Author: Michelle

A New Discovery

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

I’m following along with the Drafting course on the Porcelynne website, and I’m learning new tricks and tips.

The first one I want to share with you is something you’ve probably heard about: A flexible ruler.I’ll be honest. I bought one of these after reading it would help to do a root trace. It didn’t help me with that at all. Not one little bit. At least it didn’t help me at all.

However, watching the course I saw a brilliant use for it! Use it to measure along the curve of the wire line. Really brilliant!

I just curve the ruler along the curve of my circle and mark where I need to mark. It’s so much easier than bending a flexible ruler, trying to hold it with one hand, and then mark with the other.

I will no longer view this as a useless item I picked up. This is really great!

Happy creating!

My First Bare Essentials Draft

~ Michelle ~ 4 Comments

I completed my first Bare Essentials draft. In fact, I completed two of them – one for a regular wire, and one for a ‘demi’ wire.

The Orange wire isn’t actually a demi wire, but it’s a little bit lower in the front. When I combine the wire shape, the wire size I need, and being an Omega shape, it made sense to try the demi draft. 

 I have to say, the Bare Essentials drafting process is still something I’m learning. I won’t say I have it down pat just yet, but I’m making progress.This past week I drew up my draft. It actually looks like bra cup pattern pieces, so I thought I’d be close. 

I sewed together a very quick tester bra. I told my husband it was the ugliest bra I’ve ever sewn. He said he couldn’t believe I would make anything ugly. This isn’t designed to be pretty. It’s designed to determine if you have the correct volume before you move on in the process.I wasn’t exaggerating when I said it wasn’t pretty! It’s not.From the straps being pinned on, thread ends not cut, everything just sewn enough to hold it together to try on once, it has served its purpose. Even the strap elastic is only tacked down quickly to work for that single fitting.   

As terrible as it looks, it worked. I have the correct volume to move onto the next stage, which will be to take this draft pattern, and begin to alter it to the shape I want.

However, I think I’ll redo the draft another time or two to make sure I have this well figured out before I move on.

Happy creating!

Drafting Again

~ Michelle ~ 6 Comments

Just a short little post today. I’m also posting a little earlier than my usual Saturday posting. 

I’ve been working on bra drafting again. This past month, there was a live draft-along on Facebook. It was for the Bare Essentials drafting method, so I signed up.

Now, if you’re interested in the drafting course, or any other Bare Essentials course, they’re on sale this week. The sale ends Sunday, so I thought I’d post early just in case someone was interested in getting in on the sale. (I have no affiliation with the sale.) 

I didn’t draft along. I was still trying to get my head around this way of drafting. It’s quite different from the Beverly Johnson method, which was the method I knew, and have used. So after a week of watching along, I knew I still needed help. Both instructors were offering one-on-one sessions. I signed up with both of them, and I’m really glad I did. They both come at the process differently, and I think things are finally starting to click.

The one instructor, Jane, has come up with an online calculator you can purchase, which does all the calculations for you. It’s wonderful!  I can’t even begin to say how helpful this is. Every mathematical measurement is given here for your draft. You put in your measurements and it does it automatically. You just have to refer back to your numbers to do your draft. It’s very helpful.

I have a pattern, and tester band to try out. I’ll let you know how things go.

Happy creating!

A Very Different Jessica

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

2021 had barely begun, and I sewed up a bra. I have to tell you, that felt really good. After a pretty sad 2019, and 2020 just added more to the burden, it felt really good to start 2021 off with some sewing.

A few months ago, I read a post on Facebook about a Jessica bra sewn from cotton jersey. This intrigued me. I read the post, and all of the comments, and then even contacted the woman who’d sewn the bra and chatted too.

She made the bra because she deals with pain. Well, I can relate to that. I deal with pain as well. So, that post, and her lovely jersey bra stayed in my thoughts.

I decided I was going to try to do the same thing. Sew up a bra from nice soft jersey and see how it fit, and how comfortable it would be.It’s so lovely! It’s also so very comfortable. Everything about this bra is the same as a ‘normal’ bra – channeling, underwire, but it’s all soft cotton jersey.To account for the stretchiness of the jersey, the original sewer went down a full size to make her jersey bra. I did the same, and it fits very well. I do need to make a couple of adjustments for my Omega shape, but other than that, this is a very good fit.  There isn’t anything different about the back except I used jersey again. The whole bra is jersey except for the elastics, and the underwire and wires. As well, to keep this very soft and comfortable, I did not stabilize the frame.

I’m sure there are those wondering if this have any support. No. It’s not a supportive bra. It’s better than wearing nothing, but there is minimal lift or shaping. However, we’re all in a lockdown, and this is the most comfortable bra I’ve ever worn! I will be making more of these.

Happy creating!

One More Angie

~ Michelle

I’m finishing the year with one more Angie bra. The bra I made for my friend fit her really well, but she needed a little more room along the upper cup.

So with a few small changes to the pattern, I made her another Angie. I pulled out Catherine (my dress form) for this Angie. She’s a little wider through the back than my white dress form. So I thought the bra would fit better around. And it does.

I also decided to add fabric straps to this Angie. I wanted to see how they’d work, and they seem to work fine.

Here’s the side view. My friend is an Omega shape as well, but you can’t tell by how the cups fit in. I do love that!There isn’t anything different about the back except I did the two stitches to attach the strap elastic again. I do like it better. I hope this Angie fits perfectly.

Do you have any sewing goals for 2021? I plan to work on my drafting some more, sew a quilt, and learn to use my treadle sewing machine. I’m sure bras will be in there too.

Happy creating & Happy New Year!    

A Lovely Christmas Apron

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

We’re all in a lockdown here, so we can’t celebrate Christmas this year like we have in years past. We can’t have family over, and I won’t be making a big Christmas dinner. However, I did do one thing to cheer myself up a bit. 

A few years ago I sewed up a few aprons – one for Em, one for her mom, one for a dear cousin, one for another friend. And for some reason, I don’t have a photo of a single one of them. So, I’ll share my most recent make, and some photos with links to the one I kept.

I’ve used cotton apron panels for these. and they’re pretty, functional, and very easy.  

Mine are changed a little in that I make mine double-sided. I love a double-sided apron. They can be reversible, but I only put a pocket on the front.

Here’s my Christmas apron.This is a Northcott panel called Angels Above. As soon as I saw it, I really just had to have it. 

This panel didn’t have a pocket, so I cut out two angels, and made a double-sided pocket. I like a finished pocket too, rather than it being unfinished on the inside.The pocket is the same coordinating fabric I used for the back of the apron.

Here’s the back, or reverse side of the apron. Oh, that’s pretty. I’m very pleased with my new Christmas apron.

My favorite apron panel that I made for myself is this one.

Oh, I love my very-well-worn one too. As much as my new one. If you love it it too, there’s a link in the photo.

I used this coordinating fabric to do the reverse on my apron. But if you search for Willington Prints – Della Terra, you’ll find a lot of other fun prints you could use for the back too.I hope every is safe and healthy! I’m looking forward to celebrating Christmas  in early (I hope) 2021! Happy holidays and happy creating!

A Custom Watson

~ Michelle

I recently made a lovely Watson bra for a friend. She loves it but she also wanted a little more coverage. I showed her a photo of the longline style.Yes. A longline is what she wanted.

However, she also needed a little more coverage on the side. It was time to use some of those skills I learned in the professional classes I took. It was very exciting to know just how to change the pattern.

The bra turned out very well.Isn’t this pretty? I don’t usually wear white, but I really do like this.

Here’s the side view with the higher underarm and side. I can’t wait to see it on her. I know she’s going to be a lot happier with more coverage.

Happy creating!

Paleo Pasta

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

It was about 5 or 6 years ago I started following a Paleo diet. It was at the recommendation of my doctor, but it was a big adjustment. However, I saw health improvements right away.

For the most part, I don’t mind eating this way, but I did miss a few things – like pasta.

I have a few Paleo cookbooks, and most of them suggest zoodles or another vegetable in place of pasta. And many of those recipes are good, but they’re not pasta. However, recently I came across a Paleo pasta recipe that’s a game changer!

I found it on the blog southern BYTES. This is a photo from their blog. This was my first glimmer of hope. Piles of homemade paleo pasta on a white wooden board.This looks like pasta! I had to try it.

It not only looks like pasta, but it tastes like pasta! I was so happy.

My first time making it, I made it the same as shown in the photo. Then I made it this same way again – into noodles.

The third time I made it, well, I’d been thinking about this and if it works as noodles, then it could work as lasagna noodles too. I decided to try it.    I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful this was. It still is. I’ve frozen half of it, and am enjoying every week or so. I’ll definitely be making this again.

 I’ll have another bra or two to share with you next week, but until then, Happy creating!

An Angie for a Friend

~ Michelle

A friend recently came to me. Completely fed up with bras. We had a chat and I asked her just what was bothering her so much. It was the wires. No matter what bra she bought, the wires were digging in under her arms, pinching her in some way, or poking her. It turns out she’s an Omega shape too. Not as pronounced as me, but enough that the wires in her bras are hurting her.

She’d just bought three new bras online, and I was thinking it would be an easy fix for her to swap out the wires. No, she’d sent them all back. She wanted me to make a bra for her.

Then she told me she couldn’t stand lace. It was itchy to her. And no seams. I told her to make her a bra, even a foam cup, there would have to be seams. Okay, so then she didn’t want a diagonal seam. What could I make her?

I showed her my Angie bra and she loved it. And the elastic trim seemed soft enough that she thought that wouldn’t bother her.Unfortunately, due to covid and lockdowns, I’m having to mail her the bra and then we’ll use video to test the fit. It’s not ideal, but I should still be able to get close to what adjustments I’ll need to make.The one benefit I had making her bra is I’ve had so much experience with Omega adjustments. She got most of them, and everything came together quite well.I did a little something different on the back this time. I don’t love how the  lightening stitch looks on the strap elastic, so I decided to look at my RTW bra. It has the same lightening stitch along the outer edge, but it has a zigzag on the other side.Isn’t that nicer?

Hmm, that close up shows me I need to do a little more trimming and catch the side of the eyes a little more (smile).

Happy creating!

An Elegant Watson

~ Michelle

My most recent make is a very elegant Watson bra. Have I mentioned how much I like the Watson pattern? Maybe not so much for me, but I do love sewing it and making it for others who better fit its size range.

This is for a friend who came to me at her husband’s request. She needed a bra. She’s also in the very envious position of not needing any support, so isn’t used to wearing a traditional wired bra. Looking at what she was wearing, I thought the Watson would be perfect.  She said she likes lace, and black, and well, anything but brown. So I gave her the first two choices on her list.This is such a lovely lace. Seeing as she doesn’t have any support issues, I didn’t line this. I did line the cradle though.

The turned out so well. She comes over next week to try it on. (Yes, we’ll have masks on to make sure no one shares anything we don’t want to share!)

If you’re wanting to try the Watson with a lace edge, Amy did a wonderful tutorial when she did the Watson sew-along. You can find that here.

  I have another bra I’m sewing for a friend this week. She called me and told me she was fed up trying to find a bra that fits. We’d already determined she was an Omega shape, so I knew it was only a matter of time.

I was thinking if she found a bra that did fit except for the wires, we could try just changing out the wires. But she’d returned four that she’d bought hoping one would work. No, she wants a custom bra now.

Happy creating!