Testing New Patterns

~ Michelle

I’m starting to get my sewjo back! Oh, I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. Honestly, it’s been such a hard year for me. And losing my love for sewing only added to how hard it was.

But. I’m getting my desire to sew back and have had such fun testing a few new patterns.

You read about my testing Sigrid, B,Wear’s new panty pattern. I really do like the pattern! I’m going to make another pair because they are so comfortable.

And I think that’s the proof of a pattern to me – if I go back to it.

My favorite panty patterns of all time are:

Kwik Sew 2286 

You can only find this used now. It’s been discontinued. Although the description on Etsy calls this a bikini, it fits like a hipster on me. And this has been my TNT pattern.

My Self-Drafted PatternI used Beverly Johnson’s Craftsy class to draft these, and they’re similar to my Kwik Sew favorite.

House Morrighan’s Clover BoyBrief 

These have been the patterns I’ve gone back to again and again.

However, I do love to test a new pattern because I never know when I’ll find a new favorite – like Sigrid.

One of my recent tests was from House Morrighan. When House Morrighan sends me a new pattern to test, I get excited. Something I look for in patterns is how well the pieces fit together. That should be a given, but sadly it’s not. With so many patterns being PDF now, it seems not all seams line up. House Morrighan’s do! And I like that!

Something else I love about House Morrighan’s patterns is she understands we have curves. And she builds curves into her patterns. 

So when HM asks me to test a pattern, I get excited. I’ll have more to show you soon, but now I’ll show you the gorgeous fabric I used. Oh, I love this too! I might have to get some more of this material. It’s a cotton Lycra from Smoogie Fabics. It is SO pretty!

I haven’t been only testing House Morrighan patterns though. I have a lovely make to show you this coming week. That’s all I’m going to say for now. But you won’t have to wait very long. 

Happy creating!

Angie’s Twin

~ Michelle ~ 4 Comments

It was time. It was time for me to sew a bra again. I have have a couple of patterns I’ve bought over the last year, and I decided to start with one of those.

I started with Angie’s Twin.

I really loved my first Angie. I made this one a few years ago now. And sadly, my size has changed and she didn’t fit anymore.

If you haven’t sewn an Angie, I do recommend it. Those vertical seam give such great lift. And it has a really nice rounded shape.

I really loved this bra so much. So when I was going to make Angie’s Twin, I used Ivory duplex again to make her. Other than the size being different, I didn’t change a lot else. I used different neckline trim, and made the straps differently this time.

I kept telling myself I was only sewing this up to see how it would fit. It didn’t have to fit. And I had to give myself a pep talk the whole time sewing it. And guess what? It fits!

The band fits a bit more snugly than I’d like. But it fits really well. My hubby has learned so much while I’ve been sewing bras and learning about fitting. He even commented on how it went all the way back on the bridge. I was impressed by how much he’s learned too.Here’s Angie’s Twin from the side. I used some of the same tricks and tips I’d learned taking Jeanette’s classes to get my Omega cup into a smaller frame. I like how it’s looking. No wrinkles. It looks like it was made to fit together. And the back.

There was one other little tip I used to make the strap elastic non-stretch.I sewed non-stretch seam tape along the inside of the front of the strap elastic. That will reduce how much stretch it will have. It stabilizes it. So, rather than make a separate non-stretch strap for my Angie’s Twin, I’ve used strap elastic for the whole strap.

I’m very encouraged, and am already planning my next bra, and the one after that!

Speaking of bra patterns, have you seen this?This is on my list of things to sew.   

Happy creating!

The Sigrid Panty

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

I saw a call go out to test the new Sigrid panty by Bodils Wear, and I thought I’d love to test a new pattern. Panties are usually a quick sew, and I love new patterns. It seemed like a perfect idea. The only problem I had was I got sick with a bad cold at the beginning of March, and then my son came home at the end of March with a bad cold. I guess they weren’t the same colds, because I got sick all over. 

(With a pandemic going on, I was constantly checking to see if I had a fever, or any of the other symptoms that were connected to it. Thankfully, I did not, and I am finally on the mend.)

The Sigrid panty was designed for Bodil’s daughter, who couldn’t find that perfect panty pattern. So she went to her mom and her mom drafted a pair for her. She loved them so much, the Sigrid pattern was born.

The Sigrid panty is a quick sew, with two styles. There’s one thing about this pattern that is very different from other panty patterns I’ve sewn. Although it uses stretch fabrics, it’s not meant to stretch when worn. Usually, when working with stretch, you make a pattern smaller than your actual measurements. But this isn’t the case with Sigrid. 

So my first impression was, these are going to be way too big! But they’re not. And they’re incredibly comfortable on too. Really. Incredibly. Comfortable.

I won’t make you wait any longer to see my newest make.These are my 2nd Sigrid panties. My first were the test pair, which I didn’t finish. The very big difference between my waist and hips made that pair unwearable. Whenever I’m testing a pattern, I make it as is the first time to see how things go together. Often that means things will not fit that first time though, but it gives me a good idea of the pattern.

This second pair fit perfectly, and I think they’re adorable. For this pair, I altered the pattern to fit me. On the Sigrid, my waist fell into a size 6, and my hips into a size 12! Those just don’t go together easily. So I made an 8 waist, and pulled the lace trim a little more when sewing it on to give it a bit of a gather. Not a lot, but just pulling it in a bit helped.

  The back of this panty has nice coverage too.You can see a bit of the gathering at the waist on the back more than you can on the front.

Do you like the lace trim I used for the leg openings? I looked everywhere in my stash for black lace trim, and it seems I don’t have any. But I did have this great animal print. It was too wide as it was for the leg openings, so I cut it in half! I pulled out my pinking rotary cutter, and I love it. I’ve cut lace before, but always where there was a clear line in the pattern. I’ll have to see how well this wears to see if I do it again.If it does run a bit, the three-step zigzag will help it not fray too much. 

Lastly, there was one aspect of this pattern that I really appreciated. The seams all lined up so well. I loved that! I’ve used my fair share of PDF patterns, and more than a few of them didn’t line up perfectly. I can handle that. Cut a little off here, or stretch to make sides or seams meet. But that wasn’t needed here. They lined up perfectly – so much so, it stood out to me. Well done!

I hope you try Sigrid, and like her as much as I do.

Happy creating!

March BMS Challenge

~ Michelle

Underwear has not been around forever. The first underwear you might recall might be what is affectionately known as “granny panties”. This month, we celebrate 100 years of underwear! Whether you make thongs, g-strings, granny panties or even underwear for men, the choice is yours!

I decided this year I wouldn’t do the whole BMS Challenge, but would pick and choose the ones that appealed more to me. However, I’m already feeling a little regret that I didn’t do the February Challenge.

The February Challenge was to make a baby doll nightgown using one of the PUG patterns as a base. My first thought was I wasn’t interested. But over the last few weeks, I’ve seen so many baby doll nighties being sold in retail. Way to be on-trend, BMS!

My Challenge Entry

My March challenge entry is fitting perfectly with my personal needs as well. As much as I love using lace on my panties, lace doesn’t stand up well, or long. It was time for some new panties.

This time though, instead of being all matchy-matchy, I’m going with my feelings and just being happy playing with colors.

Here’s my first pair of panties. Just a cute neutral. This is a dark beige with some adorable animal print trim. I really love the lace trim I’ve used at the leg openings. I just love a scalloped lace trim.

Next was another beige, but this time with a little more color play. I think these are so fun, and I love the lace trim at the waist.

Oh, that’s pretty. I got this from BMS.

Next I used some lovely CL I got in one of Bodil’s Mystery Boxes.

Isn’t that a gorgeous knit? I really like these. I didn’t have any narrow trim, so I followed the design in the lace and cut it in half to use for the legs.Here’s a close-up of the lace at the waist. You can see the line going through the design. It made it very easy to cut and use for the legs. I’d probably put the scallops on the inside next time though. It was a challenge to match them at the seams this way.

Lastly, I had a little of that lovely CL print left over, and there was no way I wanted to throw it away. One last pair of panties it was.For these ones, it was a basic grey heather for the back and white lace trim at the legs and waist.

These are my own self-drafted panties, but I did get my inspiration for them from Rad Patterns.

I hope to be back with another post in a few weeks. Until then, as always,

Happy creating!

My Final Professional Course

~ Michelle

Hey all you creative people! I hope you’re all well, and keeping your distance from everyone. While the world is wondering what to do while everyone is self-isolating, we can sew!

I had a little something to share, so thought I’d write. And I have something to share next week too, but I’m not quite ready to start blogging again weekly

So. This past week was the final professional class Jeanette was holding at Central Sewing in Edmonton. This was the Bra Style Changes and Cloning class.

Jeanette Spornitz is BACK! Now that you know how to sew a bra, join Jeanette from Sew Uplifting as she teaches you to take your great fitting bra and turn it into a gorgeous style that you would find online or in a boutique. She will show you a couple of ways of drafting to make whatever style of bra you are looking for. If you have a bra you love and can’t find, she will also show you how to clone the bra to make another that you will love while leaving your bra in one piece. This workshop is a must for those who have taken her Beginner Bra class before- expand your knowledge with Jeanette and become a bra making expert!

Doesn’t that sound fabulous? Don’t feel bad if you think you’d love to take this class and can’t because I missed it too.

Yup. I’ve been waiting for this class in particular for three years, and I got sick. I’ve had a cold for two weeks, and kept hoping and resting as much as I could so I’d be better for the class. And it didn’t happen.

As terrible as that was, there was some good news. I paid for the class, so I have the materials. And some wonderful bra-making friends I’ve made along the way who were in the class have offered to help me catch up on what I missed. Really, bra-makers are the best.

I’ll be back next week with a few makes I’ve been working on. Until then, Happy creating!

A Little Sewing

~ Michelle

I’m back with a short update. I’ve been doing a little sewing. Oh, it feels so good to sew again after a long time of barely any sewing.

Last year, when I was doing the BMS Challenge, I had to make myself sew. And I was really forcing myself to do it.

But my sewjo is coming back, and I’m so happy.

The first change that helped was I got a much better cutting table. Can you believe I was using a drying rack with peg board on top, and then my cutting mats. It worked, but it was starting to not work. The weight on the top was making the ends bend downward. Before it broke completely, I decided it was time for a table.  It’s just a folding table, but I’ve got it up on bed risers. I saw this little trick at Emmaline Bags‘ storefront. It works great! And I’m loving the storage underneath.

Having this all set up just made me want to sew something, so I decided to finish the collage quilt I started last year.This is Laura Heine‘s Pasley Bear. I had this great woodland cotton I thought would be the perfect background. It’s like my little Pasley Bear is in the forest. I thought that would be the happiest place for him.

You can see, I’m not quite done. The quilting on this is done, but it’s not backed yet. That will be next.

As always, Happy creating!

Taking a Break

~ Michelle ~ 6 Comments

If you’ve been following my blog, I want to say, ‘Thank you’. I really appreciate you joining me on my journey.

I’ve decided I need to take a break for the time being. I’ve been dealing with some life-changing events that seemed to happen all at once in 2019. I need to redirect my energy and focus for a season.

But I want you to know, blogging is a wonderful part of my life, and having ‘met’ so many wonderful people through my blog, I know I won’t be gone forever.

I’m looking forward to Happy Creating again soon.

December BMS Challenge – Snowy & Snuggly

~ Michelle

December – Snowy and Snuggly – Stay warm and cozy this winter in your new favourite snugly underwear. Not only do we encourage you to make warm and comfortable underwear, but why not think outside the box and try lining your bra with something that will take the chill off? It could be cotton lining, foam, fleece, fur, or something you come up with on your own!

For the challenge this month, I didn’t do a bra or underwear. This month it’s a set of matching sleep tees for a couple of dear sisters. A friend called and asked me if I’d make them for a Christmas gift. And I thought they’d be perfect for my entry because they are definitely something snugly and to keep warm.

Both sisters are musicians, and their mom found a great knit with a musical motif.How adorable is this? Being a musician myself, I love it.

I shared earlier the pattern I planned to use. It’s a really great pattern. Quick and comes together well.I made view B with short sleeves for both of the sleep tees.

Here they are from the front. I think they turned out quite well. I love the treble clefs.

I also finished both of these with my Cover Pro machine to give them a nice finished look.

Here’s the side view. I really like the curved hem on these too. I think it’s very flattering.

On the first one, I followed the instructions, which have you hem the front, back, and sleeves before sewing up the side seam. I didn’t love that, so didn’t do that on the second one. On the second one, I sewed that side seam up and then hemmed the tee with my Cover Pro. I did like that way better.

And the back view.Yes, I think these will be warm and snugly.

Happy New Year, and as always, Happy Creating!

November BMS Challenge – Movember

~ Michelle

November – Movember – Once again, we welcome Movember by making some menswear. in 2018, we released a free pattern for a men’s tank top. So many women wrote to say they used that pattern for themselves! This month is about creating menswear…OR using a menswear pattern to create something for a woman. Should we release a new menswear pattern? Maybe, just maybe…

Ooh, a new pattern. I love new patterns! I haven’t heard anything more though.

For Movember,  I’m going to make my son another pair of the Michael Men’s Underwear. My son loved the last few pairs I made him. He’s also told me he wears the ones I make as often as he wears his SAXX.

I have to tell you, a couple of years ago, I bought a few yards of the thick plush elastic for the waistbands thinking I’d make him more briefs. Then my son told me he really didn’t like the elastic I used. So, scrap that idea. I put the elastic in a give-away bag.

Fast forward a bit. The Angie comes out and you can use that same lovely plush elastic on the bottom of that bra. And my son comes and tells me he really likes the elastic on the new briefs I made him. I pause and tell him he told me he didn’t like it (thinking all the while how I got rid of a few yards of it!). He says no, he didn’t like the elastic on the first couple of pairs I made him, but loves the most recent ones. Sigh.

If you look at these photos, the elastic all looks the same, but it’s not. The black & white print pair have elastic I bought at the fabric store. It’s not the same as the plush elastic I bought at BMS – so says my son.

The good news is I don’t need to buy elastic again. I bought a men’s underwear kit from BMS and it comes with this nice plush elastic. I’m all set to make him a pair for Christmas.

I’ll make him the same style as I made him last time – with the flap and the opening.Believe it or not, I couldn’t figure out how I did this. I had to sit down an re-read my old blog post. I just wasn’t getting it when I first started to sew. But once I saw what I’d done, I got it again.

Here are my son’s Michael Men’s Underwear.  They don’t fit my dress form as well as my panties, but this works better than pinning them on my dress form.

I decided to use fold-over-elastic on the opening. On the last ones I made, I simply serged the edges. I like how finished this looks.On the side view, you can see just how ill-fitting they are. There’s not as much of a difference between the waist and hips on these. And that will fit my son much better than something more curvy.And the back view.

Lastly, here’s the inside with the sling.   So these are fully equipped. They’ve got the front opening and the sling.

I recently saw a pair of his favorite brand that were sleep pants. Hmm, I think I need to take a look at a pair of those to change up my Michael pattern to make sleep pants.

Happy creating!