briefs

May BMS Challenge – Spots and Stripes

~ Michelle ~ 4 Comments

The May Bra-Makers Supply Challenge is Spots and Stripes.

Here’s a challenge that will have you seeing spots before your eyes. Actually, you’ll be seeing spots, dots, lines and stripes. Let’s challenge our thinking about these pattern basics and create garments with dots and stripes. That’s any kind of dot or any kind of stripes, in any kind of intimate apparel. The trick is to use them together in the same garment.

My Entry

For my entry this month, I had a hard time deciding between the two possible projects – panties or tankini.

However, looking ahead just a little in the BMS Challenges for the year helped me make my decision. The July Challenge is Swimwear. Hmm. I just made a swimsuit. If I make a swimsuit now, and again in July for the Challenge, well, I don’t need that many swimsuits. I decided to save my tankini make for July.

Panties it is.

Front Feature Panties

Here is my entry using my own drafted panty pattern.I think these are adorable! In fact, I like them so much, I went on to cut out five more variations! I’ll show you those after I show you the side and back view of this first pair.

Here’s the side view. Oh, I love polka dots. Polka dots and lace take the love to a whole new level.And the back view.

Variations on a Theme

I really did think these were adorable, so made a second pair but reversed the prints. I changed the lace trim I used too. This is my favorite lace trim, and sadly, I can’t find it anymore. The vendor I purchased this from is no longer selling it.I used up the last of the stripes, and that inspired me to make a pair in the last of the black with white polka dots. These are so cute.I have two more pair of white with black polka dot panties all cut out, but somehow with a whole rack of thread, I didn’t have any white thread.

Those last two will have to wait.

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!

House Morrighan Clover Boybrief

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

There was one more House Morrighan pattern being tested before the  holiday season began: The Clover Boybrief pattern. This pattern has some similar features to the Ivy Brief (also by House Morrighan). It includes patterns pieces for the bands for both the waist and the legs. I love that. For some, it’s a very little thing but I like that the bands are included.

The pattern also offers a few different ways of making the briefs. You can use bands to finish the legs and waist or you can use elastic to finish them. You can make a boyshort style, or a brief style. And you can have a contoured waist. I’m interested in that contoured waist. Don’t you love all these options? I do. Also, I really like the shape of these. For boyshorts, these actually work for me. There is some curve built in.

Clover Boybrief

 Here is my first test of the Clover Boybrief. This is the high brief with boy legs. This one was to check the sizing. And the sizing was spot on. I made these up from some cotton Lycra I had in my stash. I also tested the pattern for Em in CL.

Em’s Clovers

  Here are the Clover Boybriefs I tested for Em. These are also in a cotton Lycra, but instead of matching bands, I used a contrasting color.I really liked this pattern and knew I’d want to make more for myself. Em also requested more. So this style is a hit with both of us. It was time to have some fun with the pattern.

Matching Set

I hadn’t made any panties to match my new Ruby bra, so decided I liked the Clover Boybriefs so much that I’d use the pattern to make my matching set.Here’s my Ruby bra. The same lace I used for this bra, and a previous Angie bra, was now being used to make the Clover Boybriefs.

I cut out two pair of panties, both with color-blocking, but I was only able to finish one pair. Gift sewing took over all other sewing.

Here are my new Clovers Boybriefs, with contour band and brief legs:I’ve used black and black cherry cotton Lycra for these, and rather than bands or elastic as the pattern calls for, I’m using black lace trim. I’m loving these panties!

Here’s my new Clover & Ruby set:Here they are from the back. Oh, this is a lovely set. I need to hurry up and get all my gifts sewn up so I can finish a second pair for me, and for Em.

The Clover pattern is on sale today for 20% off! You can find it here.

Happy creating & Merry Christmas!

Panache Inspired

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

Inspiration

Recently I read an article by Who What Wear saying Boyshorts are going out of style. That won’t be terrible for me. Boyshorts aren’t the most flattering on me. I think they’re adorable, but they just don’t suit a curvy shape as well as they suit a less curvy shape. That’s probably why they’re called boyshorts.

The article showed a few up-coming styles and there was one I really liked.

The Panache Lingerie Quinn High Waist Brief: Oh! These are lovely.

I started looking for patterns that had similarities. Here’s what I found.

First, Daydream Patterns Nora Knickers.

This pattern has lace attached at the leg. It’s great because it attaches the lace the same way for the back. The front is different, but could probably easily be adapted to be the same as the Panache panties.

Another pattern I thought of is the Ohhh Lulu’s Betty High Waist Panties.  It’s quite a similar shape, and I’ve always adored the look of these panties..

Here are the three panties together.The Panache is in-between these two patterns, but is a bit closer in shape to the Betty. If you haven’t taken Beverly Johnson’s panty class on Craftsy and aren’t comfortable drafting your own pattern, either of these patterns would get you close.

My Master Pattern

I have taken Beverly’s class, so decided I would make my own Panache-inspired panty. I pulled out the master pattern I made using the Craftsy class Sewing Panties: Construction & Fit. I usually make Hipsters with my pattern, even though on my dress form they look like briefs.Although these come up to the form’s waist, they’re hipsters on me.

Pattern Adjustments

The first thing I did was add back the 2-inches I’d removed from the pattern’s waist height when I made them into Hipsters. The pattern is again a brief. Loving hipsters as I do, I decided to go with a brief rather than a high-waisted panty. We’ll see how much I love briefs before I try high-waisted.

Next, I added a seam to the front/side. I’m keeping the side seam too, but going to move it back to the side. My ‘side’ seam is moved forward so it doesn’t show. The purple line shows where the side seam would normally sit.

You can see in the photo above how the seam is moved to the front of the panty and not sitting right at the side.

The Panache panty has a back seam as well, but I’m not adding that. The only time I add a back seam is if I’m short on material. Otherwise, I prefer no seam for the back.

Next, I decided how much lace I wanted, and then added the lace detail to the pattern.

Here’s my pattern ready to get cut out.  Lastly, I added seam allowances to those new seams, and traced off my new pattern pieces.

I’m all ready to make my own Panache Inspired briefs.

Happy creating!

Aphrodite Slip Pattern

~ Michelle ~ 6 Comments

I recently saw a lovely panty pattern.

The Aphrodite slip by de Lingerie Academie. Here’s the image from their site. Oh, it’s so pretty!

Pleasant Surprises

I have tried so many panty patterns, buying them based on the measurements, only to find they don’t fit me. I was thinking these wouldn’t fit either. I still bought them.

My plan was to use my self-drafted pattern and alter it to have similar lines. That way I’d know they’d fit. Even though I’m using my pattern, if I’m going to copy someone else’s design so blatantly, I like to purchase it. I like to support these independent companies.

I did have a pleasant surprise when I laid my pattern over these. They were the same width. They are not the same length as mine however. It was still nice to find a pattern that was close.

Aphrodite Panties

Here is my version of the Aphrodite panties. I love the lace detail on these. It matches the bra I made for the Bra-Makers Supply January Challenge as well. Here’s my favorite part of them – the side view.Here they are from the back. It’s so pretty how the lace wraps around to the back.   The pattern is adorable. But, sadly, I’m not as in love with my version as I’d hoped.

What I Love and Don’t Love

  I really do love the look of the Aphrodite panties. I think the original design has a more elegant and classic look than mine. Using my draft for the base changed the leg opening, thus changed the look.

But.

I changed the leg opening because I know I won’t like the leg opening on the original pattern. I know I won’t like it for two reasons: One. It’s too low for my comfort. And two. I really really don’t like elastic at the legs.

If you take another look at mine, you’ll see I didn’t use elastic for the legs. I finished them like boyshorts – I just turned under the seam and sewed it up. No elastic. To be truthful, I hate elastic at the leg!

I was tempted to use lace trim at the legs like I usually do, but wasn’t sure how it would look with this style. I thought it might take away from the design, so opted to do a boyshort-style finish.

 How about that elastic at the waist? Although I can’t say I hate elastic at the waist, it’s still a strong dislike in my books. I much prefer lace trim there too.

So, although they fit, these aren’t the hit I hoped they’d be.

Not Giving Up Yet

I won’t give up on a mash-up Aphrodite-inspired pattern. I have some plans to revisit it for my February BMS Challenge. I’ve drawn out a few ideas using the shape of my hipster.The first one illustration looks quite minimal. The second one looks pretty balanced. The third one just has too much going on. What I like about these is they show me I can add the lace trim to the waist and leg openings and still maintain the design I’m wanting.

Happy creating!

Michael Men’s Underwear

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

More Birthday Sewing

I had some other sewing plans for my son’s birthday besides the robe. I made him two more pair of the Michael boxers from Pin-up Girls’ Men’s Underwear Pattern.

The feedback from my son, who is an avid SAXX wearer is these are good, and he wears them.

To make up these boxers, I bought two bamboo kits like the ones shown above from Bra-Makers Supply (BMS). The last time I just used cotton Lycra from my stash. His news ones will be a lot more neutral in color. A nice gray with plush black elastic, and a navy with plush black elastic. I think he’ll enjoy both.

Here’s the last pair I made. (Definitely not neutral.) He also didn’t like the elastic I used for this pair (not from BMS).

Although the kits from BMS say they are bamboo, the material in the two kits was different. The gray heather is firmer, and doesn’t have the same hand as the navy; it was also easier to sew.

I should clarify that last comment. The underwear isn’t difficult to sew at all. I’d simply misplaced my washout tape and the waistband was a little more tricky than usual.

 Here’s the navy pair with his robe.

And here’s the gray pair with his robe.

My son will be well covered with new briefs and a robe.

Here are both pair of the Michael boxers.

 There. All the birthday gifts are sewn. I still have a bralette to sew, but after the robe and boxers, I think I’ll really enjoy it. Then some selfish sewing!

Final Thoughts

 My son loves them both! He’s worn them both already too. He does say they are not the same as SAXX, but hey, he’s wearing them. He also likes the plush elastic that Bra-Makers Supply sells much better than the elastic I sourced locally.

Happy creating and Happy Canada Day!