Angie Take Two

July 28, 2018July 27, 2018 ~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

I was a bit disappointed my first Angie tester bra didn’t fit. However, that was all my own fault. I changed my cup size after already figuring out what size to make. I should have stuck with the original size. That the cup size I’m using now.

I do have to say though, even though the cups were too small, I was encouraged by the shape and the lift of that Angie.

Angie Take Two or Three

So, to count, I made some cups and put them in my tester frame. Then I changed my mind on the cup size, and made a whole second tester with the Angie band and straps. So this is my third attempt. But it is my third attempt using the second band, and first cups. Oh, that’s not confusing at all!

Here’s my most recent attempt sewing Angie. This is still a tester though. I’ve sewn this with wash-away thread.This fits really well. And those vertical seams really give great lift.

After a quick soak to dissolve the wash-away thread, I’ll be ready to sew this very pretty bra up for real.

Here’s the side view.

Adjustments

I’m making a few adjustments to the pattern to help it fit me better. Being an Omega shape, my wire size is smaller than its corresponding cup. So, I’ve used a smaller cradle than would normally be used with my cup size.

I also used my custom bridge with this Angie. It’s lower than the original Angie bridge, which I’ve heard is lower already. However, for me, I’ve lowered it a bit more.

My wires overlap at the top of the bridge.

To make the cups meet my lowered bridge, I’ve lowered the cup almost a half-inch where it meets the bridge.

And I’ve thinned the band under the cups.

Messy Testing

When making a tester bra, I don’t want all my elastics cut to the exact size. What would happen if I needed to lengthen the back band? I’d be short elastic. So, there are all these little bits that are folded, or simply tucked out of the way for photos.

Below you can see I didn’t finish the bottom band elastic. I’ve thinned the band for my comfort once the ‘good’ bra will be sewn, and that elastic will have to be trimmed. I didn’t want to cut the elastic yet though, so it’s just tucked up for trying on and photos.

There are little bits of elastic that are sticking out all over this bra that got tucked away for the nice photo.
You can even fold elastic so it’s out of the way, and sew over it like I did for the hooks and eyes. The only finishing on this bra that’s been done is the top-stitching. I was pretty sure these cups were going to fit perfectly, so got them all ready for the next time I sew them.I can’t wait to sew this up knowing it’s going to fit so nicely.

Happy creating!

Angie

July 21, 2018July 20, 2018 ~ Michelle ~ 4 Comments

Have you heard of B,Wear? They’re a bra-making/lingerie supply company in Sweden. I love how in our day and age we can shop globally.

I’ve ordered a few things from B,Wear in the past. So when they came out with a gorgeous pattern, I didn’t hesitate to order it.

Angie

Here’s the Angie pattern. I’ve seen a few of these sewn up and they’re lovely!I was excited to try such a beautiful new pattern.

Testing, Testing

The first thing I did was to make a tester cup. I made it and had it sewn into my tester band. The cup seemed a bit big. However, I hadn’t added my elastics yet. Then I’d read a few comments in a Facebook group, and had second thoughts about my size. I made another set of tester cups – this time one cup size smaller.

Isn’t this a lovely shape? It reminds me of a sea shell.I even tried making the cup size in Swedish tracing paper just to see if it was close. Just in case, I sewed my bra with wash-away thread.

My First Angie

This isn’t finished as neatly as I’d normally finish a bra – there’s no top-stitching to be found – yet, it still looks quite pretty. Let me tell you there is lift happening with this lovely pattern. I do need to go back to that first cup size though. I’ll try it with elastics this time.

That’s the great thing about using the wash-away thread – I can use everything but the cups to use again after a quick soak. The thread will dissolve, and I’ll have all usable parts and elastics once they dry. I also have the cups sewn from the first tester bra, so I’ll be ready to go again quickly.

A Closer Look

Here’s the front.Do you see all those vertical seams? Vertical seams really lift. The cup has a lovely round shape as well.

I’ve used my custom bridge on this, and thinned the band. I’ve overlapped my wires at the top of the bridge too. I just need a little more cup than this size offered.

Here’s the side view.I really like the shape of the cup, and especially at the side. This fit me quite well, which is encouraging. I usually need to take the underarm in, and I won’t need to on this pattern.

And the back. The back has a downward slant to the pattern, which is great for me. It reminds me of some of those high-end bras with the downward hike to the band.I’m very impressed with my first attempt at Angie, and only wish I’d gone with my first cup size choice.

Second Attempt

I’m already working on my second Angie. Again, because I don’t know if this will fit perfectly, I’m going to use wash-away thread to sew the cups into the frame, and sew on the elastics. It’s so much nicer to not to have to unpick everything.

Time Commitments

I should be back blogging on a regular basis again. All those commitments that were taking up my time are more than half done. I still have some, but not four days a week like I’ve had for the past six weeks. At this point, I’m happily sewing and writing again, and hope to continue.

Happy creating!

Ingrid

July 14, 2018July 13, 2018 ~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

Recently, Beverly Johnson put out a call for testers for a new pattern. Well, at the time, I had two new patterns I wanted to try. You’ll see one next week – the Angie pattern. I already had that cut out even, but… I really wanted to test the new Pin-up Girls pattern! So I sent in my submission.

Ingrid

Here’s Beverly’s new Pin-up Girls pattern. It was just released yesterday. Ingrid is a non-wired bra pattern, with three front-closing options, as well as a comfort band option.

The pattern is a little bit different from previous Pin-up Girls patterns in how you measure for this bra. For this one, you measure your Bottom Cup Depth (BCD) for your cup size. Then you measure your rib cage for your band measurement. So if your BCD is 4-inches, you cut out a 4 cup size. If your rib cage is 34-inches, then you cut out a 34 band. It’s easy once you know your BCD. If you want a more detailed explanation on BCD, you can read Beverly’s blog post on it here.

If you’re not sure about the sizing, there’s also a handy chart showing some cup size equivalents for the different BCDs.

Testing the Pattern

I had everything cut out and was starting to sew. I had the cups together, but something didn’t look right. It was time to stop and figure out where I went wrong. It turned out I’d sewn one of the pieces on the wrong way, so check everything when you’re sewing this.

I was glad I’d only sewn the cups. I decided to start over with new cups rather than rip all the stitches out. However, before I cut out those new cups, I took some time to double-check. This led me to do some labeling on the pattern pieces, and add some notes to the instructions. Now I was ready to start over.

The second time it went much more quickly, and came together much more easily. I did have all that previous experience, and my notes and labels to help me.

Here’s my Ingrid.I really like this bra. I’m rather impressed with the support it gives for not having a wire.

As soon as I was done sewing Ingrid, I put her on. I wore her for the remainder of the day. As well as supportive, it was also very comfortable.

As I was walking around, thinking the bra was rather supportive, I tried jumping up and down a bit to see just how supportive it was. Okay, I won’t say nothing moved, but I was impressed with the support once again.

Do you see that weird part at the center front where it goes up? That’s my attempt to make a bit of a Gothic Arch. Well, it might fit more like one, but it doesn’t look so great here. That’s something I can work on.

Here’s the side view.

And the back. I did find the band a little big, so ended up taking the band in and re-attaching the straps.I looked for a grey hook and eye set, but my stash seems to be very low on hooks and eyes. That’s something to stock up on. So rather than grey on the back, it’s white. If you look closely, you’ll see I didn’t have 3/8″ upper band elastic in black or grey. Again, I had white on hand, so that’s what I used.

Repairs

I had the cups cut out the second time and was marking the cups – oh, the pattern has notches to match up. I liked that. So, when I was transferring all the markings, I realized one of the bottom cups I’d cut out had a flaw in the material. I didn’t have any more grey duoplex to cut another pair or even another cup.

After looking at where the flaw was, I decided I could do a repair. You can see it here at the top. I’ve already bonded a bit more duoplex to the back.Here’s the back of the repair. There’s double-sided interfacing fused between the duoplex and that little strip.Thankfully, the majority of this repair isn’t seen in the bra – it’s in the seam.

Here’s a close up of the cup showing the repaired flaw.

Pretty Features

There are some aspects of this pattern I really like. I like the new measuring system using BCD. I like the option for a non-wired bra. I like that there are more notches and markings used on the pattern pieces. I also like a couple of features on the front of the bra.

I like the fold-over-elastic trim along the front edge. I think it looks sleek and modern. And the neckline shape is lovely as well. It reminds me of a sweetheart neckline.I also like the power net inserts at the front. I think it looks unique.

I’m wondering what changes I’d need to make to change this into a sleep bra. Hmm. Beverly?

Beverly has two great posts on Ingrid. Introducing Ingrid, and How to Sew Ingrid. Both are great posts, but that second one, How to Sew Ingrid would have helped me the first sew through.

Happy creating!

Hallå Knotty Pants

July 7, 2018January 1, 2023 ~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

I recently saw the most adorable pants pattern. Hallå Knotty Pants. I bought the pattern the day it came out. I also bumped some other sewing projects, and put making these pants at the top of my sewing list.

Fabric

I had some fabric in my stash just waiting to be made into a pair of pants. I originally had planned to make Portlander pants.

I do love these still, and do plan to make them soon.

Like I said, as soon as I saw the Knotty Pants, well, they went straight to the top of my sewing list.

Here’s the fabric I had picked out:. Isn’t this gorgeous? This is the Willow Blooms Spices by Art Gallery. It’s cotton Lycra, which is my favorite, but it’s also available in a cotton. I got this from Funky Monkey Fabrics.

My Knotty Pants

These aren’t hemmed yet, but I’m adoring them so far. In fact, I tried them on and didn’t take them off. I wore them all day. Love them.

You can make them with pockets, or without. Mine are without. As well you can make straight legged pants, or with the slit up the side. These have the slit and can be tied at either the ankle or knee.

Inspiration

I had a reason why I wanted to make these Knotty Pants too, and not just because they’re adorable. For years I’ve watched Shimmy on TV and danced along with the dancers as my morning exercise.

The Knotty pants are very similar to some pants the dancers wear on the show.I found this image on the internet. It shows the knotted pants perfectly. I’m so happy to have found this pattern. They’re also quite easy to make up.