Pattern Testing

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!

House Morrighan Viola French Knickers

~ Michelle

I tested the most recent pattern by House Morrighan – the Viola French Knickers.

These are a really quick sew, and they are darling on. They’re designed for stretch knits, so it was cotton Lycra for me.

The first thing I did before making these was to plan what I wanted to have them match. Well, I wanted them to match my Poppy, and Dahlia, and Abbie. Hmm. That didn’t get me very far, so I just decided to make a pair in some cotton Lycra I had in my stash – just to see how they were going to fit before I started planning matching sets.

Here’s my first test of the Viola French Knickers. They are darling! I didn’t finish the hem on these, as these were only to see how the sizing would be. They fit perfectly.

Here’s the side view:You can see, these are a cheeky little panty.

And the back view:You might be wondering, ‘What is going on with that waistband?’ Well, tired sewing was happening. Somehow I didn’t realize the whole time I was attaching the waistband that it was inside out, so the raw edges are outside rather than inside. I started to rip it all out, but then decided these were only to see how things fit, and they fit just fine. They can even be worn this way. I have tops I’ve bought that have edges that look like this.

Now I know they fit perfectly, it’s time to make another pair – this time to match something I’ve made already. But what will it be? Poppy? Dahlia? Abbie? It was hard to decide.

Violas to Match

 Abbie won out because I really love the Abbie chemise. Here are my Viola French Knickers in cotton Lycra, with matching CL band.If these look a tad shorter than the pair above, it’s because these have been hemmed.

Oh, they are darling. Some of the testers used elastic at the waist, which is another option. I also saw lace trim to finish the hem. They were all lovely.

Here they are from the side: And when they’re hemmed, they’re just a bit cheekier from the back.They are really darling. They might not be my everyday panty, but I’ve heard from a few testers say they love them under trousers. Whether these become an everyday panty or not, they will be a wonderful addition to any lingerie drawer.

Violas for Em

I was asked to test this pattern in a smaller size too, so I made a pair for Em. I still have some fabric left over from Em’s Abbie too, so she’s getting some Violas to match her Abbie as well.

These knickers are adorable in all sizes.Oh these are sweet.And that cheeky back view:You can find the Viola Knickers in the House Morrighan Etsy shop here.

Happy creating!

House Morrighan Abbie Chemise

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

I’ve been testing another pattern for House Morrighan. I had no idea when Yvonne, the designer asked for testers, that there would be more than the one pattern. But I’m having so much fun and I’m loving these patterns! This one might be my favorite, but it’s hard to pick just one.

Abbie

Here’s the latest pattern being released: the Abbie Chemise. And really good news is both the larger sizes and smaller sizes are both being released at the same time. For previous patterns, it’s been the larger sizes first. The cups on this might look familiar. This pattern uses the same cups as the Poppy Bralette. I imagine you could use the Dahlia cups in this too, which might be fun.

The Abbie Chemise has three different length options – a camisole length, a mid-thigh length, and a knee-length. I’m making the knee-length.

I’ve had a lovely cotton Lycra in my stash I’m using for this. I’m thinking it will be a lovely summer nightie.Oh, this is lovely! It flows over the curves perfectly. It’s just skimming over those curves. It’s very comfortable.

I’ve lined the cups with black power mesh as well, just to give a little more support than just the cotton Lycra.

I don’t know if anyone else has ever had a hard time buying anything like this in RTW. But I could never find anything that fit. If I found something that fit in the bust, the rest of it would float around me! I’m thrilled with this pattern. Abbie is going to get a lot of use!

Here it is from the side.Yvonne has some lovely tips in the pattern to make this more supportive as well. You can choose if you want to add those tips or not.

Here’s the back view:I love this. It’s no longer summer, (we’ve even had snow already) but I’m thinking forget the long night gowns for warmth! This is just so pretty, and fits so well.

Abbie’s instructions are to hem her, but seeing as I really wanted this for a nightie, I decided to do a lettuce edge on mine. I’ll do a normal hem for Em’s though.  I really love this pattern. I’m sure I’ll be making more of this! It’s so versatile and very flattering on.

A Smaller Abbie

I offered to test Abbie in the smaller sizes too. This is for Em.

I knew from last time, the size I made her was too small, so I went up two sizes in band and one size in the cups.

Here’s Em’s Abbie Chemise. This is a cotton Lycra as well, with mesh lined cups. I used the same pretty mesh I used last time for Em’s Poppy bralette. This is from Libelle Sewing.It makes the inside just as pretty as the outside.

I made a mistake when cutting the pattern out though. Did you notice?  I accidentally cut out the wrong cups for Em’s Abbie. I cut out the Dahlia cups! And it does work quite well still. So, I showed you the Dahlia cups without even meaning to do that. They do look very nice with the Abbie Chemise too.

Here’s the side view: And the back view:You can also see the hem on this. I gave it a normal hem, but I didn’t have time to press it for photos. Em was here to claim her new Abbie, so a quick photo was all I could manage.

 The Abbie Chemise was released today. You can find the pattern in House Morrighan’s Etsy shop.

Happy creating!

Poppy’s Sister, Dahlia

~ Michelle

I was testing another pattern from House Morrighan. This time it was Poppy’s sister bralette, Dahlia.

Dahlia is a cross-over front bralette. If you know your size with Poppy, you can just change the cups and use the Dahlia cups. That’s just what I did here. Although, Dahlia has her own great-looking Racer back.

Dahlia

 The photo above shows the racer back feature. I simply chose to use the same bands as I used for Poppy.

Here’s my Dahlia.I used a gorgeous 4-way stretch material and lined the cups with black mesh. The bands are lined with the same floral material – just to make it really pretty on the inside too. This fabric was from Fabricland.

I can see this being a great sleep bra. I’ve heard Poppy is being used that way. Oh, just think in a nice soft cotton Lycra. Another very comfortable, yet supportive bralette.

Here’s the side view.I do one alteration on my Poppy, and I did it on Dahlia too – I put a dart in the underarm. I need to do that on almost every bra or bralette pattern I make.

And the back.  I think this is my favorite make yet. I love this material. I was a bit reluctant to use the racer back because of some neck sensitivity, but I think it looks wonderful! The really nice thing with these patterns is you can mix and match. Just wait until you see the next pattern. I love it!

The Dahlia pattern was released today. You can find it here.

One last little detail I love about this is the elastic I used for the upper band and cups.OH! That’s such a pretty detail. This elastic is from Libelle, and I adore it!

I’m testing another pattern for House Morrighan right away, and have an Angie all cut out. This is such a fun sewing season. I’m having a hard time fitting in the gifts I’ve planned for Christmas.

Happy creating!

House Morrighan Ivy Briefs

~ Michelle

I was asked to test the Ivy Brief pattern by House Morrighan. Ivy can be a full brief, but also comes with a few other style options. For options, this has different heights, a front panel or plain front, bands or elastics for the waist and leg openings, and even a maternity height so it will fit comfortably under a pregnant tummy.

Ivy

I made Ivy briefs using a partially-completed dress. The dress’ skirt fit, but the top was too small. It had been in a do-something-with-this pile for over a year, and I finally did something. I re-purposed it. The material is a nice soft cotton Lycra.

Here are my Ivy briefs.These are a very comfortable brief. They feature either bands or elastic at the waist and leg. I’ve never used bands before on any panties I’ve made. I’ve used fold-over-elastic, and lingerie elastic. I’ve also used lace trim (my favorite), but never bands. So, I tried the bands. They are really nice. And they are very comfortable.

The pattern comes with the band pieces too. If you’re not comfortable cutting out with ruler, you don’t have to with this pattern. I really like this feature.

Here they are from the side.  These are also my first serged briefs. I usually sew my panties on my sewing machine, but as the pattern instructions say to serge or zigzag, I thought I’d try the serger for them. They come together very quickly.

Another nice tip this pattern suggests is to sew down those bands with either a twin needle or a small zigzag. I really like that tip. I don’t like when serged seams are poking up inside a garment.

Here’s the back of the brief.    Bottoms are always a little droopy on this display, but I’m glad I can display bottoms now.

The back does have a center seam, but it’s not noticeable at all when they’re being worn. When you look at the pattern, you’ll see that back seam is curved as well, to fit even better.

Smaller Sizes

I tested Ivy for me and then, because it’s such a quick sew, I offered to test it in the smaller sizes. Again, Em was the smallest size they have, and she fit perfectly into the one size this time.

I had just enough cotton Lycra leftover from when I made an Agnes dress to make these.For Em’s briefs, I decided to try the elastic waist and leg option. Just to see how the pattern worked that way.

I think it worked quite well. And I know what size my display is now! These are fitting it perfectly.What was that I said about bottoms being droopy on this display? No, they are not! These look perfect. Yup. My display is a size 6.

So we know they fit my display, but how did they fit Em? They also fit Em perfectly. She agreed, they are very comfortable.

The Ivy Brief pattern was just released, and it’s on sale this week. You can find the pattern in House Morrighan’s Etsy shop.

Happy creating!

A Poppy Bralette for Em

~ Michelle

This post is short and sweet. After testing the Poppy bralette in larger sizes, I was asked to test it in the smaller size. Smaller sizes won’t work for me, but will work for my son’s girlfriend, Em.

Materials

I used some lovely materials from Libelle Sewing.

I used this lace.I really like this one.

And I used a printed mesh from Libelle as well.

Power net is a little too strong and snug for Em, but this mesh is perfect! And it’s pretty. I’d really like to find some printed power net. Ooh, polka dot or floral would be nice!

The band and strap elastics all came from Libelle.

 Em’s Poppy

I made the smallest testing size available for Em. A 6 C/D.

Here’s Em’s Poppy. She was right in-between two sizes for her cup size, so I measured between the C/D and DD/E and cut out a half size for the cups. The cups fit her perfectly. Unfortunately, the band on this is just a little bit too tight for Em. She could use one size larger for the band. She still took it home with her though. She thought it was so pretty.

It turns out she gave it to an even-more petite friend, and it fit her perfectly. She loved it so much, I got a marriage proposal!

Here’s the inside. The Poppy’s seams are almost completely enclosed, so it’s pretty inside too. And all those enclosed seams make it really comfortable too.I really love how neat it is on the inside.

Poppy is Available

The Poppy in smaller sizes is available today!

You can find it here.

If you want to see more Poppy Bralettes, check out the House Morrighan Makers’ Facebook group, or their Instagram page.

Happy creating!

The Poppy Bralette

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

When I started sewing my own bras, the Pin-up Girls Shelley pattern wasn’t even available yet. So many patterns have been released since then.

There are some new bra and bralette patterns available right now. And I’ve heard there are more patterns coming too. I know of three more soon-to-be-released patterns. What an exciting time to be making our own bras!

The Poppy Bralette was released today. You can find it here.

The Poppy Bralette

  I heard of this new bralette pattern when the designer put out a call for testers, so I offered to test the pattern. Do you see the cup sizes? This pattern isn’t all smaller sizes. This one will actually fit me. The only other bralette pattern I know of that is in my size range is the Pin-up Girls Sweet Sixteen pattern. I was really excited to learn of another designer who’s designed for larger cup sizes.

Here’s the sizing for the Poppy Bralette.

If you need a smaller size, those are coming too. The designer simply decided to test and release the larger sizes first. When the smaller sizes are available, I’ll let you know.

Other than the larger cup sizes, another appealing feature of this pattern is it can be made in cotton Lycra. Ooh! I love cotton Lycra!

Materials

This bralette can be made in CL. It can also be made in Viscose Spandex, Stretch Lace, and Stretch Mesh. It’s fully lined. You can line it with cotton Lycra again, or something with a little more support like power net.

I’m going to use cotton Lycra for my main fabric and line it with power net. Here’s the fabric I’m using:Recognize this? I just used this gorgeous cotton Lycra to make my knotty pants. I think a pretty bralette to match will be very fun.

My Poppy Bralette

    Here’s my Poppy Bralette.I think it’s adorable! However, it’s a smidge small in the cups.

After talking with the designer, we both thought it might have been the power net lining. Power mesh might have been a better idea, or simply cotton Lycra.

I did sew this together with wash-away thread, so I’m going to soak it and then try  those changes.

Impressions

  Making this bralette with power net as the lining makes it very supportive. It’s definitely not flimsy!

I like the shape of this bralette too. The cup shape is flattering, the wide back and sides are very comfortable and supportive.

Here’s the side:  I need to gather the elastic under the arm more. I’m very shallow there, and have to make that adjustment on almost every bra I sew.

Here’s the back view:Look at this nice deep back.

One of the things that impressed me the most with this pattern is almost all the seams are enclosed. Talk about comfortable! Just look here at the side seam.This photo shows the side seam and the under-bust seam. Both are enclosed. It’s a very nice feature. The only seam not enclosed is the center front.

Here’s the center cup seam, which is enclosed too and you can see the center front. It’s not enclosed, but it’s sewn down flat.     Do you see that nice wide elastic at the bottom edge? That’s 3/4″/19 mm elastic. Another supportive feature of this bralette.

My Second Poppy

Seeing as I used power net on my first Poppy, I decided to use all cotton Lycra for the second one.This looks the same on the outside, but the inside is lovely soft cotton Lycra.  Soft, comfortable, and those lovely enclosed seams. It’s really nice.

On this above photo you can see the internal sling I added this time. I wasn’t sure cotton Lycra alone would be as supportive.

Although this is still a touch small in the cups, I’ve still worn this all day and it’s wonderful.

Here is my Poppy with my knotty pants.What a cute set!

I do have a third Poppy in the works, but that will be another post.

Happy creating!

Angie Take Two

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

I was a bit disappointed my first Angie tester bra didn’t fit. However, that was all my own fault. I changed my cup size after already figuring out what size to make. I should have stuck with the original size. That the cup size I’m using now.

I do have to say though, even though the cups were too small, I was encouraged by the shape and the lift of that Angie.

 Angie Take Two or Three

 So, to count, I made some cups and put them in my tester frame. Then I changed my mind on the cup size, and made a whole second tester with the Angie band and straps. So this is my third attempt. But it is my third attempt using the second band, and first cups. Oh, that’s not confusing at all!

Here’s my most recent attempt sewing Angie. This is still a tester though. I’ve sewn this with wash-away thread.This fits really well. And those vertical seams really give great lift.

After a quick soak to dissolve the wash-away thread, I’ll be ready to sew this very pretty bra up for real.

Here’s the side view.

 Adjustments

I’m making a few adjustments to the pattern to help it fit me better. Being an Omega shape, my wire size is smaller than its corresponding cup. So, I’ve used a smaller cradle than would normally be used with my cup size.

I also used my custom bridge with this Angie. It’s lower than the original Angie bridge, which I’ve heard is lower already. However, for me, I’ve lowered it a bit more.

My wires overlap at the top of the bridge.

To make the cups meet my lowered bridge, I’ve lowered the cup almost a half-inch where it meets the bridge.

And I’ve thinned the band under the cups.

Messy Testing

 When making a tester bra, I don’t want all my elastics cut to the exact size. What would happen if I needed to lengthen the back band? I’d be short elastic. So, there are all these little bits that are folded, or simply tucked out of the way for photos.

Below you can see I didn’t finish the bottom band elastic. I’ve thinned the band for my comfort once the ‘good’ bra will be sewn, and that elastic will have to be trimmed. I didn’t want to cut the elastic yet though, so it’s just tucked up for trying on and photos.

There are little bits of elastic that are sticking out all over this bra that got tucked away for the nice photo.
You can even fold elastic so it’s out of the way, and sew over it like I did for the hooks and eyes. The only finishing on this bra that’s been done is the top-stitching. I was pretty sure these cups were going to fit perfectly, so got them all ready for the next time I sew them.I can’t wait to sew this up knowing it’s going to fit so nicely.

Happy creating!

Ingrid

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

Recently, Beverly Johnson put out a call for testers for a new pattern. Well, at the time, I had two new patterns I wanted to try. You’ll see one next week – the Angie pattern. I already had that cut out even, but… I really wanted to test the new Pin-up Girls pattern! So I sent in my submission.

Ingrid

Here’s Beverly’s new Pin-up Girls pattern. It was just released yesterday. Ingrid is a non-wired bra pattern, with three front-closing options, as well as a comfort band option.

The pattern is a little bit different from previous Pin-up Girls patterns in how you measure for this bra. For this one, you measure your Bottom Cup Depth (BCD) for your cup size. Then you measure your rib cage for your band measurement. So if your BCD is 4-inches, you cut out a 4 cup size. If your rib cage is 34-inches, then you cut out a 34 band. It’s easy once you know your BCD. If you want a more detailed explanation on BCD, you can read Beverly’s blog post on it here.

If you’re not sure about the sizing, there’s also a handy chart showing some cup size equivalents for the different BCDs.

Testing the Pattern

I had everything cut out and was starting to sew. I had the cups together, but something didn’t look right. It was time to stop and figure out where I went wrong. It turned out I’d sewn one of the pieces on the wrong way, so check everything when you’re sewing this.

I was glad I’d only sewn the cups. I decided to start over with new cups rather than rip all the stitches out.  However, before I cut out those new cups, I took some time to double-check. This led me to do some labeling on the pattern pieces, and add some notes to the instructions. Now I was ready to start over.

The second time it went much more quickly, and came together much more easily. I did have all that previous experience, and my notes and labels to help me.

Here’s my Ingrid.I really like this bra. I’m rather impressed with the support it gives for not having a wire.

As soon as I was done sewing Ingrid, I put her on. I wore her for the remainder of the day. As well as supportive, it was also very comfortable.

As I was walking around, thinking the bra was rather supportive, I tried jumping up and down a bit to see just how supportive it was. Okay, I won’t say nothing moved, but I was impressed with the support once again.

Do you see that weird part at the center front where it goes up? That’s my attempt to make a bit of a Gothic Arch. Well, it might fit more like one, but it doesn’t look so great here. That’s something I can work on.

Here’s the side view.

And the back. I did find the band a little big, so ended up taking the band in and re-attaching the straps.I looked for a grey hook and eye set, but my stash seems to be very low on hooks and eyes. That’s something to stock up on.  So rather than grey on the back, it’s white. If you look closely, you’ll see I didn’t have 3/8″ upper band elastic in black or grey. Again, I had white on hand, so that’s what I used.

Repairs

I had the cups cut out the second time and was marking the cups – oh, the pattern has notches to match up. I liked that. So, when I was transferring all the markings, I realized one of the bottom cups I’d cut out had a flaw in the material. I didn’t have any more grey duoplex to cut another pair or even another cup.

After looking at where the flaw was, I decided I could do a repair. You can see it here at the top. I’ve already bonded a bit more duoplex to the back.Here’s the back of the repair. There’s double-sided interfacing fused between the duoplex and that little strip.Thankfully, the majority of this repair isn’t seen in the bra – it’s in the seam.

Here’s a close up of the cup showing the repaired flaw.

Pretty Features

There are some aspects of this pattern I really like. I like the new measuring system using BCD. I like the option for a non-wired bra. I like that there are more notches and markings used on the pattern pieces. I also like a couple of features on the front of the bra.

I like the fold-over-elastic trim along the front edge. I think it looks sleek and modern. And the neckline shape is lovely as well. It reminds me of a sweetheart neckline.I also like the power net inserts at the front. I think it looks unique.

I’m wondering what changes I’d need to make to change this into a sleep bra. Hmm. Beverly?

Beverly has two great posts on Ingrid. Introducing Ingrid, and How to Sew Ingrid. Both are great posts, but that second one, How to Sew Ingrid would have helped me the first sew through.

Happy creating!

I Didn’t Buy a Stand

~ Michelle ~ 4 Comments

A few months ago when I went to Sears to buy a mannequin, I didn’t buy a stand. The stands were all being sold separately. I momentarily thought of buying one, but they were priced the same as the mannequins and I wasn’t interested in paying another $50 for what I thought I wouldn’t use or need. For most of what I sew, using this display standing, as it is shown above, will be just fine.

However, this month the Bra-maker Supply Challenge is active wear, and I chose to make pants.

Pants aren’t going to display very well all bunched up on the bottom.

They don’t display the best pinned to Catherine either.These were the Barb pants I made a few years ago – pinned to Catherine. I guess it would work somewhat, but I’m not thrilled with this option.

Modification Ideas

I ran a few ideas past my husband to see what we could do to modify my mannequin to use the stand for Catherine.

One

One idea was to make an adapter out of wood. A larger hole that would fit over the stand, and a smaller hole with a steel rod inserted into it that would fit into the mannequin.

That might work, but it’ll take a little time, and skills I don’t have.

Two

.     Another idea was to use modeling clay and fill the leg cavity with the clay. Before the clay hardened, insert the stand so there would be a hole there when it did harden.

I decided against that idea because of the weight of the clay. I thought it would throw off the balance of the mannequin, and it might not balance on the stand.

I was out of ideas.

Shopping Trip Suggestions

    The next idea came from Em, my son’s girlfriend, when we went grocery shopping together. I was telling her my different ideas and she came up with one. She suggested Styrofoam.

Initially, I didn’t think it would work, but we stopped at the craft store to check it out. Hmm. It seemed harder and sturdier than I thought. It was worth a try.

First Attempts

Well. Styrofoam didn’t work. The weight of the mannequin, and balancing it are going to be the challenges here.

I couldn’t even balance it long enough to take a photo.

Catherine in Pants

  I decided rather than trying to pin the pants to Catherine, I’d put them on her. The stand is running all through one leg. They don’t look as bad as I thought the would. 

Yes, this will do for how often I plan to make pants.

These pants are my muslin for my March Challenge submission. I’m happy to say the basic fit is there. Now to play a little more with what I want to do with them. You can see, they’re basic black cotton Lycra, with a yoga waistband.I have a few changes I want to make to this pattern, but it’s mostly good.

Happy creating!