Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Great Inspirational Videos!

I've been searching all over the web since I started making tabistry admiring other artist's work. There are sooo many cool ideas out there. Youtube.com is one of my favorite stops for inspriational videos. So , I would like to share some of my favs.

Escama Studios - Fashion show


And, an advertisment for Escama.

Finissimo - CFW Verao 2009 - Cia do Lacre


More purses/bags from previous year.

Novica Artisan Neide Ambrosio at Brazilian TV Show


Another video about Neide Ambrosio's work.

Some incredible recycled Fashions on Programa Tudo É Possível in four parts(In Spanish):

Part 1

I have to admit that some of these design are a bit flamboyant for my tastes, but play close attention at 3:00 for a black dress made from x-ray film and VCR tape, a plastic bottle maille dress at 5:10, and a unique tabistry top at 6:30.

Part 2

Again, some of the outfits are not for me, but there are more wonderful can tabs and the use of other parts of the can at 2:10 and 4:35.

More awesomeness from Programa Tudo É Possível from 03/02/08:

Part 1
Check out the fairy-like skirt at 1:45 made out of plastic bottles and the cd top at 7:30.

Part 2

I was also impressed with the plastic bottlecap dress at 1:40.

Also in Spanish, Crocheted Can Tabs:


An Interview with Brad Taylor, maker of a can tab lounge chair


For those who care to know, here is a video on how aluminum cans are made.

And, I stumbled on this video purely by accident and cracked up:
"Pop Tab Girl" song

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Ev's Tabistry Mermaid Tale!

It's taken me longer than I planned, but I had to share the incredible pic that Ev sent me.

This HAS to be the most ambitious tabistry project I've seen to date! Wow! Look at ALL those tabs! The scale pattern looks great for their fishy mermaid tails.



"This performance was part of the "grotesque delights" tour of Freak Show, which is part of High Performance Rodeo. A big festival of alternative performances here in the city." - Ev

http://www.hprodeo.ca/2010/freak-show

She used a discount jersey fabric cut to about 1/2 a centimeter, which is narrow. This is so it would be flexible to move in.

"I chose white because i planned on having a black light and i wanted us to glow. I had all our friends collecting poptabs! took forever!! i offered 1 cupcake for every 10 tabs. i dont know where you get your tabs! One of my friend's mom's owns a restaurant, without her help i don't know where i could have gotten this many in time!"
- Ev

I wonder if we can still cash in on those cupcakes? :D She commented that they ran out of time finishing these costumes. Somehow, I'm not surprised. One mermaid would be a big challenge to take on. Kudos for seeing all three through!

"...we were actually still weaving minutes before the first show! Thank you so much for your website, and your inspiration!! The fins looked better than i imagined they would. i received lots of positive comments." - Ev

Thanks, Ev, for sharing your epic project with us! Hope the show was a huge success!

Monday, January 11, 2010

"Tabistry" Made the Boston Globe!

Well, what do ya know?! The word "tabistry" was chosen as a favorite new words of 2009 by the writer of this article:

The year that was - The Boston Globe

Saturday, January 9, 2010

On a Lighter Note...

I was roaming around the internet today, as I frequently do, and came across this:



A bra made using Tab soda cans made by Ingrid Goldbloom Bloch. It is also constructed with a gutter guard, dryer vents, and rivets. Now, I realize there are no can tabs holding this piece together. So, it's not truly tabistry. But, hey, it's a close relative and this is my blog. I'll post what cool stuff I want. Ha! It even has undies to go with it!



And, best of all...



A garter belt! Wow, how fantastic are they! Not practical or even wearable, I imagine. I'm thinking to myself that my tabistry has to be much more comfortable than these, but they are awesome all the same! She has more inspiring art pieces on her site, including another bra made with washers, nuts and wire mesh at:

http://ingridgoldbloombloch.com/section/104581_Lingerie.html

Great work, Ingrid! We adore your creativity and craftsmanship!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

I Don't Understand Some People

WARNING: If you value original designs and respect copyrights, do not buy anything from www.coquetryclubwear.com!

You know, I really try to be an open-minded understanding person. The other day I had posted a site that had a knock-off piece of my work on it. Then, I had second thoughts and removed the post and contacted the owner of the site to inquire about it before I made any further judgements. Well, I just received a reply that floors me.
She has the audacity to say to ME that she came up with that design all on her own after
referring to it as "tabistry" (which was coined by our own GypsyLaKat)! My word, I can't understand some people.

For those who missed my first post on this issue, the site is called www.coquetryclubwear.com which I believe is owned/run by a lady named Ellen in Mississippi. In her shop there is a section called
"Pop Top Tabistry" which contains a corset for sale.



I had mixed feeling when I saw it, so I posted here about it. Then, I decided to just contact the artist to see what they were thinking. To be fair, I will include the email that I sent her:


"To whom it may concern, Hello. I'm Tiffany, also known as "mieljolie" on forums and my blogs. One of which is "The Art of Tabistry" at
tabistry.blogspot.com. I came across the "Pop Top Tabistry" section of your site CoquetryClubwear.com, which made me a little happy and sad at the same time to see the corset/bodice listed there. I'm really flattered that the artist who made it liked my tabistry designs enough to give it a try. It looks very nicely done, and I really like the colors chosen and the addition of the zipper. However, when I posted my pattern for the bodice/corset on my own blog, it was displayed for personal and educational use only. It was not with the intention for others to use the design for profit. I realize some effort has been made to make the item different than what I have created, but it does not change the fact that the design is based on someone else's work. I want to express my feelings to you in hopes that you will see my side and remove it from your site. Or at least, publish credit for the design to the appropriate source. I'm happy that you are providing ready-made tabistry items to the general public, but please make them original designs as conveyed on your "About Us" page. I'm fairly certain that this was not done with any malice in mind, which is why I am writing to you with the sincerest of appeals. I wish you much success in selling tabistry clothing. Perhaps, if we all work together, many more people will see what beautiful things can be done with tabs, and your sales will grow beyond what is imaginable. I'd even be happy to advertise your new and original designs on my blog for others to admire. All that I ask is that you please please give credit where it is due. That way we can all benefit from our creativity. Hope the new year brings you success and happiness! Sincerely, Tiffany Hinnen"


I know I'm not a writer, but it was sincere enough, right? Doesn't it deserve at least an honest refusal? Now, here comes the response, so that all of you can see the kind of person I'm dealing with. Please indulge me while I comment on what I was thinking when I read it. The number represent my thought in order below:

"Thank you for contacting us. We appreciate the effort and sincerity that you put into your email. However, the corset is a centuries old pattern [1], the design of which cannot be attributed to any one person. Yours is not the first pop tab corset. In researching your concern, I have found pop tab corsets that pre-date your blog. If you have made a functioning, fully boned corset, you can make a costume corset out of just about anything [2]. Although there are many small details that vary, the basic styling of all corsets is extremely similar [3], whether it be made of canvas, leather, cotton, or pop tabs. I'm sure that having worked with pop tops, you are able to make just about whatever you can imagine using pop tabs and your aquired techniques [4]. I have done both corsetry and tabbing. So putting together a pop tab corset was not an unfamiliar endeavor [5]. However, I did not buy your pattern or attempt to re-create your corset. I did look at as many photos of pop tab items as I could find, and in doing so I briefly viewed your site as well [6]. Your site is quite nice, but our corsets are different in many ways.
I'm sorry, but I cannot credit you with the design of our items, nor will I remove them from our item list. Sincerely, Ellen Klimczak Sales@CoquetryClubwear.Com"


1. Hmmm, I wasn't aware that pop tabs were used in the construction of corsets in the renaissance. Though my pattern was based off of a Elizabethan-styled pattern generator, I sited my source.

2. I'm not at all sure how this justifies copying someone else's design. I mean, even if it wasn't mine, it was someone's, right? Though, I'd like to see all these other pop tab corsets and how similar they are to mine.

3. Wow, really? " Extremely similar"? No changes in style for how many centuries? I don't know a great deal about the history of corsetry, but IMHO the cone-shaped renaissance corset varys substantially from the Victorian hourglass shaped ones. Not to mention over/underbust, full and half length designs. Even the seams and closures move to different areas around the body. But hers used every seam mine does. How coincidental!

4. Well, yes, I believe my blog proves that I CAN make just about anything with tabs, as can anyone else who learns how to connect tabs together. So why are all of her work so similar to everyone else's.

5. She must be gifted, because putting together a pop tab corset was definitely unfamiliar to me the first time I tried it. Even after sewing/drafting patterns for many years, what parts of making a traditional corset and one out of tabs is similar besides the shape? Corset fabrics are not intended to stretch. Tabistry has some stretch, though the nature of the stiffness gives ample support. An unaltered corset pattern would not be suitable in tabistry corset making. May I also ask where she's inserting the boning?

6. Well that's just contradictory, isn't it. ;) Let me paraphrase, if I can. 'I looked at your stuff for ideas, but though mine is just about exactly like yours in style, shape, weave, and construction, I didn't copy it. Look, I even used different colors and a zipper.'


I hope you understand why I'm going through all the trouble of posting all this. My intentions are not to bash people or spew negative comments on here. I just want everyone to know what kind of company they are buying their tabistry items from. Though, I am not selling items, yet, or taking any requests for custom work, if you do indeed want to purchase ready-made items or get a custom piece made, feel free to contact me. I'd be happy to suggest some more reputable artists than this one. I can even try posting requests on here to find you someone.

Hope everyone is having a better day today than I. Until next time! :)