Month: March 2013

Hmmm

~ Michelle ~ 6 Comments

Well, I’m not sure how I feel about this one. It fits and I’m actually wearing it now. But there’s something I’m not loving about it.

Pink Butterfly material

Maybe it’s just too pink! I thought it would be so pretty for spring. But I’m not loving it.

It’s the Pin-Up Girls Classic Full Band pattern. I got the material from Merckwaerdigh‘s store, and the lining from Bra-Makers Supply. It’s a cotton-Lycra blend. I lined the cups so they would be non-stretch.

Something  I tried that a little different is I added the strap to the top of the lace. I don’t think I love that. That, and all the PINK from the front view.

Pink Butterfly side view

When working on the bra, I decided to add a little of the lace to the side seam. It doesn’t look so bad from this angle. But that front view just looks SO PINK!!! Maybe it’s because I’m really more comfortable with basic colors and adding something to them like some color in black lace. Ha! Honestly, if you looked in my closet you’d find half or more is black!

This view shows a little more of the Lycra material. Isn’t that pretty? I think that’s why I bought it – all those flowers.

No, I’m really not sure how I feel about this one. I actually wrote this blog once and deleted it because I’m not crazy about this bra. But it does fit, and I am wearing it.

Hmm.

I’m looking forward to something a little more toned down for my next bra.

Happy creating!

A Short 70s Trip

~ Michelle

I was thinking it wasn’t a very creative week, but I did finish a Medical ID bracelet for a customer, and have another one to start for another customer; had a private jewelry-making lesson, which was very enjoyable, and made a few pair of earrings. However, I didn’t take any pictures.

There’s been no sewing all week. I think that’s a first for me since I got my new sewing machine last year. My previous machine had a few problems, and had been such a frustration, I’d put it away for quite a while. I must have gone into withdrawal and not even realized it.

I did sort through my sewing stash, and did my best to re-organize it all. Maybe the announcement on the calendar that it’s now Spring got me in a cleaning mood. I have a few items that I’m not going to keep, and I did organize things a little better, but came to the conclusion that I need more room and more storage.

Last week when I was looking around for information on the Milady, I read something about a ‘Spacer Bra’ on the Prima Donna web site – and it reminded me of the 70s.  Just the name of the bra itself made me think of the Cross Your Heart bras – you know, the ‘lift & separate’ ones. Do they still advertise that way?

It made me wonder if that style was coming back into fashion. So many other fashions are looking like a flashback to the 70s. Maybe bras will go there too.

Just to help with my curiosity, I had a second look at the Spacer bra, and although it doesn’t look like it’s a lift-&-separate style bra, what they had to say about the bra still reminded me of them:

“This spacer bra covers your breasts completely without making them look bigger.”

Well, what normally makes us look bigger? Pushing things together and lifting them up; creating cleavage. Hmmm. Still sounding a little lift & separate to me.

I can handle that, just please no bullet bras!

Happy creating!

Basic Black and a New Love

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

I have so many plans for what I want to sew. Is everyone like that? An ever-growing list of what you want to sew? Does anyone else ever get all those wants accomplished? My list just keeps growing.

So, what have I been up to? Well, I took my friend to a specialty bra store for a fitting. I wanted to see what the store would put her into. It was a very interesting experience. I could see the store didn’t properly fit her, and she could see the bra they put her in didn’t fit her. But the woman working in the store either could not or would not admit the bra didn’t fit her. The cups were too small and the band too big. Yet every bra they offered her was the same size, and they all fit the same way. I wondered if maybe they didn’t have anything that would really fit her. It did help me though, because I think she’s going to need a 32 F. However, she only wears non-underwired, so I may still have some challenges. I haven’t made an non-underwired bra yet.

When meeting my friend, I arrived at the store earlier than my friend, so just had to look around and then after looking I HAD to try on a few things. I’ve fallen in love again. This time with the Prima Donna Milady Padded Balcony bra. I thought this style was called a Balconette, but the tag says Balcony. Either way, it’s lovely, and I want to sew one!

Prima Donna Milady Padded Balcony Bra 36F

Isn’t that pretty? (I’m not posting an actual picture of the bra – just so I don’t get into any trouble with Prima Donna, just a drawing of it.)

It has a 3/4-high thin foam cup inside the lace cups – I put a pink line where the foam cup stops. You can see the foam cup doesn’t come to the top of the bra edge, but only 3/4s of the way up. A unique feature. The lace cups have a vertical seam with a small dart at the bridge. I didn’t look too closely at the straps, and was wishing I had my camera with me when I was in the store. I need to figure out how to make this one for me too, after I make the Amy Relf bra.

I have made a few things in the past week or so since my last post. I finished the lovely gold-filled Medical ID bracelet, and also a basic black bra.

For my basic black bra, I went back to the drawing board. I wanted to take my time and re-draft my pattern. So I used the Pin-Up Girls Classic Full Band pattern as my starting point.

I took it in at the underarms on both the upper & lower cup, I moved the straps over in the front and on the band, I made the bridge narrower, and I put a downward hike on the band. I also moved the apex over.

My first attempt – in a tester bra – was a bit too small in the cup. Still completely wearable, just the bridge doesn’t sit right back to the chest wall – it’s about 1 cm out. As well, the apex had been moved over a bit too much. So, off to the drawing board again.

But before I went back to the drawing board, I did something I haven’t wanted to do. Something mentioned in the Bra Makers Manuals – I cut open the cups at the seam line in the front to see how much I needed to add to the pattern. Oh, how I haven’t wanted to do that! I’m not even sure why, but it was very hard for me to do. However, I did and was able to get much better results from having done it.

I added to the pattern at the center front on both the upper and lower cups – that same amount from the slit, and that took care of the apex too. It’s a very good fit. I’m so glad I took some time to remember all the alterations I wanted to make. I am really happy with my back this time, and my strap placement.

Basic Black front

Here’s the front. Just as I said, a basic black. I needed a new basic one. All my other basic ones were over a year old, starting to show too much wear, and a bit too stretched out in the bands.

Basic Black back

And the back view. This shows a bit of the downward hike, but not too much. Overall, a nice everyday bra.

Happy creating!

Love at First Sight.

~ Michelle

This post is just a short one, but I think you’ll fall in love too!

While out for coffee with my friend, Valerie, we’d sat and visited for a while and then  were wandering around Chapters looking at everything from cookbooks to craft books. We made our way towards the magazines and she picked up Altered Couture and innocently asked me if I’d ever seen it before. I hadn’t. She stared to flip through the pages and there was a bra!

If you’re thinking I’m a bit obsessed with bras, then I think I agree. But they’re so pretty, and practical too. (I say in self-defense.)

I’ll let you decide, but for me, it was love at first site. The article is Corset Collection by Amy Relf.

scan0002

Actually, it’s a long-line bra. Here’s a close-up of the bra front:

scan0002 b

Isn’t that charming? I have ideas for all those little bits that aren’t enough for a full cup. Bravo Altered Couture magazine, bravo!

Amy Relf has a blog: atelierdami.wordpress.com; Beautiful work, Amy. Really beautiful. You’ve inspired me. And thank you so much for allowing me to share a bit of your work.

I encourage you to get the magazine and read Amy’s article. I’m not going to share everything, but I think just this will inspire you too.

Happy creating!

Beautiful Gifts

~ Michelle

I was out for coffee with a friend from my college days. We’d been roommates before either of us got married. She married her boyfriend – the one she’d been dating while we were living together – I traded up a few years later. My former roomie and I always got along very well and still keep in touch all these years later.

My friend, Valerie, is very creative. And she’s always encouraged me to stay creative. She’ll remind me if I’m not doing something, that creative people need to do something to stay happy. She’s right. She wants me to pick up knitting again. I want to reply, ‘Right or left-handed?’, but usually tell her I’ve fallen in love with bra-making. It takes up all my spare time and a good chunk of my thought process.

Back to knitting, I did learn both ways of knitting. Right-handed knitting is something my Mum taught me. I understand it’s English.

But not everyone in the world is English.  A friend I met from Japan teased me about throwing the yarn when I knit, and she taught me left-handed knitting. It’s a much ‘tighter’ way of knitting. Your hands barely move, just the fingers. And the needles stay relatively motionless – not a lot of up and down movement going on.

I must say I prefer right-handed knitting, even though it does go more slowly because we really do ‘throw’ the yarn around the knitting needle tip, however I’ve done it this way for many years, and it’s what is embedded in my brain.

Valerie is an Artistic Fibre Specialist, and is incredibly talented. I was privileged to be on the receiving end of her talents this week. Valerie brought me a couple of gifts.

Scarf Full Image

Isn’t this exquisite? I was so impressed with this lovely scarf. Almost made me push my sewing machine aside and take up knitting again. I settled for wearing it the same day I got it.

This is the second lovely gift I received.

Neck Warmer Full Image

Valerie does incredible work and not just to give away as gifts. She has an Etsy store. You can see more of Valerie’s designs here:

Intricate Knits

No time for sewing for me this week. I’m making Anointing Oils for a Ladies’ Retreat, and a Custom Medical ID Bracelet – one of my favorite designs:

Noble-116

This is a Triple-strand Bracelet made with Gold-filled beads and Swarovski Crystals. It’s a very elegant Medical ID Bracelet – you can see the ID tag hanging in the back.

I have a treat coming later in the week, or early next week. All I can say is it was love at first sight. And I’ll be starting a bra for a friend next week. She only wants something basic, but I’ll still take pictures and post them.

Happy creating!