In 2013 I had made two corsets, one of which had been at a weekend ‘learn to make a corset’ course at my local college in Hackney. I have always made things and was looking for a new hobby and this course ticked all my boxes given that I had always admired corsets and wanted one of my own. I then bought Julia’s e book tutorial (thanks Julia!), worked my way through that, bought supplies, poured over YouTube tutorials (thanks Lucy!) and made my first corset on my own from a Truly Victorian pattern. Soon thereafter I saw the advert for the first OCOC and pondered it a while thinking that I was far too inexperienced to attend. After chatting to Julia via e mail she convinced me that it was not just for experienced professionals, that it was for anybody, and that all was required was a passion and propensity to learn about the subject.

I booked to attend and went along full of trepidation but with a determination to learn from the experience. I learned a few things that weekend;

1. That I loved the art of corsetry;
2. That I was not the only beginner;
3. That I could learn from the people I met;
4. That new friends (giving an excellent support network) could be made;
5. And that there was a world of possibility ahead of me.

The experience made me think, it spurred me on, it created openings and possibilities. In just over two years since this first conference I have started my own business selling on-line patterns, and started taking commissions. Most exciting of all I am coming back to OCOC16 as a presenter where I will be making use of my 15+ years’ experience using  AutoCAD to show how I create digital patterns. I’m also looking forward to having a sabbatical from work where I can push my aesthetic and try and drum up business. And if it doesn’t work out and I have to return to full-time paid employment at the end of 2016? Well at least I can say I tried, I did something very different, and I had a really good time doing it.