Near the were their swan garments.

This was a quote from the poem Völundarkviða and really sparked my imagination. I looked into it a bit more, and it turns out part of the Valkyrie legend was that when they come down to earth they often take the form of the swan.

The outfit won't be entirely swan, and nothing else. I want to mix the stereotypical Valkyrie influences into it all, and rough it up a bit. After all the job of the Valkyries was not a pleasant or lovely one, they were choosers of the slain.

There are several distinctive features in the swan. The orange and black beak, the long neck, nd the smooth white wings, probably being the most distinctive.

They have certainly been used as an influence to designers before.

Made the decision.

The Valkyrie, that it what I have chosen, and that is what I am sticking with. No whittling about whether it is the right choice or anything, I've done that before with projects and its such a time waster.

The Valkyries began as horrible ugly hags, but after a while the legends change, and they become the better known beautiful maidens.

The Valkyrie work for the Norse god Odin, going down to the battle fields and choosing those who will die, then taking them to the gods.

They are generally depicted as slim women, in winged helmets and white or gold gowns.

Titania

So here is my Corsetry and Structures project research part 2...Titania, queen of the fairies from Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream.

There is not exactly a shortage of coverage of this particular outfit. Unsurprisingly because it is such an amazing costume to do.

There are lots of blues and greens and flowers and floaty fabrics.

If I did this it would have to be the most brilliant thing ever to stand out from the croud.

I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,

Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,

Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,

With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine:

There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,

Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight;

And there the snake throws her enamell'd skin,

Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in.

Doing the wings would be a fun challenge. I read something recently about folding a piece of wire into a wing shaped loop, covering it with tights and painting on a pattern. They looked really impressive as well.

I love the one above. The colours, the wings, the head dress. Gorgeous.

Looking rather like a corset I would say.

So I have stitched the flowery corset fully together. I was not having the most together night when I did it, so I ended up having to unpick about 3 of the seams after I messed them up. Unfortunately it is too big for me (it was an exercise in using corset patterns, not making one fore me) and it is too small for the dummy, so I don't have a proper picture.

I am really pleased with the lining. Straight stitching all the way.

Now I just have to bone it and stitch on the bias binding. But seen as VenaCava sent me the wrong width artificial whalebone, it will have to wait a while.