 3, 2013

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Don’t gloss over this

sidney

A lot of people only give to campaigns or projects where contributors feel they can “get something in return.” A new TV show, program, game, or book. But this one is a bit different.

How much do you value free education?

There are only 4 days remaining to the end of the Indiegogo Campaign to help Sidney Eileen receive treatment for her Lyme disease.

Why should we care?

Because Sidney Eileen has spent years giving her time and energy to make free tutorials for others, and encouraging and helping others. It’s because of Sidney’s hard work that many artists and designers are active in our community, refining their techniques, further helping others, and are able to profit from their art.

She could have easily charged for her tutorials – but she didn’t, and still doesn’t.
Now her Lyme disease has progressed undiagnosed for so long that she’s unable to do art or work. She can’t even walk across a room without the possibility of getting vertigo, losing her  strength/coordination or passing out.

Without work/income, Sidney can’t afford treatment. Without treatment, the disease continues to destroy her nervous system. The longer the disease progresses without treatment, the less likely her body will be able to be strong enough to even handle the treatment. That’s why time is sort of the essence here.

Lyme disease is very real and very serious at this advanced stage. Sidney didn’t ask for doctors to dismiss her symptoms for years; she didn’t somehow bring this upon herself. Life is unfair, especially when the place where you live denies you the basic right of health.

Sidney Eileen believes that artists are entitled to free education, yet she herself has been denied the basic right of good health. Think about it long enough, and you start to feel angry.

Sidney Eileen is an irreplaceable part of this community. If it weren’t for her encouragement and support, I wouldn’t be where I am today. My channel and this website as we know it might not exist today. If ever you’ve been appreciative of what I’ve provided to the corset community, and if you’ve ever thought about supporting me in some way, take that support and give it to Sidney because at this point, she needs it more than I do.

I’m not trying to create a sob story or guilt anyone into resentfully giving to the campaign. I’m saying that within a community, members take care of the people who had made a positive impact. I feel a certain responsibility to help those who have helped me.

That’s why I give a damn about this campaign. What about you?

Visit the page, read her story, and decide for yourself how much you value free information.

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Puimond PY09 Curvy Underbust Corset Review

This entry is a summary of the review video “Puimond PY09 Curvy Underbust Corset Review” which you can watch on YouTube here:

Fit, length Front is about 13 inches long, back is 13″ long. The shortest part from underbust to lap is about 11″. Unique silhouette in which the ribcage follows the natural contours but nips in dramatically at the waist for an extreme hourglass shape. Hips are mid to longline; holds in any lower pooch. High back prevents muffin top, very flattering. Recommended for extreme hourglass ladies.
Material Fashion layer is silk cherryblossom brocade; backed onto cotton; lining is cotton coutil.
Construction 6 panel pattern. Top-stitching between panels, boning channels on the edge of each panel plus extra ones in the middle of the wider panels – these channels are in special boning casing to protect the brocade. Floating liner (very comfortable). No garter tabs (wasn’t requested).
Binding Complementary pink ribbon, machine stitched inside and outside; not folded under on the inside because the edges are already finished.
Waist tape 1″ wide invisible waist tape between the interlining and lining.
Modesty panel None. (Wasn’t requested.)
Busk Standard-width busk (0.5″ wide on each side) about 12″ long (6 pins).
Boning 18 steel bones not including busk. On each side, there are 7 spirals (always one on the edge of a panel, and a few more in the middle of some panels) and another two steel flats sandwiching the grommets at the back.
Grommets 26 grommets total, size #00 two-part grommets with moderate flange; set equidistantly; high quality – very few splits but don’t catch on laces, no wear/fraying/pulling out of grommets
Laces Strong braided cord-like shoe-lace style laces; they’re thin, they grip well and they are long enough. Very easy to lace up, holds the tension well and bows don’t slip out. Zero spring.
Price The PY09 is advertised as $410 for regular fabric (brocades, satins, silks etc) and $550 for leather/vinyl. You can see the options on his website here.
Puimond Underbust corset profile view side view, and cross section. Click through for context.

Final Thoughts:

I just had to make Puimond my featured corsetier for April, as the cherry blossom brocade reflected the blooming cherry trees this month. This is my first underbust corset from Puimond, and also my first custom-fit corset from him. I had no doubt that Puimond is extremely well-respected in his field before, but it’s this corset that most definitely secures his place as one of my top 5 favourite individual corset designers, ever.

Puimond’s soft skills are also right up there with his corsetry skills – he was always very friendly, approachable, and patient as I explained my usual “problem areas” when it comes to corsets, namely a longer/ lower torso, very compressible waist, and needing enough room in the hips. He worked fast, gave me occasional updates, and the finished corset went from his studio and into my hands (across the US/Canadian border) within 48 hours. You can see the result here – a strong yet lightweight that gives firm reduction (this is so far the smallest corset I own), while still lending to an overall soft, feminine effect.

Puimond is a master of textiles; he works just as easily with temperamental brocades as he does with coutil, satin, leather and PVC to give a very smooth, no-wrinkle, no-fray piece. His construction techniques adapt depending on the corset pattern and materials which is a reflection of his extensive experience. Excuse me while I fan-girl about this corset all over again.

To see Puimond’s other styles, please do visit his website here.