Author: Michelle

Cut and Sew Foam Class

~ Michelle

Another class I took this Spring was the Cut and Sew Foam bra class at Central Sewing, again with Jeanette of Sew Uplifting.

In this class Jeanette was teaching us cut and sew foam drafting and construction techniques with our personal fitted bra pattern. Most of the class sewed a foam bra from our drafted patterns. We all also received the Ruby bra pattern. Jeanette brought in her own sample foam bra, and we all had to inspect every detail of the bra. One detail I noticed was she used jewelry findings for the rings on the front. I loved that detail!The fabric on this is so pretty.

Pattern Problems

 I have to say, I really didn’t enjoy the first day of our class. My drafted pattern, which fits, wasn’t converting to a foam pattern easily.

Here’s my drafted bra. This fits me perfectly.  To make the pattern work for foam, all we had to do was cut off some of the seam allowances. I did that. I did that three times.

Each time I did it, I kept getting the same result. I was shorter along the cross cup seam on the top than on the bottom. My pattern pieces were not fitting together. Jeanette looked at my pattern pieces, and she tried to make them work. She couldn’t figure out what was wrong with those pieces either. For whatever reason, those pattern pieces would not line up.

It was so frustrating. I was using my original pattern, and had transferred all the markings from it. I cut off the correct seams. It should have worked, but it didn’t. It was out by a 1/2-inch!

So, I finally decided I’d just add that 1/2″ difference at the underarm side, and hope for the best.

My Foam Bra

We used a lovely scuba for the foam bras, and they were all so pretty. Here’s mine. I’ve used the red and black floral scuba with all red findings, including red foam on the inside.

Here’s the side view, showing more of the red. One small disappointment was my band turned out to be too big. It’s not fitting well on the display either.Looking at it when I was sewing it, I thought it might be, so I just have the hook and eye tacked on here. I’ll take that off and trim off a bit from each side. After I measure and compare to a well-fitting band, of course.

Class Details

     One of the very pretty features we learned in our class was to do a rolled edge on our bras.Isn’t that a neat and pretty neckline finish? Below you can see it from the inside of the cup.We also learned how to stabilize our strap elastics to give better support. We’ve sewn non-stretch seam tape to the inside of our straps at the front. It’s nice and soft, and helps keep those elastics from stretching.

My Adjustment

 You can see here in the photo below how I added that 1/2″ to my foam upper cup.Have you been wondering how that adjustment turned out?

Well, let me just say I had two choices – I could have made it a little longer, or I could have made it a little shorter. My logic was shorter wouldn’t be better because it could end up too small.

And the results? My bra is 1/2″ too big at the underarm.

Sigh.

The good news is the bra is still wearable, and I’ve adjusted my foam pattern to account for that 1/2″ extra at the underarm. Why it wasn’t all lining up, I’m not sure I’ll ever know, but the pattern has been corrected and is good for my next bra now.

Happy creating!

Supportive Swimsuit Class

~ Michelle

I took another class at Central Sewing. The Supportive Swimsuit class. Jeanette, of Sew Uplifting, was the instructor.

First Attempts

Last year when the Bra-Makers Challenge was Swimwear, I did try making a swimsuit on my own.

I had the Craftsy (now Bluprint) class Sewing Swimsuits, and my pattern. I thought I’d do just fine.

 The first thing I did was figure out what size to make, and I made a muslin.I made this muslin in cotton Lycra, and all seemed to be going well.

Then, after making a few adjustments to my pattern, I cut into my swim material.This is where I started to think something wasn’t right. It was too small on the mannequin. I’m bigger than the mannequin. There was a problem.

At this point, seeing it was going to be too small, I didn’t continue sewing to see how it was all going to go together.And I didn’t enter the Challenge that month.

Fast forward a year.

The Class

The first thing I learned in the class was my measurements were spot on last year. That was good news.

As well, it seemed the alterations Jeanette was adding to my pattern were very similar to the ones I’d made. However, Jeanette sized the whole pattern up to my hip size, which is one size larger than my bust size. Then made adjustments to make the top smaller. I didn’t do that last year.

Fabric

   Our class cost included the pattern, swimsuit liner, and the finding kit, but not the actual swim fabric. I could have brought some from home, but chose instead to buy some from Jeanette in class. I chose this amazing black with fuchsia detailing. Isn’t this stunning?Now, I have to share a story with you. Jeanette brings suitcases full of bra kits and finding kits, plus other goodies to these classes. And we all descend on them like vultures. Honestly. Everything in the class comes to a stop when those cases open.

I saw this material, and another woman saw it at the same time. We agreed no one else was going to come near our material and we put it aside. There was a sweet Minnie Mouse panel that was also getting that same attention.

A Positive Note

There was one positive from last year’s attempt at a bathing suit – I made the bra that goes inside the suit last year, and it fit perfectly. Even more good news is I kept it thinking I’d use it again. And I did.I was able to bring in my swim bra and use that inside my new swimsuit. So last year wasn’t a complete wash.

My Swimsuit

     I’ve tried to pin this on so it fits a little better, but it really doesn’t fit my display. I have a long torso. Oh, that front panel is amazing.

Here’s the side view: The suit has lovely princess seams. We used the Pin-up Girls Denise pattern.And the back view: I love the keyhole opening at the back. It’s lovely, supportive, and it fits! This is the first time a one piece has ever been long enough for me.

Here’s mine and the rest of the swimsuits from the class: It was a great class. And I’m already looking forward to using my new pattern, and making a Tankini.

Happy creating!

Wireless Freedom – BMS March Challenge

~ Michelle

The March BMS Challenge is all about going wireless, and we’re not talking WiFi.

This month is about Marching toward freedom – freedom from wires! Wireless freedom, as they say. So the bras you make this month won’t use any underwires. Let’s see all those creative bralettes, Ingrids, and your wire-free conversions from the Classic or Jewel series of bras.

The first bra I’m submitting to the Challenge is one made during a class. The class was the Sports Bra (The Many Faces of Ingrid) class at Central Sewing. It was another class Jeanette, of Sew Uplifting, was teaching.

My Ingrid

Here’s my new Ingrid. Jeanette brought the materials for us to use. We had our choice of this nice bright scuba on my Ingrid, a more pastel floral, or duoplex. I chose the brighter fabric, most of the class chose the pastel floral, and one student made a duoplex Ingrid.Oh, I like this. It’s nice and bright with a lot of pop! It would be pretty hard to mirror scuba prints, but I did try to get as much of the same pink as possible in my cups.

I made a change in my center front. Instead of using power net, I used power mesh for a different look.

Omega Adjustments

Having Jeanette fit me, and seeing the changes she made to the cup pattern helped me learn something. It was great to see what alterations she made on this cup style. The cup is very different from the PUG Classic, or Shelley, and those are the patterns I’ve worked with the most.

Here’s my bra from the side. I chose to finish my Ingrid with wide elastic rather than lingerie elastic.The wider elastic really makes it feel secure when it’s on. This elastic is called Comfort Elastic, and it really is comfortable.

And the back.Just for fun, I added Fuchsia rings and sliders for a little more color on the back.

I’ve worn this bra a few times now, and it really is comfortable. I’d also promised Em another bralette, so had to make time for that too.

A New Sweet Sixteen

The Pin-Up Girls Sweet Sixteen pattern was revised, and of course I had to try it. (You all know I have a pattern addiction.)

Here are the two patterns. The older one is on the left, and the new one is on the right.Here’s Em’s Sweet Sixteen in all lace.  This is a lovely red, beige & tan lace. It’s very pretty. I made sure to save  some of this for me.

  Here’s the bralette from the side.And here’s the back. Em wanted a more decorative back, but until I know this size is just right for her, she’s only getting a lace back. We’ll do some fancier back details on the next one.I finished this bralette off with some purchased straps. These were marked down to 25 cents. I grabbed a few of them thinking even if I only used the rings and sliders, which are metal, they’d be worth it. I’m glad I was able to use the straps too though.

Em has tried on her new bralette, and tells me she needs a larger band and cup size. So as it turns out, this is the second bralette I’ve made for a friend of Em’s.

I’m off to sew more Fitting bras.

Happy creating!

Pin-Up Girls Newest Addition

~ Michelle

The Pin-Up Girls line of patterns has a new member. Meet the Cheryl Panty pattern.

At first glance, Cheryl may not seem so very different from the Pin-up Girls Panty Basics Pattern.

But they are different.

The new Cheryl is a combination of the two basic styles of panties; the brief and the boy shorts. It is the ideal panty for everyday wear. Cheryl has the look of the brief in the front however the back features a center back seam.

The Panty Pattern includes 4 views, with two height options (waist or hipster), and two leg options (thigh cut and high cut).

The feature I like best is part of all four style options – there are no side seams on these panties. There is one back seam and that’s it. It gives a nice smooth line to the panties.

Here’s my Cheryl from the side.The panty having no side seams is a really nice feature.

Another feature I really like is the lace back that wraps around to the front.

Seeing as I was testing the pattern, I made a basic Hipster panty with no alterations to the pattern – to see how it would fit. The measuring for these panties is a little different from other patterns, so I wasn’t sure how they would fit. This pattern is based on your hip measurement alone.

The good news is they fit and I was pleasantly surprised.

Here’s the front of my Cheryl panty.And here is the back.The seam isn’t that noticeable to look at. Using the lace option, it would become a feature too. And I’ve made panties before with a back seam and I didn’t notice the seam when wearing them either.

This is a nice change from the basic pattern. If you’ve been looking for a seamless panty pattern, here it is – at least no side seams.

The panty is available now at Bra-Makers Supply.

Happy creating!

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!