The Bra Making Academy

If you’ve followed my blog for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard me mention Jeanette. I took all my professional classes with Jeanette, and I have the honor of still working with her on occasion.

Well, Jeanette has just opened The Bra Making Academy online.

purple girl sew uplifitng bramaking academy

Now you can take classes with Jeanette too. 

I loved taking courses with Jeanette. Her classes are full of little tips that are wonderful to learn – and honestly I already knew how to sew a bra, so those tips meant even more to me. I still use many of them now.

You keep your classes forever, Once you sign up, you have instant access too. You can also subscribe to receive updates for new classes if you don’t see what you’re looking for right now.

Follow for more on Facebook

Happy creating & learning!

Black Freja Bra

I’m still loving the Freja pattern. I decided I had some pretty colors, it was time for a nice basic black bra. Well, not too basic.Isn’t this pretty? I really love the lace. It has a barely there look to it with delicate floral outlines and just a hint of color on the petals.

I also love how delicate the lace edge is.Oh, I like that. Who knew lace addiction was a real thing?

Here’s the side view.   And lastly, here’s the back view.  As I said, it is basic, but it’s a very pretty basic black.

I had cut out a second black bra from a kit I bought from Emerald Erin. The lace is the loveliest lace. I had everything cut and ready to sew on my cutting board when I saw an announcement from B,Wear.

They have brought in a new color of elastics. Pistachio. I ordered a couple of kits. It’s too pretty to resist. I think it will go perfectly with my second black bra, so it’s current waiting for the mail to arrive.

I’ll share it as soon as it’s finished.

Happy creating!

Cashmerette Montrose Woven Top II

This is take two of my woven top assignment. Again, I made the Montrose Top by Cashmerette.

I’m already looking for some lovely guipure lace to make a similar top as shown on the Cashmerette website.  Montrose Top 12-32 PDF pattern

Oh, I really do love this lace top!

I didn’t have any lace fabric that I could use for a top. Lots of lace for bras, but no lace fabric to use for a top like this.

This past summer Fabricville had some lovely smocked fabric I couldn’t resist. I still have enough for a dress, but used half of it for this blouse.

Here’s my second Montrose top.

For this one, I made a narrow shoulder adjustment and it did fit better through the shoulder. However, there was still too much fabric around the neck and upper chest.Right there, where I’ve put the pin.

It seems I need more than just a narrow shoulder adjustment. I also need a gaping neckline adjustment. The two of them took care of most of this. I could adjust the neckline a tad more.

However, one of the big components of this class it to NOT overfit. Get a good fit is more important. I think I’ve come to the same conclusion with bras – there really isn’t that perfect fit. Even a great fitting bra could probably be adjusted somewhere.Here’s the back. I skipped the keyhole this time as I’m busy sewing two garments per week with this class.

This is wearable. Once the course is finished, I’ll go back and sew up another woven top with the the neckline adjustment.

Happy creating!

Cashmerette Montrose Woven Top

I mentioned in a recent post that I’m taking the TomKat Stitchery’s Pattern Fitting 101: Demystifying Fit Head to Toe digital course.

The first garment we sew is a woven top. We sew up a wearable muslin, make a few changes, and then sew up another top with whatever adjustments that were needed.

I chose Cashmerette patterns because they have C-H cup sizes included. Oh, I’m thankful for that! I’ve done Full Bust Adjustments before, and it so nice these patterns have already done that work.

The Montrose Top is so pretty. I’ve been looking at it for a while now, but tend to stay away from woven garments. But no more! I’m tackling that challenge.

Honestly, I think I fell in love with the lace here, but our first assignment was a woven top, and this does fit that.

My first attempt was too big in the neck and shoulders.

The rest of the top did fit. I merged different sizes for my upper chest, full bust, waist, and hips. Goodness, no wonder I stay away from sewing something so fitted as a woven. 

But I’m learning to fit me with this course using woven fabrics too.I love that little keyhole design on the back.   

Next I’ll show you the well-fitting Montrose.

Happy creating!

Clover Boy Briefs in Grey

I wanted to make some new panties to match my lovely new Freja bras. I decided to make my new favorite – the House Morrighan Clover Boy Briefs.

I’m still having trouble with my hands, and all this comes at such a bad time. I’m taking the Pattern Fitting 101: Demystifying Fit from Head to Toe course from TomKat Stitchery. It’s a bit intensive, with sewing at least two garments per week! So far, I’m able to keep up, but with pain in both hands.

I’ll keep you posted on my makes from the course too.

Here are my newest Clovers.  They’re not fancy, but they will coordinate well with my platinum Freja bra.Initially, I was feeling a bit disappointed the lace trim was so dark, but it actually helps to bring the colors together a bit more.This was the last of my grey cotton Lycra fabric, and to get two pair of panties out of it, I had to add a seam to the back of one pair. Shhh. No one will know but us.

I’m feeling very motivated to sew up a whole fall/winter bra collection. Let’s hope I can sew that much.Yes, I do think that darker lace trim really does help to bring these two together.

Happy creating!

Etsy Sale

Hello all! Just a short sweet post to let you know Etsy is having a sale.

Today and tomorrow only. $10 off a purchase of $40.

I know I have a few things I’ve been looking at. Time to save a couple of pennies! 

Happy shopping. 

Ivory Clover Boy Briefs

This is a short but sweet post.

The House Morrighan Clover Boy Brief panty pattern is one of my favorite patterns. It just might be my favorite, narrowly beating out KwikSew 2286. Most of my makes are a full hipster with lace trim, but I decided to make one of my Clovers with a little more lace this time. I had a hard time finding Ivory cotton Lycra that wasn’t almost white. Clearly I did find some though.

Here you can see this is close. It’s not an exact match, but I’ve long given up finding cotton Lycra that matches exactly. I’m going for coordinating now.  That’s pretty close in color. The other ‘Ivory’ I bought was a lot more white.

Here’s that second pair I teased about earlier – the one with more lace.  These are darling! I added some narrow plush band elastic inside the waist because this is really stretchy stretch lace. I love this set!

I have a few more pairs planned, but I’m still waiting on elastics. Hopefully they’ll get here soon.

Happy creating!

Another Lovely Freja in Platinum

I have a lace addiction. There doesn’t seem to be any support groups to help with this – just a wonderful bra-making community that all shares this same addiction.

Well, I saw this lace and had to have it.Stretch mesh lace in Off-white with purple flowers & black embroideryI love it.

I thought it would wonderful with lilac, but I just made that gorgeous Vibrant bra with lilac. So I wanted something else. I dug in my stash and found some platinum duoplex and it works perfectly with this lace! I love it! I’m much happier with it than I even thought I’d be.

That little pop of purple in the lace. The black embroidered flowers. It’s so pretty. This bra doesn’t have the flash and pop of color the Vibrant bra did from the side or back, but they can’t all be vibrant. I’m really going to have to get busy sewing some panties to match all these bras I’ve made.It’s just a lovely platinum back.

After years of RTW bras in either beige or black, I love having all these colors.

One last photo collage of this pretty platinum Freja bra.    Hmm. Even my display needs matching panties!

B,Wear had this lace as one of their August Kit of the Month options.Sophie - Bra kit for August

Happy creating!

Beautiful Vibrant Bra

I saw this kit on B,Wear’s site and it’s simply called Vibrant bra kit. And it is vibrant! It’s gorgeous!Vibrant bra kit - fits most bras patterns like Lusamine, Margareta, Ruby etc. - 3I saw it and loved it immediately. I knew I wanted to have a beautiful bra using this vibrant kit.

Again, I’m making the Pin-Up Girls Freja pattern. It’s my current love.Oh! (you’ve heard this before) I love this! I was thinking as I was finishing this bra that it doesn’t seem to matter how many bras I’ve made, I still fall in love over and over with the lace, and the pattern, or how it looks when it’s finished.

Here’s the side view:That peek of fuchsia elastic is just gorgeous! I love that.

It’s even lovely and vibrant from the back.I’m not done making a new bra wardrobe using the Freja pattern. I have two more kits sitting on my cutting table ready to be made up into more pretty bras.

I need to make some matching panties to go with all these lovely new bras. I’m a bit behind on those. You’ll see those soon.I recently purchased the Josey bra pattern for my niece. I don’t know if you’re aware, but according to an email I received from La Bella Coppia, the Josey pattern will no longer be available after the end of this year. Her website will be closing sometime in September.

The Josey is still one of my favorite patterns. If you don’t have it, there’s still time to get it for yourself.

Happy creating!

Gunilla Freja Bra

My most recent Freja is from a lovely kit I bought from B,Wear. I saw a gorgeous bra Bodil had made on IG, and sent her a message asking if there was a kit.Not long after that, this lovely Gunilla kit was available. I looked to see if this kit was still on her website, but unfortunately it’s not. It wouldn’t hurt to request it again though.

I loved the rich colors of this, and had to make it up in my current favorite pattern. Here’s my Gunilla Freja bra. Oh, I love this lace. I do hope I can get some more of it too. It would look wonderful with ivory or blue, but I have to say the red really makes it pop!

Here’s the side view.  Do you see that peek of ivory at the back? For a long time I wouldn’t make a bra if the kit didn’t have all matching parts. The band and straps had to be the same color. But I’m more open to coordinating fabrics like this set now. It gives me more options too. 

Recently, at the Sewing Bee, Lily of LilypaDesigns said she really likes B,Wear’s stabilized satin fabric. I think this must be that fabric.

In the past I’ve used the stretch satin Bodil carries, but this only had the mechanical stretch – no real stretch. It also feels firmer than duoplex, so would be a great option for those needing more support.

Lastly, the back of the bra.  I’m thrilled with a new pattern that fits me so well. I already have 3 more kits on the cutting table to make next. I do have plans to test a few more patterns, but I really love this bra pattern. 

Happy creating!