Preview: Dixie Ribbon Corset and Ernesta Bow Belt

I sold one of my favorite pieces at Urban Air Market this past weekend: the Trini Ribbon Corset. If you've been following Honey Cooler Handmade, you know Trini was around for quite awhile. She was my first Ribbon Corset, drafted directly from an extant piece... so, tiny. She never fit any of my customers because, let's face it, who has a 20 inch waist in this day in age besides Dita Von Teese?

Apparently, though, Dita's not the only tiny-waisted vixen out there - Trini found a home early in the day on Sunday, and I was at once happy and sad to see her go. Never fear, though, a new linen lovely will be listed in the Etsy shop tomorrow: The Dixie Ribbon Corset. She's quite a bit bigger, perfect for an average size small or medium woman. I would have listed her today, but (corsetiere nightmare of nightmares) I ran out of bones.

Top: Dixie Ribbon Corset, Bottom: Ernesta Bow Belt

Tomorrow, I'll also be listing the Ernesta Bow Belt, which features one of the most stunning brocades I've ever seen atop a crisp petersham waistband and a waterfall of bow action, front and center.

If you simply can't wait til tomorrow, scope out the Ribbon Corsets and Bow Belts already in stock over at the HCH shop.

Custom Bow Belts

Doing custom work is always a treat - if you can dream it, I can make it. These two beauties shipped out to an awesome repeat customer last week!

Check out ready-made Bow Belts here, or convo me to request a custom piece!

Preview: Susie and Velma Ribbon Corsets

I've been hard at work putting together some last-minute ribbon corsets for Firehouse 8's Holiday Fundraising Bazaar. Check out Susie and Velma! Both are made from velvet: Susie from a classic black and pink stripe, and Velma boasts a trendy rainbow embroidered tribal motif.

Susie Ribbon Corset

Velma Ribbon Corset

Both beauties will be up in the Honey Cooler Handmade shop tomorrow.

Empire State of Mind

I spent the past weekend in New York City, helping my little sister locate her dream wedding dress, shopping, and going out with college chums. It's hard for me to put into words how much I love New York - I sometimes feel like I belong there instead of in San Francisco.

Because autumn is my favorite season, visiting as fall is beginning to crest makes leaving again all the more difficult. I felt like I was in a fog for most of the trip because I really do miss the East Coast so much, especially this time of year. It usually takes me a few days to shake off the resulting nostalgia.

But I have to remember that New York is a tough place. Its residents are more up-front and in-your-face than San Franciscans. Those are admirable qualities, but there have been a ton of occasions when I felt positively trampled by the city and its people. The truth is that I'm too soft for New York, even sartorially.

Anyway, long story short, I had a lovely (if bittersweet) time in the city. My last hour was spent at a lovely store in the Fashion District where I found these gems... Antique ribbon and Deco rhinestones. The perfect bit of sweetness to take home from a very hard-edged city.

It's good to be back.

In Progress: Alouette Bow Belt

This beautiful vintage ribbon is one of the loveliest I've ever come across. It's being stitched into a Bow Belt as we speak. If all goes as planned, you'll be able to shake hands with Alouette this afternoon over at the Honey Cooler Handmade shop!

New This Week: Kitty, Ruth, April and Julia

There is so much new in store this week! It's been so satisfying transforming some of my most coveted ribbons, fragments and laces into truly wearable pieces. Check out the freshest additions to my Honey Cooler Handmade Etsy shop!

Clockwise from top left: Kitty Bow Belt, Ruth Souvenir Top,

April Bow Belt, Julia Deco Camisole

What's your favorite piece from the new stash?

New Photos: Audra Ribbon Corset

My peachy confection, the Audra Ribbon Corset, takes center stage in these lovely photos by Kirsten Parnell of Elyse Photography. I was so excited when Kirsten contacted me asking to shoot my work, and I absolutely love the finished product!

If HCH Made Light Fixtures...

I've never considered getting into metalwork (thought it would be awesome to make jewelry), but after seeing this specimen at Big Daddy's Antiques in Potrero Hill I may just change my tune.

Just because it's metal, doesn't mean it can't drip with ribbons, bows and general frou frou.

Like an excited schoolgirl I pointed this baby out to my husband who shook his head: "Too girly."

No. Such. Thing.

New this Week: Teela and Nina

Following my trip down south, it's been nice to sew like a madwoman again. I'm excited to have two new pieces in store this week... and it's only Tuesday!

First, meet Teela, a new ribbon corset made out of a deliciously bright vintage petersham. It's sumptuous and sturdy... a lovely, verdant piece to brighten up your wardrobe!

Second, there's Nina, a simply-silhouetted maxi skirt made out of a feathery-light voile. The hem is a gorgeous vintage hand-embroidered net.

Check them out in the Honey Cooler Handmade shop today!

Humble Beginnings

Whenever I have a lackluster day of sewing I remind myself of this little affirmation:

No matter what our craft, we all started somewhere.

I've always been fascinated by corsetry. Long before I could conceptualize corsets as sexy, my naive brain simply accepted them as beautiful. Every antique store, costume shop and rummage sale had me searching for my first lace-up specimen. It wasn't until college that I finally broke down and learned how to sew, just so I could own one myself. Forget that my first corset fit terribly and that I sewed the lining inside out so that the seam allowances showed. Frankly, I had no idea what I was doing, but who cares? Again, we all started somewhere.

While I was really self-deprecating about my first project's glaring flaws, my friends were much more supportive of my efforts. One of my closest pals at the time even asked me to make her a costume for the Miss Petite America Pageant. She was representing Pennsylvania, and we had decided to give her an amped up Betsy Ross outfit. And let's be honest here. It was college, where every female costume was sexified: from the daringly short toga party sheet dress to the slutty ladybug or the Playboy bunny at Halloween (and yes, I did rock both of those costumes while in college). Given our attitudes toward dressing up, why not a sexy Betsy Ross costume?

My pal rocked this itsy-bitsy ensemble for the pageant and even told me years later that she broke it out ever July 4th after. Very cool!

Fast forward to now. I've made a bajillion corsets, each better than the last. Now with Honey Cooler Handmade, I channel my love for corsetry and my penchant for wearability into making ribbon corsets, and it just so happens that my newest piece brings back a bit of the sexified Betsy Ross sensibility I first encountered in 2004. She's immaculately sewn, if I do say so myself, and is fittingly named Betsy.

So, here's (new) Betsy, just in time for Independence Day! A little more pragmatic than the previous version, perfect for cinching a starched white summer dress. Check out more photos here!

In Progress: Beatrice Ribbon Corset

Take a gander! Isn't Beatrice beautiful? This amazing vintage ribbon was such a find and is shaping up into one lovely little cincher!