Sewy Rebecca

A Couple Pair of Matching Panties

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

This week I have a couple of pair of panties to match the Ivory and Pink Sewy Rebecca bra I made. I mentioned a few posts ago how I was going to use some Cotton Spandex Double-knit from Bra-Makers Supply. The color wasn’t an exact match though. It’s close, but not exact.

Here’s the bra and panties together.

Full Set on Catherine

Here you can you see the cotton looks quite a bit deeper in color than the Duoplex. However, I’m still very happy with this set.

The panties are from my TNT pattern – Kwik Sew 2286. I prefer the KS 2286 because it so closely resembles my very favorite RTW panties from La Vie En Rose. They had the lace at the legs and waistband as well, and I loved that.

I used KS 2286 without any alterations this time, and then used the two remaining scraps of lace I had left over from making my bra, and added those to the panties. There was so little lace left too. I’m always sad when a much-loved lace is gone.

On this pair, I sewed the pink and ivory lace to the stretch lace I used on the waistband and then sewed it to the panty as one piece. I cut away the cotton from behind the lace as well, to make a ‘window’ of the lace.

Full Set

Here are the two together. I do think the lace pulls them together pretty well.

For the second pair of panties I made, I had even less lace than this first pair. It was time to get creative with what I could do with it.

playing with lace

Here I was just laying the lace out in different patterns to see what would look nice and what I preferred.

And here is my second pair of panties to match my Pink and Ivory Rebecca.

panties 2

I like these as much as the first pair. Again, I cut away the cotton from behind the lace to make a window. You can see the window in the picture below.

window

There, two pretty and much-loved cotton panties to match my new bra.

Happy creating!

A Pink and Ivory Rebecca

~ Michelle

In my efforts to decide if I prefer the Sewy Rebecca pattern or the Pin-Up Girls Shelley pattern, I made another Rebecca. I know I love my last Shelley bra, and wanted another comparison with a few more adjustments made to the Rebecca.

This time I used a little bit of lace that was left over from a bra I’d made for a friend. And I mean there was just a little bit of lace. There was just barely enough for the upper cups – no mirroring the lace here, but they’re close – and then I had to get creative with the scraps that were left over to use them to make matching panties.

Here’s my very pretty Pink and Ivory Rebecca:

Front

This is so pretty! I love this lace and have looked for it again, but… I can’t find it anywhere. I’d bought it at Bra-Makers Supply, and I haven’t seen it since. I’m ready to start hoarding lace! This is a lovely pink lace with very distinct ivory or cream in it. And it goes so well with the ivory Duoplex and Power net.

Pretty Side

On the side view, you can see where I added just a thin strip of lace that was left over. It doesn’t take a lot of lace here to make the side look so much prettier.

Back

And a basic back. I’m still using my alternate method of attaching the straps. I use some of the bottom band elastic on the outside of the band and fold that over the top of the band with a slider attached to it. Using the elastic here allows more stretch and movement than the strap elastic, it also conforms to the U-shape more smoothly. I also use two sliders rather than a slider and ring. I find the strap has a little less movement and making it less likely for the strap to fall off my shoulder.

So, what alterations did I do to the Rebecca to make it fit me?

The first changes I made were to the bridge – I know I have to lower it 1/2″, and an adjust for a flat spot on the bridge too. I also changed the cradle to a smaller cradle that normally takes a 36 wire rather than the 42 cradle the cup needs.

I thought about making small darts in the pattern to take out the excess, and although I love that neater look, I’m finding it does compromise the cup’s fit a bit. I need the extra space those darts take away. So, I put in gathers along the wire line.

The photo below shows the excess cup compared to the cradle. I have to make that all fit.

Excess Cup

This photo shows the gathers in the wire line seam. I run a long gathering stitch along the wire line, pull the bottom thread to make small gathers all along the bottom of the cup. Then I sew the cup to the cradle. It works very well, and although there is still the odd little wrinkle where a gather is showing, steaming it well with the iron really does make most of those gathers disappear.

Gathers

I used the Flexible wires again on this bra. They do make a difference in the fit. They are long enough for me, and conform well to the shape of the smaller channeling and cradle. However, they are not the easiest to get into that narrower U-shaped cradle. I had to fight with them a little. I told myself they are worth the effort. And once they are in, I don’t need to take them out again for a long time.

The inside of the bra is so pretty with its enclosed seams. I really do love that aspect of the Rebecca pattern.

Pretty Inside

And one last detail:

Clearer Crystal

I sewed a pretty crystal in the inverted V of the bridge. It has movement and does move a bit. It’s so pretty when it catches the light.

Next week some matchy matchy – matching panties.

Happy creating!

The Flexible Wire Experiment

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

I did a little bra-wearing experiment. I still wasn’t 100% happy with my fit. Do you get the idea I’m looking for perfection? I am!

At the end of the day, I could see when I undressed, the wires I was using weren’t fitting me perfectly. I also knew from experience that a size smaller felt like it pinched a bit. So, if the size I’m wearing is too big, and one size smaller is too small, where did that leave me?

I’d read something recently about the flexible wires available at Bravo Bella, Needle Nook Fabrics, and Sew Sassy. I decided to give them a try and see if they’d solve my wire problem. I ordered three sizes from Needle Nook Fabrics – 36, 38, and 40. Anne St. Clair was so very helpful. I must say, women like Anne and Beverly Johnson are a tremendous help to us non-professional bra-makers. Thank you!

I could tell with just a glance that the 40 wires were the same size I’d been using, so I ruled them out, initially. The 36s felt perfect but were too short for me to use. That left the 38s. I popped out the Vertical wires I’d been using from my most recent Black Butterfly bra and wore the flexible wires for a day. (Here’s a confession: I didn’t even sew the seams up!)

Here are the two 38 wires  – one regular and one flexible:

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And this second photo shows just how much these flexible wires can flex:

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That’s tremendous. There’s no way a regular wire is going to move like that! As well, the flexible wires don’t splay outward anymore than the regular wires I’d been using did – I checked. They flex inward.

Just before I popped those new wires in, I pressed them together to make the curve a little narrower. On the Bravo Bella web site, Monica Bravo has a couple of videos about the wires, and on one she explains how they can be shaped. That sounded perfect to me.

At the end of the experimental day, I could see these wires were a much better fit for me. Yay! I now have a nice little stash of flexible wires on their way to me.

Now to adjust my pattern to help with the wire fit. I’ve learned though, change one part of the bra pattern, and it means changing something else. Now I decided to look at the cradle those wires are fitting into. What I’ve been using is drawn from a 38 wire cradle that I lengthened to fit the 40 Vertical wire. I wanted to change that. Clearly, the channel that fit a 38 wire was too big.

In this photo, you can see the bridge and then the 36 and 38 cradle lines. There’s not a lot of difference between the cradle sizes, but I think one size will be just enough to make things a little more comfortable and fit better. The main problem with a cradle that’s too big is the weight of the breasts will push the bra frame down and you won’t get the support you need. The cradle really needs to fit.

I traced the 30E on this pattern (the smallest cradle size on it). I’d been using the 32E cradle for my last few bras. I’d even tried the 34E cradle, which would normally take  a 40 wire, so I would have fewer cup alterations, but I found it really didn’t help with my fitting issues – just my alteration ones.

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So, out came my pencil, eraser, and medical exam table paper. I traced of the 30E cradle and then laid my custom pattern pieces over that to add those aspects to the pattern – the narrower and lower bridge, adjusting for a flat spot, thinning out the elastic under the bust, and raising up the side 1/4″.

At this point all the alterations were good to go. In fact, you’ve seen them! I used them all on my last bra – the Sewyfied Shelley. That bra is my best-fitting bra! There are only a couple of cosmetic changes I want to make at this point. What a great feeling that is!

Happy creating!

Panties To Match

~ Michelle ~ 4 Comments

Here are my panties to match my Sewy Rebecca bra.

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Did you know Sewy actually has panties to match their bra pattern?

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Here they are. This is from the Sewy website. And here’s the line drawing of the pattern from their website.

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Aren’t they lovely?

And on a side note, I’ve found being an English-speaking person, who does not read or speak German, the best way to navigate the Sewy website is on Google Translate. You can read everything translated into English, but you can’t place an order when using Google Translate. Ask me how I know. You can see the Sewy website translated here.

Back to my sewing. The panties I made are from my TNT Kwik Sew 2286, but I altered the front. This time, since I was adding the lace panel and wanted to keep the scallop at the top of the lace, I remembered to add the lace elastic to the waistband before sewing the lace panel on. I love them.

And here is the matching set.

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My intent is to make two pair of panties for each bra I make. So after my Rebecca was done and I got out my cotton spandex, I realized I only had enough cotton for one pair of panties. I already have the lace cut out for the second pair of panties, but it looks like I have to wait for them.

I told my hubby I needed to order more cotton material, and, well, we had a discussion and he suggested that since I’ve bought all this other material with plans to sew other things, I needed to sew something other than bras and panties to match. Sigh. He just doesn’t understand how addictive bra making is. And for a garment I have to wear every day – it’s just such a delight to put my own on rather than anything RTW.

We came to a compromise – I ordered more material and I’ll sew something else before I sew another bra or panty. But… there was the Watson Sew-along, and there’s Erin’s Bra-a-Week Challenge going on right now, and there are patterns to perfect now that I have my size and fit all figured out. I’m having a very hard time choosing another project when I want to sew bras and panties.

So, I told myself, while my supplies are on the way, get something else sewn and then I’ll have both time and resources to sew another pretty matching set.

So, a Flirt Skirt it is.

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This is in a stretch denim. Look at that flare at the back. Such fun. It really is flirty. My skirt’s not quite done. I still have the waistband to finish, but that won’t take long at all. The ‘top’ is simply material I draped over my dress form. I’d bought some of material to make a cowl neck top, so that will be next… after my second pair of panties.

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Happy creating!

One More Fantasie Clone

~ Michelle

I was so close on that last bra. And at this point, I do have a drawer full of bras I can wear that mostly fit. But I must admit, I am like a dog with a bone when I want to figuring something out – and getting that perfect fit is my objective.

I’d recently read something very encouraging from Annele, the founder of MakeBra said:

“An older lady, who was running her own lingerie business only few years ago, told me that you need at least twenty test fitting sessions before the bra pattern is ready to go.”

You can read about it here. Oh, that was such a relief to read. Then I’m not obsessed, or a terrible sewer. Whew!

Thankfully, at one time I’d bought the same Fantasie bra, but one size bigger. I think it was one size bigger. For example, what would be the size difference between a 34D and a 34DD? The only charts I have are from Bra Makers Supply, and they don’t do the double letters.

Back to the bra. I’d cloned it, and then after wearing it for a little while, gave it to a friend because I found it a bit loose in the upper cup. However, I was thinking this size would be perfect  with the firmer Duoplex material. All the materials are from Bra Makers Supply.

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Here it is. I think it shows the cups are a little fuller than the last bra. And just because the cups are fuller, it doesn’t show here how the bridge is really narrow at the top. The channeling and wires completely overlap at the top of the bridge. And the bridge goes all the way back!

As much as I loved the thin ribbon on the original Fantasie Vivienne, I couldn’t find anything in a beige or tan, only white. So I went with some bows I had for this bra.

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Here is a picture from the inside to show the wires and channeling overlapping at the top. It’s a bit tricky to sew this. What I do is sew the first channel down completely, and then the second channel is only sew down completely at the top and on the inside seam.

On the outside seam where the channeling pieces are overlapping, I do not sew it completely. There’s only maybe 2 cm opening where it is not sewn on the outside of the channeling. It has to be left open on the outside there so the wire can slide through that lower channeling.

On the top piece of channeling, I sew up to the outer seam line on the lower channeling, and it makes an attractive inverted V-shape in the stitching on the front of the bridge.

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And here is the back. I reduced this to make it a 2 hooks and eyes set again. This is how the original RTW bra came, so I wanted to do that again. It’s a wonderfully comfortable bra – and the bridge goes all the way back except for a tiny bit at the very top after I’ve been wearing it for a bit. It looks like I’ll be shortening my wires by 1/4″. But at least I’ll still have a full bridge.

Now I have a pattern that really works for me, the next thing I want to do is to take this pattern and use it to figure out what size I’d want to make in all my other patterns – the Sewy Rebecca, and the Pin-Up Girls Shelley and Classic, and the Merckwaerdigh E-BHST2 and E-CUPL 16.

And now I have one more pattern in my collection to try – Norma from Orange Lingerie just released a bra pattern! The Marlborough bra pattern. You can find the pattern at Orange Lingerie’s Etsy shop.

Happy creating!

Making Room to Sew Again

~ Michelle

It seems my sewing was interfering with my family’s ability to eat at the dinning room table. I actually had complaints. To be honest, I did leave all my projects out and did take up the whole dining room and part of the living room. So, I packed everything away thinking I’d still do some things, just bring everything out when I wanted to sew and pack it all away again when I was done. That didn’t happen. And I became the one complaining. I miss sewing! Have I mentioned I miss sewing. I really miss sewing. Do you know I’d rather sew than do almost anything else?

My DH got the message and we’re re-arranging a space in our house so I can sew again! And make jewelry because lately my jewelry components have been all over the dining room table. 🙂

So here’s the mess I have to organize today.

Picture 101

I have to find a new home for all of this.

And then there’s this:

Picture 102

And I won’t show you the huge pile of sewing stash etc. in my bedroom! But we’re reclaiming our bedroom even. So I have a little work ahead of me before I can sew. But I’m hopeful!

A few posts ago I mentioned I couldn’t wait to clone my newest bra. I did copy everything out and now I’m going to have space to work on it. I’m also thinking of sewing another Sewy Rebecca. I do like the way the bridge fits on that one, and the cups too. I didn’t love the back though, so would change that. Well there are a few changes I’d make, but those have more to do with fit than style.

Here is part of the cloning process.

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These pattern pieces show the seam allowances have been added to each piece. It’s really not a difficult process. The hardest part is the cups because you have to move the material a little and even remove pins as you make them flat. Depending on the cup size, it can be a bit more challenging. I usually do one side of the cup and then remove most of the pins, flatten the other side and start pinning that side.

So now that I’m making a space for myself, I hope to blog a little more often than I have lately. I’m so happy to be setting up my little area today!

Happy creating!

Here a Change, There a Change.

~ Michelle

Just a follow up from last week’s post: I don’t prefer Vertical wires. I wore them for a whole day, then on the second day I took them out. I put in my regular Long wires and am much more comfortable. That just goes to show, some women dealing with the Omega shape will do better with them, others will not. There really are no ‘set’ rules, are there?

So, I had altered my Sewy Rebecca pattern for my needs – smaller lower cup edge to fit into the smaller wire frame I need. But I decided to do a few more alterations. Here’s why:

There are things I do like about the Sewy Rebecca, and there are things I don’t like about the pattern. There are also things I like about the Shelley Full Band pattern, and a couple of things I’d change. So, I decided to see what would happen when I put the two patterns together.

I was joking with Andrea from Satin Bird Designs saying I was creating a monster; she dubbed the new bra the Franken-bra. Thankfully, it turned out very well and much prettier than those monikers sounded too.

Here’s what I did:

1. I really like the upper cup on the Rebecca – it’s just a little straighter across the seam line, so gives a little more lift. So, I used Rebecca as my starting point.

2. However, I like the split lower cup on the Shelley, so I split the lower cup on the Rebecca.

3. I also changed the shape of the Rebecca  power bar to look more like the Shelley – especially at the top where it joins the strap. In the English instructions for the Rebecca only strap elastic is used for the straps whereas the Shelley uses a fabric strap, which is my preference.

4. So I added the fabric strap.

As cute as Franken-bra is, I re-named her Shelley Rebecca. Here she is:

Front View

Here’s the front view. I used a non-stretch lace (Floral Lace Fabric) I bought from Bra Makers Supply. I really like this lace fabric.

Here’s their description:

“All-over woven lace with a floral design with virtually no stretch – making it perfect for bra cups. We would recommend stabilizing the fabric for the frame or the straps but it certainly could be used for the entire front of the bra.”

I really like this material. One thing I like about it is the seams virtually disappear into the fabric because of the texture of it. The other is it really is non-stretch, so can be used all over.

Side View

Here is the side view. Nice smooth fit into the wires, so I’m very happy. (If you’ve been reading along, please notice my restraint here in what I’m NOT mentioning.) A nice small underarm area, so again happy me! Do you see how those seams blend so well. I had to lighten the photos to get the seams and other details to show at all. Black on black really isn’t the best for photos.

Back View

Hmm, straps felt a bit too far apart still. I need to go through my patterns and make a back pattern I’m completely happy and thrilled about.

Again, I used a straight stitch to tack down the eyes, and then this time I also changed my width for the Zigzag to a wider than 2.5 stitch, which is standard for sewing lingerie. Both of these helped it go on nice and neatly.

Cup with arrows

This is just to show in a little more detail how the seams virtually disappear with this fabric. I was quite impressed with this. It also shows where I put the seam in the lower cup of the Shelley Rebecca.

Strap

Here’s where I changed the top part of the power bar. I also changed the direction it faced at the very top by cutting off the top and taping it back on ‘backwards’. I think I preferred it this way as I need the straps in a little more normally.

Well, I have more sewing to do, and a medical ID bracelet to make too.

Oh, and I used the foam cups to fill the bra cups this time. I’m still undecided which looks better.

Happy creating!

Sewy Rebecca from the Sew-Along

~ Michelle

The Sewy Rebecca is a lovely bra, and I am quite pleased with the results I had on the Sew-Along. I did do three testers, but that was more my experimenting with fit. The cups in my size actually fit very well.

However, anyone who has read a previous post knows, that’s not my only consideration. I was able to make the adjustments I needed to easily fit the cups into the bra’s cradle, so I had no difficulties there either.

Here’s my finished Sewy Rebecca.

Front view Sewy Rebecca Beige

Here’s the Rebecca on a dressform. But I was also in a bit of a creative mood, so please indulge me. Here is the Sewy Rebecca with a little more flair in the picture:

Creative front view Sewy Rebecca Beige

I made little forms to fit into the cups because my dressform here and I are not the same size. Usually, I put a foam cup into the cups to fill them out for pictures, but I wanted to try something different because the foam cups don’t fit perfectly into the bra cups. I took an idea from the Bean-a-Boob concept and made little bean-filled forms to fill out the cups for pictures.

Here are the little forms I made:

Forms to fill out bras on dress form

I think this pattern is very pretty. The lace upper cups are a favorite of mine. When I’m out looking at bras for ideas, it’s the lace that catches my attention.

Side view Sewy Rebecca Beige

The little forms do a pretty good job filling out the cups, but not perfectly, as you can see above.

And my more creative picture of the side view:

Creative side view Sewy Rebecca Beige

It’s very difficult for me to throw away all those bits of lace that are left over after cutting out the upper cups. And I’m always looking for places to put them on the bra. On this one, I put one on the bridge and two here on the side where the side panel meets the band. I’ve also put it on the straps at the front for decoration, but not on this bra.

And here is the back of the bra. It looks nice enough, but… I’m really not comfortable with the straps that far apart.

Back view Sewy Rebecca Beige

I didn’t catch this aspect of the bra’s fit with a tester bra and I wish I had. I’ll know next time to look for that when making a tester.

And one last creative perspective:

Creative back view Sewy Rebecca Beige

Overall, I enjoyed my experience with the Sew-Along and would gladly jump right into another one. I’m also glad I went back to the Rebecca.

I made the Rebecca once before, but used Lycra. I must say, Lycra is not my friend. No, Duoplex is my friend. Nice, strong, non-stretching Duoplex. I may use Lycra again in the future, but underneath there will be Duoplex.

Oh, just remembering something else on the Rebecca. I didn’t use elastic only for the straps. I made fabric straps to match. So I ventured out on my own for that part of the pattern. They only use the elastic on the pattern, and again, just not a friend to me.

The pattern here is from Sewy.

All the materials & findings are from Bra-Makers Supply.

I think the next bra I make will be the Shelley bra. I added my seam allowance SO long ago and have been meaning to get to it again since that time. However, with the Sew-Along suggesting we make tester bras, it was the perfect opportunity to try a new pattern.

I’m also waiting for some jewelry components. Once I get them I will post pictures of what I’ve made – I’ve had these plans for quite a while, but it’s taken me a long time to find that perfect piece.

Happy creating!

Shelley is coming February 1st!

~ Michelle

Now, this might seem a little silly to some, but I’m very excited. I was just on the Bra-Makers web site and saw that the Shelley bra pattern will be available on February 1st. That is very exciting news to me.

Now, the reason it might seem silly is I made this pattern for myself from my Pin-Up Girls Classic pattern & the CD Designer Bras by YOU! So I have a pattern. However, I only have it in my adjusted or altered pattern size. It is a wonderful pattern, and makes such a pretty bra it will be nice to have the real pattern. (that if I use, I have to adjust!) But it will be a wonderful addition to my pattern collection!

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This is the Shelley pattern picture from Bra-Makers supply.

Shelley Pattern

The Shelley and the Sewy Rebecca patterns are very similar in that both have lace upper cups and a power bar, but the Shelley has a two-part lower cup whereas the Rebecca only one.

From a few things I’ve either read or heard, a few people have been interested in trying the Rebecca pattern, but are hesitant because it has to come from Europe and/or isn’t in English – I HIGHLY recommend all the patterns I’ve ordered from Bra-Makers’ Supply and this would be no exception. Even though I’ve made it, I’m ordering it!

Happy creating!

Sew-along Test III

~ Michelle

I really have to admit I don’t like the challenge of having to alter patterns. It is my reality, so I do need to just get past the dislike of it and do it. But I do ‘wish’ every time I’m going to sew, that I could simply make the pattern as is, or much closer to as is.

My tester of the Danglez bra didn’t go past the tester bra. I decided from my experience with the tester that it wasn’t going to be something I’d love. The band was very wide, and seemed too wide for a smaller frame. The band also sat very low on my body. I could try the cups again but with a different band, and I may do that at some point in the future.

I did decide to tackle the Sewy Rebecca Bra again. This time I used Duoplex for the lower cups rather than Lycra.

Another one of my must-admit-to-self truths is I need the support the Duoplex offers, and Lycra just won’t do it for me – even when it’s been interfaced.

So, I pulled out my Rebecca pattern again, and this time made three testers. My first tester was a complete experiment. I made my normal upper cup and 2 sizes smaller lower cup. That didn’t work, but the lower cup fit perfectly into the cradle.

For my second tester, I tried one size smaller lower cup. I must say I was impressed with the ‘oomph’ it gave, but it didn’t really fit either.

So, for my third tester, I made both upper & lower cups in my size and took in the lower cup with small darts to fit it into the smaller cradle.

Tester bra III front view

Here’s my tester from the front. I used black & brown Duoplex, so it doesn’t look the best, but hey, this is only a test.

I also made the bridge a little bit smaller; so much so that the wires actually cross over one another at the top of the bridge.

Tester Bra III inside view

Here is the inside of the tester. For the tester I also used Vertical wires rather than the normal long wires. I’ve decided I really do like the fit of them better, so will adjust my patterns to be a little higher at the underarm side of the cradle to accommodate them.

Long wire compared to Vertical Wire

You can see here the difference between a 38 Long and the 40 Vertical wire. The Vertical one comes up and in a little more. Even though I did like the fit,  my pattern had already been cut when I thought about trying this.

I must say, I LOVED the experience of a sew-along, and all the wonderful learning from one another. It was like taking a mini-course. I’m actually thinking of printing it off and putting the Sew-Along in a binder to refer to easily when sewing. Amy did a GREAT job! Norma was a tremendous help to all who had questions too, and everyone’s input really made it.

I definitely will make tester bras again in the future – likely every time I try a new pattern, but my next bra is going to be the Shelley again. I have some beautiful fabrics just waiting for a TNT (Tried ‘n’ True) pattern, and I think I’m ready for a pattern & sewing experience that will work out because the hard work’s already been done.

Next the finished Sewy Rebecca, and a few jewelry pieces I LOVE.

Happy creating!