You are about to read the saddest story ever told.
(As sad as hoop-skirt stories go anyway.
They were completely fine with me going around an trying to turn their things into a circle. Yellow tongue seemed very promising if I was to make a bustle skirt, but couldn't hold itself without buckling. However, I will have to keep that one in mind.
The best I could find was plasterboard jointer. It made such a clean circle when stuck around without any effort in my half. The downside (or the only downside I could see for now) was that it needed duct tape to hold it together, making it seem unprofessional. That didn't deter me - I was the only one to know.
I did this outside, as my studio had too many things in the way. I probably could have done it all inside, but it wouldn't have fitted quite as well. Unless I moved my work table outside, but doing this outside was much easier.
I threaded it through, then wound the two ends in duct tape to finish it.
It did everything I wanted it to do - it could hold it's circular shape even when lifted and weighed down by the heavy fabric I used for the toile.
At this stage, I thought that my toil (or prototype) was complete, that I wouldn't have to search any more for a hoop or boning. So, I started to sew up the waistband (because I only held it with a belt while making the toile)
And I thought the image was so humorous, I decided to make it into a meme.
So everything was fine. I bent it previously to see how much bending it could take. I bent it quite a lot before it took serious damage, so I assumed it would be fine. I tested it in the car, to see that it would fit. I even did this BEFORE I left the store. Even then I bent it to the point of no-return, I managed to fix it with duct tape and a pencil. The plasterboard joiner seemed like the one.
Until I got to the studio.
I was about to meet the CEO of the dance company, when, while doing a parallel park, I moved the hem of the skirt out of the way and a chink occurred.
One little moment. One little chink.
I stood with my boot open for a while, staring at it. The chink ruined the whole shape. It was now a tear-drop shape instead of a circle. I was already late (I blame St Kilda Rd) and now I didn't have anything tangible to show her. I internally promised myself, I will not cry, I will not cry.
Even though it's too late for the skirt idea to be in this show, I would still like to figure out the perfect, non-buckling, car-proof hoop for a hoop-skirt. Perhaps next show, or the one after that, could then use it.
