Cage - Finished!

I started my cage project a couple of days ago. I decided that the best and cheapest way for me to get a cage was disassemble my old 120"+ (read TOO BIG) 6 bone bridal hoop and use the plastic covered steels out of it. Of course, I wasn't going to have the plastic covered steel showing, so I bought a 72 yard of heavyweight cotton twill tape. I then hand-whipped the twill tape over the hooping.

I used Elizabeth Stewart-Clark's The Dressmaker's Guide as a guide, but I also used acquired knowledge from Sewing Academy posts from other forum member's who have made their own cages. The major things I changed from Liz's directions was to add a center back tape and to secure the steels in the tapes rather than let them "float" in the tapes. I also had to space the steels closer together than she suggests because I'm only 5'2" and I was using 6 steels instead of her suggested 4-5. Another thing I changed was not to use boning connectors, I just overlapped the steels and sewed through the tapes covering them. I spaced the bottom rungs 3" apart (7/8" channels) and the rest 5". The bottom two rungs are about the same circumference--100", the rest decrease in a very scientific and mathematically "lean" method: "as was pleasing to the eye". :P SOOO, without further ado, pictures!