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Thursday, September 15
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All of the talented bloggers on this tour have done a fabulous job!
Happy creating!
Welcome to something a little different on my blog. As part of our Canada Cups Cross Your Heart Relay blog tour, 2016, I’m interviewing a Professional Bra-Maker.
Did you see my post the other day when I said why I’d become an affiliate with Craftsy… I really do think Craftsy is great.
Today, my post is featuring Mrs. Weaver of Mrs. Weaver’s Finest Unmentionables. I think you’re going to love this personal look into the life of Mrs. Weaver.
Who is Mrs. Weaver?
Mrs. Weaver is actually the married name of Karin Triel, a small Dutch woman married to a tall Canadian man. A bra-maker, teacher, independent designer and corset-maker in Calgary.
When did you start in the bra-making business? And when will you (shudder!) quit?
I’ve been working in Canada ever since the lovely folks at immigration gave me my work permit, which is around 15 months ago. As for quitting, I’ve never thought about that…yet!
That’s good news, Mrs. Weaver! What made you choose Canada?
Lol, I married a big, handsome Canadian who brought me here. He promised me it wouldn’t be too cold…
How did you get involved in bra-making?
When I was 13, I already had an E cup.There was nothing pretty to fit and would end up with ugly beige bras. I would sabotage them until they broke, forcing my parents to buy me another (which inevitably turned out to be equally ugly). It wasn’t quite bra-making, but it was bra-breaking. One thing led to another, and the rest is history!
When did you make your first bra?
I probably had my first go at it in my early 20s – as part of a bikini. It wasn’t terribly successful. I had many years of tinkering and messing about with patterns. Later, I finally got the opportunity to train with Beverly Johnson and that’s when the magic really started to happen.
Mrs. Weaver’s Thermal Valentine. View her original post here.
Do you teach?
I teach classes in-person in Calgary. I am teaching Professional Classes and have just launched an online class for those women who can’t get to Calgary. Everyone from total bra beginners to seasoned sewists, from Saskatoon to Sao Paolo is welcome. It’s so exciting to help start people on their own bra-making adventure! I also make custom bras for women who can’t find comfort, fit and pretty in ready-to-wear – every woman deserves those things from a bra! Making them yourself is the best way to achieve this.
Before I move on… did you catch that? Mrs. Weaver has just launched an online school!
What are your future goals?
There are lots! I want as many women as possible to discover the joy of a well-fitting bra or corset. I hope to teach more, grow the number of professional bra-makers currently working with me, expand my online classes and take LOTS of fabulous women with me on the European Tour in March of 2017. Basically, I want every woman to know they have options, can learn the skills and can have gorgeous lingerie – regardless of their fitting challenges.
There’s another big announcement right there! The European Tour in March. I hope you’re checking Mrs. Weaver’s blog for all these very exciting happenings.
Tell us more about where you see your business going?
I see my business continuing to expand, with the Braphoria Online School offering more classes and learning for those who can’t get to Calgary. In-person classes are definitely the best, but online offers such great opportunity to let more women continue in their bra-making adventures.
What are your businesses plans locally? Nationally? Globally?
Locally: I plan to continue to expand in-person teaching offerings and add more professional bra-makers to the Mrs. Weaver family to provide gorgeous custom unmentionables.
Nationally: I plan to travel more and teach across Canada; I have a lecture scheduled on Great Bra Fit at the Creative Stitches Expo in Calgary (September 23-24, 2016); as well I will be an exhibitor at the Love to Sew Expo in BC in November.
Globally: I plan to take women on my European Lingerie Tour in March of 2017 where as well as workshops with me and Beverly Johnson, I’ve arranged for world-class seminars and workshops at the London College of Fashion, and a specialty class in latex in Amsterdam; I also plan to travel back to Europe and Australia for Custom and Teaching work, and to set up distribution for my kits in other countries – to reduce postal charges for my customers.
All of that sounds amazing! You can read more about the tour here. And I’m sure customers overseas are thrilled to hear there will be purchasing options closer than Canada.
Mrs. Weaver, what do you absolutely love about the business?
I love the look on a woman’s face when she realizes beauty and comfort aren’t just for ‘other people’. The opportunity to make her feel good about herself, to feel beautiful.
Here’s a glimpse into Mrs. Weaver’s Parlour where her clients begin to experience that feeling of being beautiful. You can read more here.
What do you despise?
Nothing really, although it’s always very sad when women come in apologizing for their bodies with statements like ‘this is probably the worst you’ve seen’ , or ‘I hate my boobs’. Negative body image is desperately sad especially when all women and all bodies are intrinsically beautiful.
Well said, Mrs. Weaver! Do you see any lack?
I think there is a lack of understanding among women that options like sewing your own lingerie, or custom-made lingerie are available to them. Most women believe ugly, uncomfortable or ill-fitting lingerie is simply their lot in life and it’s not true. We wouldn’t wear a pair of shoes that hurt our feet or caused blisters, yet we’ll accept a bra that pokes us, straps that fall off our shoulders, or bands that roll up – that’s just crazy.
What trends have you seen?
Bralettes are big right now, that’s definitely a trend. I’m also seeing women wanting more luxurious materials and less moulded cup bras.
Speaking of more luxurious materials, here’s one of the kits available from Mrs. Weaver’s new store.
What is the difference between RTW and custom-made?
The biggest difference is custom-made is made just for you and your unique curves. We’re not putting a square peg into a round hole, instead we are designing the garment to work with your body. Most women find comfort is the biggest factor, with many stating it almost feels as though they aren’t wearing anything!
What about the difference between custom-made and self-made using a pattern?
Self-made using a pattern is a big step up from ready-to-wear and is a great starting point. However, if your own breast shape is different from the shape used for the pattern (or you don’t like the style) you’ll be faced with alterations which can be tricky to master. You’ll also not have the skills required to create a whole range of bras. Every time you make a different pattern, you’ll have the same learning curve as before – with alterations being almost inevitable.
With a custom bra, a professional bra-maker assesses fit and makes all the alterations before designing a style to address all your wishes. If you have very specific fitting challenges such as a significant size difference between your left and right breast, or mastectomy/lumpectomy a custom bra can be a faster way to a great fit. Some professional bra-makers like myself provide a custom drafting service for home sewists to help you resolve your fitting challenges more quickly.
Here’s another example of stunning luxurious material.
What is the difference between the ever-growing number of patterns out there?
There are some great patterns out there! The thing to remember is every pattern is based on one person’s body and that body is unlikely to be the same as yours. Some patterns are better for a smaller bust, others for a fuller bust; some work better for women who are still self-supporting while others will better support a bust that’s no longer very firm. Do your research before you buy – find reviews, establish what type of bust the patterns are best for.
Why did you decide to do online classes instead of another pattern?
With every new pattern you’re potentially back to square one. With my online class, you learn how to change your existing pattern into something new. As long as your existing pattern fits well, you can transform it into so much more!
That concept makes so much sense to me. Thank you! Where can we buy your kits and classes?
You can find them at www.braphoria.com or via www.mrsweaversfinest.com .
Can you tell us why you think bra-making has become so popular now?
I think it’s because in a time when the media is trying to tell us we all need to be the same, the subversive, rebellious, stubbornly individual hearts of women have decided that ‘I don’t need to be the same, I just need to be me’.
How long do you see this trend of making our own bra/panties/lingerie continuing?
I think it will only continue to grow – as long as women have access to patterns, classes and supplies, there will be interest.
I know I’m so happy with this trend of making our own lingerie and hope it stays around for a very, very long time.
How do you reach your target market?
I use Facebook, my blog, newsletters, and personal interaction.
Do you use technology?
I’m rarely too far from my laptop. However, for my drafting, the only technology I use is a pencil, a ruler, and a set of compasses. My grandfather was a draftsman, he once said you could ‘feel’ what you were drawing with a pencil much better than with a computer.
How do you get the word out?
Word of mouth mostly, although social media, my website and newsletters are really good. Being featured in Vogue earlier this year was fabulous and there’s going to be another piece in the media about Mrs. Weaver and Braphoria soon.
How exciting that Mrs. Weaver is getting all this press attention. Congratulations!
I would like to thank Mrs. Weaver for taking the time to allow me to interview her.
Happy creating!
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Thursday, September 15
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And congratulations to all our bloggers on a wonderful tour!
Happy creating!
Hello! Welcome to my stop on the Canada Cups – Cross Your Heart Relay blog tour, 2016.
You’ll see in my sidebar menu, I’m an affiliate with Craftsy. I decided to do this because I can do it without any compromise. I really do think they’re great. In fact, I love the whole concept: You buy a class that never expires; you can watch it anytime; the instructors answer your questions. From sewing to cooking to gardening and more, they have classes. They really are great!
I’m reviewing Beverly Johnson’s Sewing Bras Foam, Lace & Beyond class and so is Rachelle from That’s Sew Venice. Have you seen Rachelle’s blog? She has some great posts on her blog, and I think you’ll love what she does. Any blogger who falls in love with making lingerie is my kind of blogger too.
Here’s my review: The first thing Beverly Johnson, suggests in this class is that you take Sewing Bras Construction & Fit, which is another great class. I have that first class, and go back to review my notes again and again. I still find it valuable.
So, once we have that foundation on making bras, Beverly now takes us into the gorgeous world of lace bras. Oh, so much lace! And oh so pretty. I love lace. But as the name of the class implies, it’s not just lace. It’s Foam, and Lace, and more.
Here is some of what Beverly covers:
What lace to use
Lace on the upper cup
Full lace bras
Lace partial-band bras, and lace full-band bras
Lace and foam
Making Demi cups
Making Balconettes
Preformed foam cups
Cut & Sew foam cups
And there’s more. This class really covers a lot.
Here’s a screen shot from the class of a beautiful lace-covered full-band bra.
Isn’t that lovely?
Here’s another sample from the class:
Isn’t this gorgeous? Just wow. Beverly not only makes everything look amazing, she really instills confidence that we can do this too.
Here’s one more example from the class:
The bras Beverly makes and teaches in this class rival any Ready-to-Wear bra – anytime. Every time.
Both my Eastern partner, Rachelle, and I both made a bra to go along with what we were learning from the class. Rachelle used the Pin-Up Girls Classic pattern to make a Demi cup bra. I’m starting with the same pattern, but just wait until you see how different our makes are!
The bra I chose to make is from this class and Beverly’s first class (Construction & Fit): the Heather bra.
In Beverly’s first class, her model, Heather, was wearing a RTW bra that became a Craftsy hit! Everyone wanted to learn how to make this bra, and naturally attributed this beauty to Beverly.
Here’s another screen shot of Beverly measuring Heather wearing her lovely bra. I was going along with the crowd on this one – I loved that bra too.
In this class, Beverly takes us through the steps to make our own Heather bra.
Here’s Beverly’s Heather bra. It’s gorgeous!
The first thing Beverly shows us is how to change the seams on our bra pattern. She takes about a minute and a half to show this, and she draws it all out and cuts it. It took me… longer than that… and a break for lunch, and two cups of tea to do mine.
Once the pattern was done, it was time to cut the bra out. I’m always amazed at how little fabric goes into a bra. This little pile is about to become something very pretty.
Here’s my Heather bra:
A few of the alterations I made to my Heather to make her fit me are: I lower my bridge, so my bra has more of a plunge look to it. (All my bras do.) I also used a smaller cradle and wire (Omega shape), and shortened the underarm of the bra. Those are my personal fitting alterations.
The last change I made was to use polka dot tulle and sheer cup lining under my lace. The Heather bra usually only uses sheer cup lining.
Here’s where it all starts. Remember, go see what Rachelle from That’s Sew Venice is making – we’re both starting with this pattern. The Classic Pattern or ‘Linda’.
You can see by comparing the photo of my bra front to the pattern, the cross cup seams are different. Where the straps join is different as well. Beverly shows how to change both of these in the class. There are also some pattern pieces included in the Materials of the class, so you don’t have to figure it all out on your own.
Now for a few more features of my bra.
On this close-up of the front you can see I made my bows out of the polka dot tulle. Just peeking out from behind that bow you can see a Gothic arch. Those are so comfortable.
Here’s another little bow. Both straps have bows covering the seams where the upper cup and strap are sewn together. Another change I made was to have the trim that’s along the upper cup go all the way up the strap.
The polka dot tulle continues up the straps as well. And around the bra band for a delicate polka dot look to the whole bra.
I love polka dots.
This class was really something I’d wanted for a long time. Since I first saw the Heather bra, I knew I wanted to make one too. There is so much more in this class as well. Don’t forget to pop over to Rachelle’s post to see what she made using the Pin-Up Girls Classic pattern, and read her review.
Do you have a favorite bra from one of Beverly’s Bra-making classes on Craftsy? I’d love to hear which one it is.
I want to thank Craftsy for donating this class to me to review.
Tour Schedule Itinerary
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Wednesday, September 14
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Every day I’m posting the day’s links. Want to see the whole blog tour schedule? The complete schedule will be available at the end of the tour.
We have such a wonderful group of bloggers on this tour! They’ve all done an incredible job. Thank you.
Welcome to Michelle’s Creations. Today, it’s not about me at all. Today is all about my Bosom buddy– everyone else was doing right/left bra cup analogies, but we’re making panties… the bra cups don’t fit here or there. I know…. she’s my booty buddy!
You’ll read all about our makes and reviews on Friday, but today? Here’s a fun peek at Deb.
This is Deb’s favorite photo of herself. Her hubby took this photo of her just a few days ago.
Deb’s favorite bra is a red one!
Oh! The pinstripe and the little crystal heart with the bow. I can see why this is a favorite!
Her least favorite bra is “…one that makes my boobs look way too pointy…like Madonna’s cone bras.” Uh, that would be a least favorite of mine too!
It’s just not a look that’s in fashion anymore. And just so you all know, this is not Deb.
Deb’s favorite pattern? “Anything Burda. I love their fit and styles.”
“My favorite lingerie pattern? I have a lot of undies patterns (all Jalie) but don’t have a favorite lingerie pattern yet. I’m loving the style of Ohhh Lulu.”
“Either the Clara Cami or Hannah Chemise.” Above, Clara; Hannah below.
“My worst sewing mistake was in 2002. I used to make prom dresses. And this is the story of why I don’t make them anymore. I would make a muslin from the lining, then have the girl try on the lining and sew up the real dress. Two days later she had her dress. Well this one girl did 5 fittings and never wore the same bra twice. It changed the shape of her bust so it never fit the same way. I finally got the dress done 2 days before prom. It was hanging in my living room and I noticed a funny pleat at the bust line. So I turn on my iron to fix the funny pleat in the fabric and I burnt the bodice. I had to start over!”
“The garment I made that I was really proud of myself for making was a jean jacket with top stitching on all my seams. The inside was finished off with bias binding. I didn’t have a serger at that time. It was probably one of the first things I made for me. The pattern was Butterick 6376.”
This is a fun look into my ‘booty’ buddy. Thanks, Deb. You can see Deb’s peek at me here. I’ve had so much fun sharing our makes and working with you on the tour.
Above are the rest of our bloggers. What an incredible job you’ve all done!
Happy creating!
Here are the tour posts for today. Don’t forget to enter the give-away!
Tuesday, September 13
A big thank you to all of our bloggers! You’ve done an incredible job.
And I’m sure we’re all thankful for the sponsors! Thank you for making our tour so much better.
Just to save you a little time hunting and clicking to find the tour posts for the day, here they are. And don’t forget the give-away and discounts!
Monday, September 12
Happy creating!
Over the last week, I’ve posted a couple of teasers for our upcoming tour.
Well, the wait is over. The tour starts today!
Welcome to the Canada Cups – Cross Your Heart Relay blog tour, 2016!
The tour begins with the incredible Fairy Bra Mother herself – Beverly Johnson. Pop over to the Fairy Bra Mother’s blog for a great kick-off post!
Happy creating!
There’s a blog tour coming.
Isn’t that exciting? You’ll have to come back to see more, but there will be lots! You won’t have to wait long either. The tour starts tomorrow! That’s all I’m saying about it for now. Well, I will tell you one more thing. There are two teams – an Eastern team and a Western team. I’m a Western girl, so I’m on the Western team.
We’ve been planning, sewing, and putting everything in order, and we’ve been having a really good time. We even decided to do a Western Meet-Up.
We had :
Jessica of Gracious Threads
Karin of Mrs. Weaver’s Finest Unmentionables
Lisa of Glitter in My Coffee
Michele of Pink Lilli Bad Gramma
Michelle of Little Heart Threads
And of course me.
We had our meet-up all planned. In order for us to all get together, we met for lunch. Some of us have to work. After our lunch it was time for a shopping trip.
It really was great to have a meet-up, but not all of us could make it in person, so… We got creative.
Lisa and I were the first to arrive at the restaurant. Lisa lives a little too far west for her to join us, but we just couldn’t leave her out!
Here we all are. We’re just waiting for our lunch to arrive. While we were waiting, we didn’t miss an opportunity to chat up our waiter and let him know we were all bloggers. It turns out he is a fan of blogs, but he only reads sports blogs, not sewing.
We’d had our lunch, and had to say goodbye to one of our Michelles at this point. (There were three of us!) The rest of us hit Marshall Discount Fabrics store.
Lisa found this gorgeous lace! (You know I love lace and there were other lace-lovers there that day too.) I kind of have my eye on that polka dot material behind her too. We really were determined not to leave Lisa out of our day.
It was really great having someone like Karin along. She has so much knowledge, and we were all asking questions.
We spent a little longer in Marshall’s than we planned. We were hoping to hit Deep Fabrics too – an East Indian fabric shop. We ran out of time. Hmm. I should still plan a little trip there.
Just before we all headed back to our blogs, Jessica, Lisa and Michele took one more photo. (I know this is not the best photo, but their smiles are all so great. I had to include it.)
It was short, but it was sweet to meet-up.
Happy creating!
Unfortunately, Michele of Pink Lilli Bad Gramma wasn’t able to continue as part of our tour. We had a wonderful time meeting with her though. Thanks for joining us while you could, Michele.
Tomorrow is Canada Day. Happy birthday, Canada!
For my stop on the Canada Day Blog Hop, I’ve used a pattern from a Canadian pattern company that’s new for me. Although I’ve heard of Jalie Patterns, I had yet to try any of their patterns. Thank you, Jalie, for providing me with your 2568 Camisole & Panties pattern for our blog hop.
First, I’d want to say, I had a little difficulty finding the sizing for Jalie’s patterns on their website. It’s not prominent, but it can be found. You know all those sayings about reading the instructions first? Well, the sizing information was with the instructions. I could have made things easier for myself if I had started with them. So if you try Jalie’s patterns, don’t search all over their website for sizing – it’s with your pattern.
For anyone who’s wondering, I found Jalie’s sizing spot on. First, I found my size on their sizing charts and marked my multi-sized pattern, then I pulled out my knit sloper to compare. It was so very close, it might as well have been an exact match – my bust and hips on my sloper hit exactly where the sizing charts put me. That’s good! However, I was wondering about the neckline and if it would be too big. I wasn’t sure, so I decided to follow the sizing guidelines. My reason for wondering is I’m a S, M, and XL all wrapped into one. Jalie doesn’t use the sizing S, M, L… Their sizes run from an F to a FF (looking at the Panties). So it’s a completely different way of sizing. Everything is explained clearly, so just follow what they’re saying and you’ll get a great fit.
Jalie’s patterns are multi-sized patterns – 27 sizes in all. Before you faint when looking at all those sizes, take into consideration there are Children, Women’s and Plus sizes all on one PDF pattern. Being multi-sized with so many sizes, there are at times some dizzying lines to follow to cut out your own size, but it’s all doable.
You can see from this piece of the pattern there are a lot of lines coming together at that one point. I’m used to Adult multi-sized patterns with only four or five lines.
So, how did that neckline fit? It is loose. However, I made this camisole into a nightie, so I’m not minding that it’s looser in the neckline. For a camisole, I would make a smaller size for the neckline and adjust for the bust.
Above you can see the neckline in the pre-sewing stages. I first looked a thinner lace (below), but decided on this one, which is the same lace I used for the hemline.
This thinner lace has no oomph at all. The thinner lace was used for the armholes and leg openings.
Here’s my lovely summer nightie:
To make this I simply added six inches to the bottom of the camisole pattern. It was very easy. As I mentioned, I added some lovely lace to dress up the hem a bit more too.
Now onto the panties. I chose the low-cut Hipster panties from the pattern. The pattern comes with four different styles of panties to make and match the camisole. There are low-cut Hipsters, high-cut Hipsters, Bikinis, and an all-lace Hipster option.
These panties are super cute. Overall, this is a very sweet camisole/panty set.
In celebration of our blog hop, and Canada Day, and everything Canadian, all of Beverly Johnson’s classes on Craftsy are 50% off! Yes, just follow this link and you can get any of Beverly’s bra-making classes, or her swimwear class – but only until July 3rd. ‘Only in Canada, you say?’ Well, we’re not talking Red Rose Tea here. These Craftsy savings are for anyone! (Sorry if you missed our discount. I’m sure there will be more savings in the future.)
And speaking of the Fairy Bra Mother, if you missed it, pop over to Seam of my Pants to read Marsha’s interview with her here. It’s a great interview! (Why didn’t I think of interviewing the Fairy Bra Mother!!!)
As well, don’t forget all the deals I mentioned when our blog hop started. You can find all the savings being offered on Happy Okapi here.
Happy creating!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Be sure to visit each of these brilliant blogs this week for more on our
outstanding Canadian designers and suppliers:
And, of course, to enter our giveaway for some sweet-like-maple-syrup prizes.
June 24: The Tour Starts HERE at Happy Okapi
June 25: Celine guest posts on Happy Okapi; Marsha @ Seam of my Pants
June 26: Fiona @ Tangled Blossoms Designs; Carla @ Half Dozen Daily
June 27: Sherry @ Thread Riding Hood; Reece @ Happy Okapi
June 28: Nicky guest posts on Seam of my Pants
June 29: Daniela @ On the Cutting Floor; Reece @ Happy Okapi
June 30: Michelle @ Michelle’s Creations
Canada Day–June 31*: Ula @ Lulu & Celeste
July 2: Marsha @ Seam of my Pants
July 3: Keshia @ Sand Dollar Design Studio
July 4: Wrap Up @ Happy Okapi
July 6: Giveaway winners announced
* Yes, we know!
Please note, all contest links have been disabled as the contest is now over.
Hello again!
We’ve just barely made it home after our Craftsy escapade all across Canada. We’re unpacking our luggage and finding some great souvenirs from the trip, but it’s just too much to keep for ourselves. And because you’ve been such perfect road trip companions, we’d like to share them with you. Up for grabs are 4 coveted prize packs from our travels, as well as the special gift that Craftsy sent to us while we were gone gallivanting.
* Please note: If you entered this giveaway before Friday, April 8, your entry may not have been recorded correctly by Craftsy. Please enter again. This colourful tote bag kit includes the Rowan Three-Quarter Patch Tote pattern, some stunning Kaffe Fassett fabric, plus all the Pellon Fusible Fleece stabilizer you will need for the project. The only things you would have to add to this are a coordinating button, some thread and your time. Voila! You have a gorgeous tote that will be the envy of tote-al strangers. It’s almost like instant Jello pudding, only better! Follow this link to enter before midnight April 11, 2016:
(You choose the pattern!)
Giveaway Rules:
Many, many thanks to all the wonderful people who’ve followed us on The Great Canadian Craftsy Bag Tour. We hope you learned a little about our very large, diverse and beautiful country while you got a peek into some of our favourite Craftsy classes.
And very special thanks to the amazing, supportive people who helped make the giveaway and our graphics just that much better: Celine from Blue Calla Patterns and Elle from Brand UR Shop Graphic Design. Take a bow ladies! 
Happy travels until the next time we take you tripping and traipsing!
Please note, all contest links have been disabled as the contest is now over.