Mangochutney Under every huge cumbersome dress must go smaller, cumbersome undergarments! Meet Elizabeth's 'effigy' corset and chemise. Both were made out of old curtains, with the exception of the leather binding on the corset which was horked off a dead couch. Isn't thrift grand?

None of this is fancy enough to fuss about yet, but I find it's nice to have a photographic record of your starting point on big projects like this. And it's really refreshing that the cats don't give a damn about it yet, as you can see. Oho, wait until I've got the wheel farthingale...