I started by finished stitching the gusset into the remaining arm and then inserted the boning. I pinned the arms on so I could check the range of movement with them both there. I’m pleased. My movement was absolutely unencumbered and the torso is very light. I’ve been entertaining the notion of swapping the ribs out in the chest, but after playing around today decided that my initial reasons for going with the lighterweight boning were sound. It gives the performer a little more range of movement in the arms. That meant I could do the finish work on the torso which I’ve been putting off.
To hold the boning in place, I drilled two small holes at each end of the bones and stitched it to the armseye bone. I also had to use a soldering iron to fuse the ends of the pettisham (ribbon) which is holding the bones in place. It was unraveling, but is fortunately a synthetic so I could melt the ends to seal them.
Once that was finished I repinned the arms to stitch them into place. To my surprise, this material is insanely difficult to sew through. I’d been having trouble on the sewing machine but blamed that on the tension. No. It is the material. I should have taken video of that so you could watch me try to get a needle through; comedy in action.
Alas, I did not start the pelvis today. In fact, I think I’m going to work on finishing the head tomorrow because I feel like I deserve a break from sewing after the insanity of today. But the arms are beautiful. Everything holds hits shape even when it’s just hanging without a person in it. I can’t wait to see this on the actor.
