Author: Michelle

Collage Quilts and Fitting Bras

~ Michelle ~ 4 Comments

I’m still working away on my Fitting Bras. Someone asked me why I was making 22 bras for me. These bras aren’t for me to wear. In fact, my size isn’t a more common size, so I won’t even be making one I can wear. No. I’m making these so customers can be fitted and I can make a bra for them.

Fitting Bra Three

Here’s Fitting Bra three. You can see, I’m getting more comfortable writing on them. The size is prominent on the upper cups. However, I also thought it would be a good idea to write the wire size and the bottom cup depth as well.Number four is half sewn, so only 18 1/2 left to sew up.

Break Time

I needed a break from sewing. I’ve just been too busy lately. I’ve been sewing strikes for Libelle Sewing’s Round 4 Pre-Order (which was great fun), and I’ve been taking classes (which I loved). However, all my fun came at the same time. I wanted a sewing break, but I still wanted to do something creative.

Last year when I took a class on Collage Quilting, a friend came with me to the Pop-Up Shop and we both bought the Paisley Bear collage quilt pattern, agreeing we would work on it together.Isn’t this great?

We did get together a few times. We ironed Steam-a-Seam 2 on the back of our fabrics and visited. We cut out some pieces and visited.

After our last get together, I got carried away. I finished my cutting out all my flowers after my friend left, and then I started to place some of my flowers. I was wondering if I had enough flowers cut out, or if I’d need more. Well, I placed one, then another… and I just kept going.

One of the great things about Steam a Seam 2 is you can move things around and decide just how you want things. At least you can move them around until that final ironing. Here, take a look at the eye I did the first time.I did like that little rosebud eye, but decided I wanted more pop for the eye, and nose. I thought it would look better if it didn’t blend in so much. As well, that large flower on the face just wasn’t sitting right with me.

In this next photo, I had made a couple of changes. I used a peacock feather for the eye and a little black-centered pansy for the nose. As well, I changed up the face a bit.This was better. Although there’s a lot more pop for the eye, I thought it was too much. And I still wasn’t happy with the face.

So, a little more cutting and moving things around, and here’s the final version. I’m still using a peacock feather for the eye, but only the very center of it. I think it looks much better now. In fact, I was happy with it at this point and ironed everything down.

There’s still a lot to do. I still need to finish my last collage quilt as well. They both need backings. And then I’ll quilt them both. As I need a break from sewing Fitting Bras, the Bra-Makers 2019 Challenge, or whatever else I’m sewing to keep busy, I’ll work on my quilts.

And I still have another collage quilt I want to make this year. This is the Perfect Form Dress Form collage quilt. It will be so pretty. I’m going to need a lot of flowers for this one.

Happy creating!

Halla Agnes – Libelle Round 4 Pre-Order

~ Michelle

I had one more adorable meter of fabric from Libelle Sewing’s Round 4 Pre-Order, and I was thinking another House Morrighan Abbie. But, my hubby thought this material was too cute to not be seen, so he requested something I would wear outside.

I chose my favorite summer top – the halla swing top and dress.Aren’t these Kawaii Cherries adorable? The link will take you right to them. This is such a lovely bright cheerful print. I think my hubby was right on this one – it is too cute to stay indoors.

My halla agnes

 I made a swing top this time. My favorite agnes has been a tunic length, which is between the top and the dress. However, I’d need more than 1 meter of fabric for that. As it was, I was just a tad short to make the top.

I just happened to have some of that gorgeous red and black lace I used for the Frankie/Clover panties sitting on my cutting table.I immediately changed my pattern to include the lace.

Here’s my Kawaii Cherry lace halla agnes.Those happy little cherries look even prettier with some gorgeous lace. And I have to say, ‘Well done!’ getting that line of polka dots around the neck band. I didn’t even plan that. That was a happy accident.

Here’s a close up of the lace and neckline.Aren’t the polka dots perfect? Yes. That turned out very well seeing as I was using whatever bits were left over for the bands.

Here’s the side view.So cute!

And the view from the back. This material is lovely to sew. It’s a Cotton Lycra with very good recovery. And it’s almost my last project for Round 4 Pre-Order.

I had just enough to make one more pair of Clover Boybriefs for Em.

Em’s Clover Boybriefs

Oh, these cheery little cherries are even more adorable as Clover Boybriefs.

I had talked to Em, and she said she loves the lace trim even more than the bands. That turned out to be a good thing as I was out of fabric after cutting these out and had to use the lace trim to finish them.

Here’s the side view.Yes. These are really adorable.

And the back view.The trim helps them give just a little more coverage on the back.

The Libelle Sewing Round 4 Pre-Order ends on March 24th. There’s also still time to take advantage of the Warehouse Sale. They have lace, elastics, bra kits, and so much more.Happy creating!

Another Abbie Chemise – Libelle Round 4 Pre-Order

~ Michelle

Testing panels and material for the Libelle Sewing‘s Round 4 Pre-Order has been fun for me. Two pair of panties, and I still had more material.

There’s also a Warehouse Sale going on too.

The Pre-Order closes on March 24th.

 Remember the photo I shared with my pup and the material with the grey and tan pup?I had a whole meter of that mint material. This material is cotton Lycra, and has really good recovery. I decided another House Morrighan Abbie Chemise was the perfect for it.

My Abbie

My first Abbie, I made to fit loosely. I wanted it that way. But I also wanted to find out just how this pattern fit when it fit more closely, as it’s intended. So this Abbie is more snug. It’s not tight, but it’s not loose either.

Here’s my Abbie on Catherine. I had to pull Catherine out again because my white display isn’t long enough for a slip.Oh, all that puppy cuteness! They are adorable. And polka dots too.

Here’s the side view:And the view from the back.Here’s a close up of the lace trim I used to finish the hem. It matches perfectly, and it’s available at Libelle Sewing too. They have lots of colors too.I really love lace trim like this for finishing panties – both the waist and the legs. It was perfect to finish this chemise as well.

I had just enough of this material and lace trim left over to cut out a pair of  House Morrighan Clover Boybriefs for Em.

Em’s Clovers

Em had requested another pair of Clovers. She said they were so comfortable. She got her request. And they are adorable too.For Em’s last Clovers, I finished them with bands, but I had this lovely lace trim, and couldn’t resist using it on these. It’s such a delicate finish.

Here’s the side view.The Clover Boybriefs do give coverage, but are just a touch cheeky at the same time.

And here’s the back view. Oh, these are so cute!

Take a look at Libelle’s Round 4 Pre-Order, and all the other lingerie goodies they’re offering in their Warehouse Sale.

Happy creating!

Libelle Round 4 Pre-Order

~ Michelle

Do you remember me mentioning Libelle Sewing? They have a pre-order open now, and I’ve been sewing a few samples from this round.

Here are the first two makes with some gorgeous and fun fabrics. Both panels I’m using are cotton Lycra, the laces, and most of the elastics are from Libelle. The leg elastic/trim on both panties is from my stash.

1st Clover with Panel

I used my House Morrighan Clover pattern to make panties for both panels I used.

For this first one, I changed the front of the panty to have lace.This is a lovely soft lace, but not too soft. It has enough weight to it to make it fine for panties. And it goes really well with the cotton Lycra panel too.

Here they are from the side. I love polka dots. But just wait. These get more adorable.   I think these are so very cute. They might become my favorite beige panty. That little pup? I had to request this one because he looks just like my little pup. Well, he’s silver and tan like my pup anyway.That other pup material in this photo? You’ll be seeing that soon.

2nd Clover with Panel

For the second panel, I also used my Clover pattern, but this time changed it  so it had lace sides. And I used the panel as a front feature on these ones.These are fun. Classic Frank-N-Furter.

Here’s the side view to see more of that gorgeous lace.This lace is just a little firmer than the beige lace above, but it’s not stiff. Both are perfect for lingerie.

And the here is the back. I only had the one panel for this, so was doing my best to get the whole panty cut out of it. As a result, I had to give the back of the panty a seam. I used a pretty three-step zigzag to tack that seam down, so it’s still nice and flat.

The Libelle Sewing Pre-Order is on now. There are a lot of goodies other than the pre-order items too. Libelle carries bra findings, laces, power net, and lots more. And almost everything is on sale.Happy creating!

Back to Basics – BMS February Challenge

~ Michelle

The February Challenge for Bra-Makers Supply is “Building on Basics – One of the keys to great bra-making is a solid skill foundation. This February, we challenge you to share with us techniques you have found to make your bra sewing easier, faster or more professional looking. We’ll be sharing tutorials on the basics of intimate apparel sewing. Think of this month as the underpinnings of your underthings.“

I have two ideas to share with you this month for the challenge. Both fall under the category of techniques. As well, both concern sewing on the channeling.

Tip One

My first tip is to use a little bit of Wonder Tape.I was first introduced to this marvelous tape through bag-making. It’s really great for holding a zipper in place for sewing, but I’ve found it to be wonderful in bra-making too.

I use it to hold the channeling in place at the top of the cup – whether at the underarm, or at the bridge. It’s a small thing, but I found the channeling would move a bit on me, and I didn’t want it to move. Pins were too awkward to use with the channeling. At one point when I was making a handbag, I thought to use the wash-away tape to hold the channeling. I have to say it works really well.

I snip off a little more than a 1/4″ of the tape, stick it to the duoplex, peel off the backing, and press the channeling in place with my fingers. Voila! It holds the channeling for me so I can start to sew without the channeling moving on me at all. Here it is with the backing on it still.And below no pins are needed to hold the channeling in place. The channeling will stay. It’s a little thing, but it really does help.  Did you notice on the package it says ‘wash-away’? That’s right. I can leave it right there after I sew on the channeling, and it will wash away in the laundry. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Tip Two

My second tip has to do with how I sew on the channeling. One of the things to watch when sewing on channeling is you don’t leave too small an opening for the wires. I wasn’t having a problem with this, but am always looking for neater, better, easier results.

I was using my Stitch-in-the-ditch foot to do some top-stitching and thought to use the same foot to sew on my channeling.  I use the guide on the foot to guide me along the curve of the channeling. I can sew nice and close to the edge of the channeling. And I don’t have to worry about not enough room for the wires.

Here is my foot all lined up with my wash-away-tape-held channeling.I move my needle to be where I want it and away I sew. This gives a nice, neat, close-to-the-edge finish to the channeling.

And of course, you can use it on both sides of the channeling to get that same neat finish. I hope these little tips are helpful.

Happy creating!

Dora V-Cut Back Lace Panties

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

I have a short and sweet post for you today.

Have you seen the new pattern by Full Cups Lingerie? It’s the Dora V-Cut Back Lace Panty. They are adorable! Here are a couple of photos from Full Cups Lingerie’s Instagram page.

Here’s the line drawing of the front.

Just adorable. But wait. Look at the back of these panties!The lace wraps around from the back to the front, but there’s also that adorable little ring holding the back together.

These are lovely.

I was asked to test this pattern, and found them easier to sew together than I first thought it would be. I used some cream cotton Lycra from Black Rabbit Fabrics, and a very pretty lace I had in my stash from Libelle Sewing.Oh, I like that lace wrapping around to the front. It’s a very pretty detail.

Here are the panties from the side. Here’s where you start to get a little more of that lace detail showing itself.I do like this lace and cotton combination together.

Now for the real feature of these panties, here’s the back view.   They are such a lovely panty, and I had fun making them.

The pattern is available on Etsy in Full Cups Lingerie‘s shop.

Happy creating!

B,Wear Mystery Box

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

I pretty much love all things bra-making. I love patterns, laces and materials, and even elastics. So, when I first read about B,Wear’s Mystery Box subscription, I knew I wanted to try it. However, finances don’t always let me do what I want, when I want. Sometimes I have to wait. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen.

Fortunately for me, Christmas came and I got a subscription as a gift.

The Mystery Box

I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in getting excited when bra-making supplies arrive in the mail. Whether it’s that one item I need to complete a project, or a brand new kit. I get excited.

Well, this box really just adds to that excitement! Look at that label. I bet it’s even intriguing for the mail carriers who are delivering it. Just what is in that Mystery Box?   What fun! I couldn’t wait to open it.

The inside was just as fun as the outside.Once the outer box is opened, it’s still a mystery as it’s wrapped up in tissue paper and sealed with a foil heart. I loved this. It’s a lovely presentation. And it only got better for me.

What’s Inside?

What was inside was a treat for me. The January Mystery Box was all about making panties.Doesn’t that all look pretty? Let’s unpack and take a closer look at just what was in the box.And if you’re not sure what one of the items is exactly, there’s a note outlining everything.This is perfect for me. I love cotton panties! I can’t wait to sew this up. But do you see the bottom of the note? There’s one more item included in the Mystery Box – a new pattern.

Tippi Classic Window Brief

  The Tippi pattern is designed by Laurie Van Jonsson – the same person who released How to Grade a Bra and Brief this past year.I haven’t tried any of her patterns yet, so this will be a fun new experience for me. The Tippi is described on her website as:

‘This brief sits low and has all the detail in the back.’

That does sound interesting. However, before I sew this pattern, and have fun with this Mystery Box, I’ll be back to sewing my Fitting Bras. I’m on my fourth bras for the month, so far.

Happy creating!

Fitting Bra One Done

~ Michelle ~ 4 Comments

Things aren’t completely settled after my FIL’s unexpected move last month. There is still a lot to be sorted out. But getting him settled, and the apartment cleaned out were the most important parts. The rest can be done when we have some time, and my hubby and I are doing bits here and there.

In spite of having all those things to sort out, I found some time to sew my first Fitting bra. When I was thinking about sewing 22 bras, I decided I’d start with the larger sizes first. I haven’t had a lot of opportunity to sew those smaller sizes, and thought they’d be a little more fun to sew. Those cute little bras will be my reward after sewing all the rest of the bras.

First Fitting Bra

Here’s my first bra. I chose to do them in ivory.   This is a 48 H Pin-up Girls Classic bra.

I can tell you, it was awfully hard to write the size on it. After taking care to sew it all so nicely, then to mark it up. Oh my! But the reality is I’m going to need to be able to see the size easily, so needed to mark it. It was hard though.

I’m sure after sewing and marking 21 more bras, it’ll be old hand to me.

Here’s the back of the bra. There were a couple of things I didn’t do while sewing this bra. I didn’t do any top-stitching. However, I did do some reinforcing stitching like at the strap and where the band attaches. It’s a little hard to see but there’s the seam and then that seam is reinforced with another seam. Those aren’t decorative stitches. Those are to strengthen the straps, and band.

Something else I didn’t do on this bra is finish the channeling at either the front, or the side. I wanted to keep the channeling open in case I need to use a different wire size than what is  normally used. Trust me, I know very well that a different wire size can be needed. So, I decided it will be better to not finish the channeling on these fitting bras.

Fitting Bra Two

Fitting Bra Two looks just like Fitting Bra One, doesn’t it? This is size 46 H. I’ve yet to mark it up, but I’ve decided to include a few other pertinent bits of information while writing on my bras. I’m also writing the wire size and the Bottom Cup Depth.I have a few other sewing projects waiting for me, but they’ll have to fit in and around these Fitting Bras. My goal is to get as many done in February as I can. Let’s see just how many I can do.

Happy creating!

We Got Your Back – BMS January Challenge 2019

~ Michelle ~ 4 Comments

The January Challenge for Bra-Makers Supply is We Got Your Back. The idea is to ‘make creative, unusual, or off-the-wall crazy backs for your bras, swimsuits, corsets or underwear. Yes, this month we are looking at bra backs and how to make them pretty and even more supportive than they usually are.’

Thinking about this challenge, I knew just what I wanted to do. A while back I received an email from Booby Traps about Bare Bax, a company that specialized in interchangeable bra backs. Not only that, but bra backs that are meant to be seen. I loved this idea!

Dual Reasoning

As well as participating in the challenge, I had another reason for wanting to make a bra with a fancy back – a gorgeous sweater my hubby gave me. Isn’t that a great back right there? I was thinking of wearing a camisole under this, but a bra with a fancy back might be more fun. A pop of color, that doesn’t look like a bra back might be just what I’d like behind this sweater.

My Challenges

The one challenge about my Challenge entry is I need my band to provide the support for my bra. So, rather than just use lace for a pretty back, I’m thinking lace backed with power net. The lace will still be all that’s seen though.

Another challenge I’m facing is I can’t get hooks & eyes in the same color I’m using for my bra. I’m making a lavender bra, but the 5 x 3 hooks and eyes don’t come in that color. Even hook and eye tape doesn’t come in lavender. I’m going to have to dye my hooks and eyes – a first for me. So, since I’m jumping into dyeing, I’m going to dye some elastics while I’m at it.

Dyeing

 My adventure into dyeing went pretty well. I had everything set out, including the bit of power net I wanted to match. Honestly, those findings weren’t in the dye two minutes before I looked at the hooks and eyes and thought, ‘They need to come out. Now.’

I turned around to grab my spatula handle, and they were already darker than I wanted!I realized just how quickly these findings will take color. However, the BMS Challenge for January was coming close to an end, so I decided these will do nicely.

I found dyeing very interesting. Look at the one ring and how it took color differently. One is noticeably darker than the others, but they were all in for the same amount of time.This has me thinking, I might want to do some timed tests with bits of elastic and such and record the results after say 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes…

Back to the Challenge.

My Fancy Back

  Here’s my lovely lavender bra, with a removable lace back.I’ve used 5 x 3 hook and eyes on each side of the bra to attach this back. I can take this off and use another back in the future (When I get another back made.)

As well, I’ve adjusted the height of my lace for my back. You can see how much I shortened the height of my lace by cutting and matching the pattern on it.

Here are the hooks and eyes that connect the back to the bra. And if you look closely, you can just barely see the seam in the middle of the lace. Below is my bra from the front. It doesn’t look any different from a normal bra.Lastly, here’s my bra under the sweater on my display.What a subtle but lovely little pop of color peeking out!

Happy creating!

When Repairs Don’t Go So Well

~ Michelle

There was no post last week because I was busy moving my FIL. There’s no time to sew when you’re packing up someone’s house. It’s been so busy, it’s taken me two weeks to finish this one bra.

A Bra Lament

One issue I’ve had fairly consistently with ready-to-wear bras is the wire on the left likes to break out of the channeling. I’m not sure why it’s only the left side, but it’s been consistent.

I haven’t had this problem with my me-made bras though. At least not until my most recent Ruby, that is. And I like this Ruby SO much. I was wearing it while out one day and the wire poked through the top of the channeling – on the left side. I spent the day trying to pushing it back in without drawing attention to myself and my bra woes.

Once back at home, I attempted a repair. Black thread on black channeling on black duoplex won. I made a hole in my very pretty new Ruby bra while trying to repair it.

I still have some of this gorgeous lace. So, I decided to make the bra again.Oh, I do like this lace. I’ve made an Angie, a Ruby and two pair of panties with this. And after cutting out a second Ruby, there is still more lace left over.

 My New-Same-as-the-Last Ruby

I’ve measured and re-measured to make sure everything about this new Ruby will be perfect. One of the things I’m still really delighting in is how my cups are fitting into the cradle now – without wrinkles. I just love how it looks now.

Here, see what I mean?There are no wrinkles, no puckers, no gathering. It looks clean and professional. Just the way I want my bras to look. I sent off a message to Jeanette telling her (again) how thankful I am for her class and all her little tips.

I jumped right in there and showed you the side of my new Ruby, so let me show you the front now. It’s almost exactly the same as my previous Ruby.   It doesn’t have its bow yet, but that’s still coming. I wanted to get my post out while it’s still today.

Here’s the back.I hope I can find a little more time to sew this week. My FIL is almost all moved into his new home, so a little bit more decorating, and I should be able to find time again.

Happy creating!