Bra Kits

Perfect Pistachio

~ Michelle

A while back I bought a lovely Black Beauty (Emerald Erin’s) bra kit. I saw it and loved it. What can I say?

So the very pretty kit was sitting patiently on a shelf in my sewing room waiting for just the right sew-jo to inspire me.

Then B,Wear brought out Pistachio finding kits! Oh my!

Findingskit -Pistachio green - 3   I knew right away they’d match perfectly with that kit. The green is the perfect pop of color.

Here’s my lovely Pistachio Bra. I chose to only use the Pistachio on the upper part of the bra. My frame is sheer cup lining and power net, so I wanted to keep it looking black. If I’d been using duoplex or nylplex the pistachio wouldn’t have shown through, but it really did show through the sheer cup lining.

What I wanted though was just a little peek of color with the upper band elastic, and then the straps with that pop of color. And I think I got it. This bra has such lovely rich fall colors. I’m very happy with my new make, and I’m still loving the Freja pattern.

I was asked last week if the frame I’m using for my pattern is the one that comes with the pattern. No. Most definitely not. My frame is highly adjusted for my Omega shape. I’ve narrowed the upper bridge, widened the lower bridge, used a smaller cradle size – so it’s definitely not the same frame as comes with the pattern.

Lastly, here’s the back of the bra. I really love this Pistachio color! I was looking through my lace to see what else I had that would go well with it. 

Do you remember this bra I made?  I still have some of this lace.     I think this will match perfectly with the pistachio color too. But not with the burn orange this time. Basic black always works.

Happy creating!

Gunilla Freja Bra

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

My most recent Freja is from a lovely kit I bought from B,Wear. I saw a gorgeous bra Bodil had made on IG, and sent her a message asking if there was a kit.Not long after that, this lovely Gunilla kit was available. I looked to see if this kit was still on her website, but unfortunately it’s not. It wouldn’t hurt to request it again though.

I loved the rich colors of this, and had to make it up in my current favorite pattern. Here’s my Gunilla Freja bra. Oh, I love this lace. I do hope I can get some more of it too. It would look wonderful with ivory or blue, but I have to say the red really makes it pop!

Here’s the side view.  Do you see that peek of ivory at the back? For a long time I wouldn’t make a bra if the kit didn’t have all matching parts. The band and straps had to be the same color. But I’m more open to coordinating fabrics like this set now. It gives me more options too. 

Recently, at the Sewing Bee, Lily of LilypaDesigns said she really likes B,Wear’s stabilized satin fabric. I think this must be that fabric.

In the past I’ve used the stretch satin Bodil carries, but this only had the mechanical stretch – no real stretch. It also feels firmer than duoplex, so would be a great option for those needing more support.

Lastly, the back of the bra.  I’m thrilled with a new pattern that fits me so well. I already have 3 more kits on the cutting table to make next. I do have plans to test a few more patterns, but I really love this bra pattern. 

Happy creating!

A Perfect Freja Bra

~ Michelle ~ 4 Comments

I’ve just had the best couple of days sewing. My niece wanted to learn to sew a bra but we live in different provinces. So we did video sewing. We’re already talking about what and when we’re going to sew next.

My niece sewed up a Classic pattern from BMS. I wasn’t interested in sewing the same pattern though. What I sewed up actually came from Bodil of B,Wear. She had suggested I try the Freja pattern from BMS. She thought it would be a good fit for me.

FREJA Bra PATTERN A Pin Up Girls Original Pattern image 1I had tried the pattern once before and the cups were too small for me. I hadn’t gone back to the pattern. I decided it was time to try it again.

Here’s the first Freja I made.Oh, I loved the lace and the copper duoplex together. I was sad it didn’t fit perfectly. 

One of the reasons I wanted to re-try the Freja is one of my favorite RTW bras was the Fantasie Vivienne bra.  I loved the shaping of this bra, and the Freja is very close to the same shaping.

This time I went up a size in BCD and the cups are perfect!  Here’s my new Freja.I had this lovely pink kit from BMS so decided to use it for my second attempt of the Freja. It’s lovely!I could use the tip from Porcelynne on the side  here – to add another strip of channeling beside the wire channeling and add boning there. However, when I was wearing this it wasn’t bothering me that the wire is a little lower at the side.I’m really happy with how the Freja fits. Yes, there’s a little playing around I can do to help my Omega shape fit even better, but for an attempt I wasn’t sure would turn out better than the first time, I’m very happy.Next I’m thinking of making a pair of panties to match. 

It was wonderful to sew again. Wearing the splint, I’m slowly gaining movement in my thumb again. Thankfully, I can sew while wearing it.

Happy creating!

Porcelynne’s Eve Demi Cup Bra

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

Well, I did it. I finished my Eve demi cup bra, and I have to tell you it is incredibly comfortable.

It took a lot of work to find my perfect size and fit. I think I made at least 4 fitting bands to get it just right, then I must have made 6 (or possibly more) cups sizes and styles.

I was not getting that perfect fit with the Eve until we tried the demi cup. Than we found the cup style that fits me best.This lovely kit came from Porcelynne’s shop.

I can’t tell how wonderful it was to sew again. I just had to do it in bits. My hand is recovering, but it’s recovering slowly. Still. I couldn’t just not sew. I have a three different splints I’ve been wearing, and they’ve made it possible for me to do everything I need to do AND sew.

I have more sewing plans for the summer – maybe too many for how slowly I’m sewing – but I can’t wait to work on more projects.  Here’s the back of the bra. It has a nice curved U shape to the straps. Despite all the testing, this was a bit big for me. I think it’s mostly due to the fabric. I’d been using nylplex from Bodil’s shop for my test bras. This time I used the kit from Jennifer’s shop.   

One last mention, which I did mention before. This little strip of channeling beside the actual channeling is holding a piece of boning. Before I started to recommend this to everyone, I wanted to wear this and know it was comfortable. Honestly. I couldn’t feel it at all.

It’s a great tip for all the Omegas out there to get a better fit and get the coverage they need with smaller wires. It works!

Happy creating and I hope to be back soon with more makes.

A New Shop and a Shop Re-Opening

~ Michelle ~ 6 Comments

I’ve had a few people contact me asking me where to buy the Poppy pattern, and other House Morrighan patterns. I reached out to the owner to find out.

I knew there had been changes to Etsy, and I knew as a result a few shops are no longer on there. I don’t know if the changes are the reason House Morrighan was no longer on Etsy, but I knew they weren’t there. As well,  I didn’t know where her patterns could be purchased now.

Then I read some good news on her Instagram. She’s setting up her new website. More good news is you can purchase her patterns now by sending her a message on IG.

That’s great news! She’s still going to be selling her patterns – and I think they are wonderful patterns. In fact, I’m going to be teaching the Poppy bralette as a class soon.I’ll share more on this bralette soon.

So that’s the shop that’s re-opening, but there’s more exciting news. There’s a new shop in town. Well, not exactly in my town and maybe not in yours either. However, this new shop won’t be far from me. It’s a new shop in Canada!

Margie B Fine Lingerie Supplies. 

  I’m excited for this shop to open because it will be great for when I want to order one finding kit, or something else small. This way shipping won’t cost very much.

She’s going to be carrying all my favorite supplies too: bra kits with Duoplex, power net, lace, elastics, findings. She’s even carrying special kits from B, Wear. It’s very exciting!

If you’re wondering about some of her kits from B,Wear, well, you can double check but currently they’re exclusive to Margie B.  This kit for example. Lollipop. It’s darling and Margie B is the only one carrying it right now. Johanna is another lovely kit that is currently exclusive to Margie B.

If you are looking for duo kits and finding kits and don’t see them, she has them! Just send her a message. Both of these wonderful shops are still getting their websites finished.

Margie B is owned by a woman who’s taken all the professional classes that I’ve taken. In fact, we were in the same classes! I’m so excited for my colleague as she begins this new adventure and moves forward with her dream. And there’s more coming, but I can’t share that just yet.

One of the items I’m most excited about though is Margie B is going to carry flexible wires! And they’re really nice looking flexible wires too. Right now, no one in Canada sells flexi wires.

Here’s let me show you a pair of the wires I’m using now, and a pair of the new style of Flexi wires. Mine are on the right.They both just look like wires, right? Well, the ones on the right look a bit thinner. Let’s take a closer look. In the photo above are the wires I’ve been using. They work wonderfully. I have no problem with them, except there are no shops in Canada that carry these wires. In the past, I’ve had to order my wires from the US. So I had to deal with the exchange rate, expensive shipping, and then I was usually hit with duty when it arrived. Those wires would end up costing me more than twice what I was expecting to pay. It wasn’t fun.

Here are the new Flexi wires.Ooh, right away I think these look prettier. A more even shape throughout the wire.

Here’s one last close up.This photo is showing the ends that inserted into the channeling. The new wire is smoother, more of a continuous piece, and that will make that job of inserting them much easier. There were pliers involved in the past when inserting flexi wires.

One warning though, they are just a bit longer than the US-style of flexi wires. They are the same length as a standard long wire of the same size. So if you’ve been using the US-style of flexi wire, you’ll need to adjust your pattern. Ask me how I know.

So you can really see I’m excited about a new shop opening here in Canada, and one of my favorite pattern shops reopening. All the best to both House Morrighan, and  Margie B!

Happy creating!

The Prettiest Josey Bra

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

You’ve heard me say this many times before, but I loved this lace when I saw it. Do you all have the same problem? I can’t be the only one to fall in love over and over with laces.

But. I saw this lace and thought it was so beautiful. You can find it at B,Wear. The link is in the photo as well.It’s described as Light Beige with Pink Flowers. The above photo is on a pink background. Below it is on a darker background.Oh, it’s so delicate and so pretty.

I did something I’ve never done before. The same day I received the lace in the mail, I had the bra cut out and began to sew it up.I had some copper power net and I found it went perfectly with the leaf outlines in the lace.

Here’s my lovely new Josey bra. Because this is a stretch lace, I’ve lined the frame and the cups with an ivory sheer cup lining.Here you can just see a bit of the copper power net.Above is a bit more of a side view. Oh, I love this! The lace is so delicate and so pretty. And the back view. I really love copper power net and duoplex too. I wish I could find the perfect cotton Lycra to match copper though. Has anyone found that? Let me know.

One of these days I am going to try another bra pattern. (I do have one cut out to try. Really.) However, this time it was too hard to resist this lace. I used my TNT Josey pattern so I could sew this up right away.

Happy creating!

A Christmassy Bra

~ Michelle

Sometimes I see a lace and love it right away. Okay, that actually happens a lot. It happened with this lace from B,Wear. In fact, I had this lace in my favorites for quite a while but it was out of stock. I’d asked to be notified when it was back in stock, and as soon as it was I went to buy some.I love the red and black check. For me, this spoke Christmas. So, I made a Christmassy Josey Milady bra.I’m just teasing. I couldn’t resist playing a little bit with some photo effects.

Here’s a better photo.Oh, this is pretty! I’ve added a 3/4s foam cup inside again. It’s my current favorite style, and I find it so very comfortable.I love this lace so much, I wanted to use it for the frame of the bra as well. Because this is a stretch lace, I’ve lined the frame with sheer cup lining. I didn’t line the cups as I was using foam inside. The back is solid red, but still Christmassy.

One last photo. Although I did mirror the plaid pattern along the upper cup, I didn’t even think of trying to match up the plaid on the rest of the bra! No, that would have been quite the feat to do that.

I have some red cotton Lycra on my cutting table ready to make some matchy matchy for this Christmassy bra.     

I hope your holidays are filled with family and friends this year. Merry Christmas and happy creating!

The Sahaara Wireless Bra Pattern

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

I was excited when the Sahaara wireless bra pattern became available. It reminded me of the Watson bra pattern, which is a pattern I think is charming. However, the Watson is not in my size range. The Sahaara is!

I was very excited to try it.  PDF Rubies Bras Sewing Pattern- Sahaara Bralette

However, what really made me want to make this pattern was seeing one made up on the Nellie Joans website. Mini Review ~ Sahaara Bra by Rubies Bras – Nellie JoansIsn’t this stunning? Just beautiful.

I had to make my own version. Having sewn bras for a few years now, I had most of what I needed for this. I did order a few other supplies, like the lovely lingerie satin from Bodil’s.

  I did use a different lace, but I think it has a similar enough look to it. I love this!This fabric combination is very elegant.

I found the pattern to fit well using my measurements. I didn’t have to change anything. I fall between two band sizes, so think next time I’ll make a half size version. I couldn’t resist. I’ve already purchased a soft tulle kit for this pattern.

Wirefree kits with Soft Bra Tulle for the Sahaara from Rubies Bras - 3 I have two wonderful kits on my sewing table, so can’t wait to share more with you soon.

Happy creating!

A Couple of Classic Bras

~ Michelle

Now that I have all my fitting bras sewn, I’m able to fit some friends and family who have been waiting for this.

My daughter-in-law is one of those people who has been waiting, so I got her fitted and she doesn’t have to wait any longer.

She’s a perfect 2.75 BCD, and I didn’t have to make any changes at all for her. Oh, how nice for her!

I let her pick a couple of kits she liked, and she picked a pink one and a beige one. Before you think how wonderful for her, she didn’t have pick from all my kits. No. there were a few I removed from the pile and said I wanted these for myself. She was still happy.

Here’s the beige bra she wanted.

I really do love this color. It’s not blah at all to me. To me it’s golden and shimmery. It is so pretty.Sewing these smaller sizes I learned that, yes, you can make a bra in a couple of hours. It was a new experience for me.

Here is the pink bra for Em.Now, I love beige, but not this pink. I know many who do love it, including Em. She grabbed this kit right away. It’s interesting to see, my mannequin is larger than a size 2.75. This barely fits her.  Em’s all taken care of for the time being. Next I need to sew some dog boots before the snow comes, and then I have a couple of Josey II bras waiting to be sewn and a new bra cup fabric too.

Happy creating!

Another Autumn Josey II

~ Michelle

I wanted to make another beautiful Autumn toned bra, and I knew just the lace I wanted to use. I knew it would pair perfectly with the copper kits and finding from Bra Makers Supply too.Oh, it’s another love for this. The lace is so delicate and so pretty.Oh, those salmon/coral colors.

I had everything for this bra from a leftover kit, well everything except strap elastic. So I had to use beige, which doesn’t look quite so light and different in person.

  I’d made this Freja bra in a copper kit, and was thrilled I have enough power net, and duoplex to make a whole other bra. That was a very happy occurrence. Above is the Freja bra I made.

Back to the Josey II. Here’s the back. I do have to say, I prefer copper over beige. It’s a warmer richer color.

I’ve been looking for some cotton Lycra that will go well with this copper. So far I can tell you,  the ‘copper’ cotton Lycra I found doesn’t. Neither does ‘tan’ I found recently. Hopefully I’ll find a great match soon.

Happy creating!