Not the Saturday Shoe – How About Free Pattern Sunday?

OK, so yesterday’s Saturday Shoe didn’t happen.  Instead Ikea happened.  And after Ikea happened (for three hours!) the making of the things from Ikea happened.  It’s great because the flat is looking awesome and most of the storage problems in our bedroom should be sorted out (huzzah!), but it’s not so great because I’ve discovered that Ikea gives me a headache whenever I go.

So, in order to appease the Blog Gods (or you, my dear reader), I am posting a link to a fabulous website I found this week that has free patterns [insert flashing neon text here!].  And not just any old free patterns, but free patterns for stays and corsets.  And the stays look like these Diderot ones to me, so that could be useful to you if, like me, you’d like to make the Diderot but don’t have the first clue about pattern drafting.

OK, OK, but where are the patterns, woman?!  Stop teasing us!

At once, my dears!  The site is by a graphic designer and arty fashion type, Ralph Pink – I found it completely by chance through a comment he had made on a tutorial on Thread Banger (which I only discovered this week – what a plonker!).  Anyway, there are Diderot-style stays, an hourglass type corset and a flat-fronted corset (I’m guessing this is Edwardian from the shape, but I don’t know much about fashion in this era, I’m afraid), as well as some other bits and pieces, such as swim suits (basic, strapless or low-legged), a kimono, high-waisted culottes, hipster trousers and ‘bubble shorts’ (which I think would be rather cute made up in the style of an 18th century gentleman’s breeches).

As the site is flash, I can’t link directly to the patterns, but all you need to do is go to the site, click the intro image and go to ‘pattern cutting’.

It also looks like he plans to do a menswear section at some point, so I’ll be sure to keep an eye open for that.  And if you should happen to be reading this, Mr Pink, thank you so very much for sharing these patterns with us!  I’m rather excited to give them a try.

Let me know if you use them – I’d love to see the outcomes!  I’m planning to at some point, but not for a little while, at least.

Edit: I also noticed a couple of problems with the patterns themselves:

1. The files have been saved as “filename.pdf_” which means they won’t open.  Just rename the files and delete the underscore and they work fine.

2. Some of the patterns are ‘chopped off’ – I think the PDF has been sized incorrectly.  Opening them in Adobe Illustrator I can see that the information is there, it’s just off of the page.