The Mystery Marlborough

I don’t know what it is about putting the word mystery in front of a product, but suddenly I want it so badly! I get so excited at the end of every month in anticipation for my mystery box from Bodils Wear to arrive. It costs me about £25 every month (you pay monthly no obligation) and you will receive a surprise box of lingerie making goodies that have been selected together . I have be a customer for 4 months now, and have been delighted every time. In fact May’s has just arrived and I am super excited- watch this space. (No I’m not being sponsored by her!)

Anyway I don’t like to post too early about them as I might ruin someone’s surprise but here was last months contents which was spring themed.

Everything I needed to make an underwired bra. The lace is non stretch and the two white fabrics are a lining and a power mesh. When you subscribe you can choose to have wide notions or thin, I choose wide as I need some hard core elastics to keep the girls in check. Everything  is always beautiful quality.

I chose to make a modified version of the Marlborough bra by Orange Lingerie. It has gone through several generations of modifications to get a good fit and shape and now it is really comfortable to wear. I considered making another Angie bra but the lace was so lovely and delicate looking I wanted a continuous run of the lace edge.

It sewed up pretty quickly as these days I know what I am doing. I’ve used lilac thread to top stitch the front, with white bobbin thread.

The lining is very soft and I’ve used the stitch and flip method to hide all the raw edges on the inside.

As I wanted to match the lace placement both sides, and as a larger cup size does use more of the lace, I don’t have huge pieces of lace left; but I intend to make some matching undies with pieces of lace, some knicker elastic included in the kit and some white power mesh I already own, which is less firm and therefore more suited to knickers.

One of the things I love about this bra and the mystery box is I probably wouldn’t have chosen this lace myself, but I absolutely love the bra and how fresh and bright the colours are. I love wearing it, it’s super comfortable and perfect for spring and for garments I have that need something a little more subtle under them.

A cut and sew foam Angie

This is my latest version of the Angie bra, designed by Bodils Wear.  This is my third version, this time I wanted to try some cut and sew foam cups.

For the foam I removed the seam allowance from between the cup segments and from across their top and butted the segments close together, zigzagging across the join. I then bound the top with fold over elastic with a 3 step zigzag to give them a nice finish.  I sewed the lace cup onto the top of it so I could use the pretty lace edge, Because of this I have not been able to apply the elastic to the cups as per the original instructions.

I have also changed the bridge this time around, it was so narrow that sewing the bridge in two pieces was extremely fiddly. I’ve removed the seam allowance for the centre seam and cut it on the fold.

I also have altered the bottom edge of the frame, to use a Gothic arch and thin frame as I find it more comfortable as it stops the band from twisting upwards. This is a change I always make and I have shared details of the tutorials used on my previous post.

The lace I have used is from Etsy from a shop called VintageToLiveBy, which has the most beautiful laces. It is not a symmetrical pattern so I have balanced the lace on my cups so that the pattern lies in the same place on both sides. I’ve been hoarding it for probably around a year waiting for the right project. You can see the beautiful colours better in this shot from their website.

The knickers are an edited version of the Montgomery Brief from Orange Lingerie, which I have chosen in this case as it combines the non stretch lace and stretch powernet fabrics I have used for the bra together.

Angie II

Having sewn up a trial version of the Angie bra from Bodils Wear, and fallen in love I made another version but this time in black with laminated lace cups. The laminated lace is from the Sewing Chest. it looks gorgeous, it’s very sturdy and gives fantastic support, I think it would have made a great corset. I personally prefer my bras to feel a little bit softer though so I actually prefer my tester in that regard.

It’s fully lined, and I’m happy with the sewing.

I forgot to change the bridge to one piece! Doh, by the time I realised I wasn’t going to unpick everything – Next time! I have kept all the pattern adjustments from last time, including a gothic arch, thinner band, and taking in the upper cup.

I wanted to have thin straps with these gorgeous heart sliders but the straps just weren’t cutting the mustard, so I unpicked those and put wider straps on, they were much more comfortable and the bra felt more supportive. Moral of the story – I need bigger hearts!

It’s a great bra, it’s a very good fit, very structured feeling so it provides great support! I feel some matching knickers coming.

Maya and the Unicorns

This is my second go at the Maya bra, and I’ve been saving this fun unicorn fabric from LillyandMimistore on Etsy (and apparently comes in 3 colours). The Maya bra pattern is kindly available from here for free. Here was my first attempt.

My previous Maya bra wasn’t a bad fit, but needed a pinch taken out of the upper cup. Here is how I went about changing the pattern.

I’ve taken the foam pattern piece, it has no seam allowance top and bottom, and made 3 cuts top to bottom leaving a tiny piece of paper as a hinge.

Then I’ve overlapped the two pieces at each cut and stuck them back down.

This has reduced the volume but left me with slightly funny shaped pieces that need adjusting. On the top edges I’ve reconnected the corners with straight lines.

On the bottom edge I was worried about changing the original shape so I traced the original shape edge back on.

And added some seam allowance to give the final piece below.

Not the most beautiful photos, apologies.

After that I constructed the bra as before, this time I tried using ribbon to cover the seams of the cut and sew foam rather than lining it. I think I preferred lining, but I like to try different techniques to see what I like best.

I had a couple of issue, once again applying the elastic it stretched under the arm as my machine struggled to cope with the layers. This means I have a slightly gappy underarm section. I’ve decided to take a small pinch out of the wing next time so that if it stretches a little it won’t be a problem. I might lower the height of the under-arm too.

The second issue is that I still need to take a little more from the upper cup. I erred on the side of caution, it’s a much better fit than before but a little more would be good. The bridge fits flat against my chest and the wires are in the correct place, less than a cm reduction should do it.

This little bow I made from two pieces of ribbon.

Generally it just fills me with lots of happiness. It’s so beautiful and colourful. My entire reason for starting making bras was because I was fed up with the lack of fun bras bigger than a DD cup.

This week I’m going to purchase the scrundies pattern and make some matching knickers.

Maya bra

September and October have been busy for me as I’ve finished off making some new clothes and starting some Christmas projects, tis very nearly the season after all- especially if they are to be finished by Christmas 2017. (Maybe this will be the year my Christmas jumper finally makes it off the knitting needles). That’s why finishing this bra and knickers set has actually taken a stupidly long time. 

The pattern is the Maya bra which is an awesome free pattern. It starts off having some beautifully detailed instructions, some of which now seem to be animated. It’s the third bra pattern I’ve tried, and the first time using foam cups so excuse a few mistakes where I considered this a trial go. 

Starting off the instructions are very detailed, the information on what fabrics and materials to use are brilliant. The notches are very well placed and everything matches up extremely well. I used scuba for the outer layer again, last time I used scuba it drove me nuts skipping stitches, this time however I used Gutterman thread and no problems, you get what you pay for, as the saying goes. I couldn’t get the firmer type of power mesh so I used two layers on the wing to give it extra strength, it helped but the firmer power net would be better.

I decided to line my cups a different way to what is suggested, as for some reason with my very limited experience I felt I knew better- I didn’t want to have to cover up my zig zagged seams with ribbon/tape so I constructed the lining separately and then stitched it to my cup “in the ditch”. Pros:-no tape on the inside if the cup or raw edges, cons:- it looks a bit baggy inside the cup, because of the shape of the cup the lining could do with being a teeny bit smaller. Im not sure ultimately either method is right for me, I’ll keep experimenting. 

Sadly the super detailed tutorial instructions don’t make it all the way to the end – I’m not surprised it must have taken her hours so far. This was a bit of a problem for me, as although I’ve made a few bras now and know how to make the frame, I hadn’t used foam cups before and wasn’t exactly sure how to best attach all the layers together,  I had to find another online tutorial to finish it off.

After I finished the cups it was down hill from there, though retrospectively I noticed one cup is at a very slightly different angle. Oops. No-one would notice.

So most importantly, how does it fit?

Well I would call it a success as it keeps the girls safely in for a whole day without hurting. Result. In terms of finer points that need tweaking – the straps dont seem to join directly above the apex, but they are comfortable so I’m reluctant to move them too much, just a smidge in would be good.

The main problem I’ve had is that the upper cup piece needs about 2 cm taking out of the upper edge each side, but the bottom edge staying the same… I have a bit of a gaping upper cup. This is apparently a very common issue with this pattern. Beverley Johnson does a really good tutorial on how to fix this on her bra making class on Craftsy, which can cost between $15 and $40 depending on whether they currently have a sale. The moral of the story though is make a cut on the pattern, and over lap the two pieces and stick them back down like a dart, I’ll be trying it soon once I’ve finished my current bra. Other people have also made a redrafted top piece you can download. 

I also decided to make matching knickers for this bra and my long line bra, both times I’ve used the Montgomery brief pattern from Orange Lingerie. As the lace is so wide it looked very odd to use the whole width of lace across the front, so with both of these pairs I’ve experimented with cutting the lace down – I’m really happy with the result! 

Sewcialists Tribute Month

In case you are new to them as they’ve had a break the sewcialists are a group of friendly stitching bloggers who set readers month long challenges of fun things to make. This month is the sewcialists tribute month, where anyone can join in and try out something that they’ve seen someone else make, or produce something in their style. Great if you follow other bloggers and have been eyeing up some of their creations and need an excuse to perhaps step out your comfort zone and try something new. As I have been in hospital for most of this month, hence a severe lack of sewing, I have had the opportunity to put a good deal of thought into who has inspired me and what of their’s do I really wish I’d made myself.

Here is the short list:

1. Lauren from Ladybird

OK I’ll be honest I actually have a list of things that she’s made that are on my list, some I even have patterns for, such as the Ginger jeans, which I’ve been eyeing up for years, she’s made so many great well fitting pairs. However in this instance she is on my list because of the Pneuma tank from Paper cut patterns which she blogged as recently as the 12th July.

It comes as either just a sports bra or there is a optional over top. Lauren has just made the sports bra top to go under something else she has made but the colours are fab, just so bring and have a holiday feel.

When I get back to full strength and have maybe had an operation on my back I was hoping to pick back up on some light yoga to strengthen my core and I have to be honest my t-shirt seems to slip all over the place so having a keep-it-all-in but pretty sports bra to keep my modesty would be ideal to stop me flashing people.

I haven’t sewn much with sports fabrics so I’ll be back to Lauren to re-read and see what tips I can pick up.

2 & 3 Featherred1 and Alexandra Anissa

The next two ladies I have picked for the same reason. Most people would imagine handmade underwear to be comfortable, well covered maybe a little frumpy, I love that a lot of their designs and photography are downright sexy. I began sewing as I found it difficult and expensive to buy bras that fit, to buy sexy underwear that fits is doubly hard. These gals breaks the mould and if some of my makes were a little more sexy and a little more cover-all safe, well, that would be a nice thing.

       2. featherred1 on instagram

This talented lady designs and sells hand made lingerie in Texas. She also has an Etsy shop which is lovely to peruse called Feather Red.

A little more neutral than some of her other sets this is Strawberry Lolita Strappy Bralette, Panty, and Harness Set, Custom Sized Made to Order.

     3. Alexandra Anissa

Alexandra Anissa is owned by Vanessa Villarreal. She designs lingerie and hand makes it to sell. She has also started selling a few patterns on which are high on my hit list. Her photography is always fabulous and sexy, and without using stick insect models. In fact Villarreal’s goal in her own words is to, “above all, is to help women feel beautiful, sexy, daring, strong and confident”. Her blog contains a number of tutorials which can help with her patterns.

I can’t wait to try these new patterns out and feel inspired by her sewing to improve mine and try more lace only and sheer designs.

 

     4. Oonaballoona

Oonaballoona looks stunning in the Bombshell swimsuit, so much so that she has inspired me to make my own. I love the bum coverage to stop that ‘getting out the pool is it covered’ moment and the flattering way the tummy is covered. I was thinking it needs red and white poker dots, thoughts?

Oonaballoona totally rates this swimsuit, as do several other reviews. Plus great news there is a sew along, for people like me who haven’t sewn with any swimwear materials so far. More information about the Closetcase Patterns Bombshell swimsuit is here.

5. Amy from Cloth Habit

As mentioned above I have spent quite a large portion of the last month in hospital and laid up in bed due to a slipped disk in my back, and I have come to the conclusion that wearing an underwired bra in bed all day is extremely painful by mid afternoon. I desperately need some soft bras that can provide a little support and stop me exposing myself in the oh-so-flattering hospital gowns.

Sewing it, well anything, will be a slow process as I can’t get up for much time a day but as it is relatively small in size isn’t too heavy to work with. I also love that it comes with matching brief and a tutorial to help you assemble it.

These have been so popular I am just tripping over the number of hits on my pinterest wall. At the moment I am favouring these beautiful bright versions who have been made by these other talented bloggers.

 

So these are some patterns and bloggers I am really excited about, I am looking forward to show you some makes soon inspired by this lot.

Pink and black Maya bra

I’m excited to make the Maya bra for the first time, the pattern for which was very kindly given away for free. Lots of people are raving about it and it’s time I gave it a try.

Whilst I will be using some scraps to make up a toil I have a pretty pink and black pattern new kit to use from The Bra Shop on Etsy and am having trouble deciding how best to use the fabrics and lace. Now I have to say about the bra shop that they have sent me different lace than advertised in this picture and the replacement lace is not as nice and smelt a little of damp thus I am currently trying to rectify the situation. I will update you on the outcome, for the price I paid I am not so happy.

I’ve been searching the internet for some inspiration on how to use the kit,  here are some pink and black bras that I am considering stealing ideas from and I’d like to know what you guys think.

First I found this bra from Bravissimo,  pretty much the only high street store where I can still buy bras that fit.

One of the things I liked about this bra is having a plain pink stripe across the top if the bra and knickers, as opposed to most bras where the lace is across the top of the cut. I felt it gave the bra a bit of a fresh feel to it.

Next this one from Linda’s Online.

Now this bra made me wonder why you would choose to sew black stripes half way up your bra cup like that, obviously it covers a dart but it looks very weird and in my opinion is a bad idea. However I do have some really nice velvet feel ribbon that I could use between sections like they have done on the knickers that I quite like. I would do this on the bra too, not how they have.

I really love this bra by Freya

So I nearly accidentally bought this one as it was on sale and in my size and Freya bras usually fit me and are very good quality.

I still might.

Hmm, what I especially like here is how the frame and top of the cup are all back so it really does frame the cup nicely.  It shows off the print on the cups.

And then I could go for something like this more standard option from H&M.

Where the lace is across the top of the cup.

And this is what happens if you try to buy underwear from Ebay.

Not really an option, I just felt I needed to share this. I know some of you will be disappointed to learn that this item is currently out of stock….

….

Anyway.

Any thoughts on how the kit should be used?

Marlborough III

 

Well, I promised myself I was going to stop making Marlborough bras but then I found this beautiful lace on Etsy from Vintage to live by.

And, well, I bought it, you know how it is!

So as this is fourth go at the Marlborough bra I didn’t really make many adjustments, I just made the band a little lower around the underarm as after a whole days wear I noticed the other ones rubbed a little. That meant just making the curve across the top of these three pieces a little lower.

The experience of the other bras meant this one came together very quickly with no issues.

I have to say it’s so beautiful I can’t really get over the fact that I made it myself. I’m in love with it and so proud.

 

Even the insides are lined and beautiful.

I hope you all love it as much as I do.

 

 

Longline hack of the Marlborough bra

I’ve been lusting after some very nice longline underwired bra patterns recently, but there aren’t many in my size so I’ve decided to have a go changing the pattern I have for the Marlborough bra from orange lingerie to a longline bra.

Here is the result of my endeavours.

 

My original plan was to use this very good tutorial from the Fairy Bra Mother. Sadly there was an issue, the band pattern she adapted had parallel edges and so you could just extend the band pieces straight down. My band pieces didn’t have a parallel edges, which means I couldn’t just follow her excellent instructions, I had to change the pattern to make the edges parallel first and then extend them. I put on an extra couple of inches so they came to the bottom of my ribs.

My band edges were at different angles so I couldn’t use the tutorial like I hoped.

Once I extended the band I thought it was probably a good idea to make a mock up, I was pretty sure the cups would be fine as they were the same as my previous Marlborough bras but I wanted to check the band was still OK now I’d altered it. Here is my very attractive and sexy mock up from some scrap cotton I had, a bit firmer that the material I was going to use but unlined.

Not my finest work but did the job to check out the band.

After that it was just a case of constructing my bra from the actual fabric.

So it is a really good fit, except this super slippy fabric must have slipped when I was cutting the bridge as it has come out wider than it should have done and I didn’t notice until way too late. In future I will definitely be checking this with slippy fabrics, I’ve used them before but will something so accurate as a bra it makes a big difference to be a bit out. It still fits fine, and is comfortable but it would be better a bit narrower.

I quite liked the length, and the band was a good fit, I could make it a tiny bit narrower but I’m talking about 1 cm around the whole band so a very tiny change.

Not sure this double bow isn’t a little too much. Thoughts? I love the fabric so much, it seems so perfect for a longline bra, it has been part of my collection for a couple of years and I wasn’t sure what to do with it.

It was my first time using hook and eye tape. Not exactly sure how your supposed to edge it but I just attached it using a zigzag stitch and cut up to the stitch line. It’s not quick to get in and out of… 😉

Fully lined so it’s pretty on the inside too…

From all of these photos I can see I need to steam the elastic a little, it’s stretched whilst I was sewing and steaming can help straighten it back out.

To finish it off I was debating whether of not to add side boning to give it some extra support and stop it riding up. I’m going to wear it a few times and see if it rides up or not and then decide on side boning. There is a good tutorial on how to add side boning here.

I feel that matching high waisted panties are in order- has anyone tried the new Maxine panties yet?

Marlborough II

Here is my second go at a Marlborough Bra by Norma from Orange Lingerie.

The fabric I bought as a kit from Etsy with some extra red powermesh. I fell in love with this kit because of the beautiful fun colours. It looks beautiful and I did a better job of putting it together -BUT, it was a mistake, very sadly, when will I learn not to buy fabric online!? You can just never tell what it is going to feel like or sew like, how thick it is and what the quality is like. I wish I had learnt from previous failed purchases! The fabric, I have no idea exactly what it was, but the machine just wouldn’t go through it, I tried every different needle and thread and I just had skipped stitches everywhere! It was a little like a very thick swimsuit fabric. Generally speaking my machine rebels against knits a little anyway.

The general fit of the cups was much better, I changed the pattern pieces for the top and the bottom of the cup, on the bottom I widened the angle between the two base sides, and then lengthened the top piece accordingly. This slightly helped the pointy shape, I’m more of a round shape, and just gave a little more room in the cup.

 

This worked very well but I  will just angle the left hand edge of the top cut in a little next time as the top of the cup didn’t need to be wider really.

The kit didn’t come with a matching bow and as I bought the kit just after Christmas there was no red bows to be found, so I settled for making my own, I think the double colour adds something though.

I also lined the cup this time and the extra support from that was really great and made the insides much neater though I still left one seem unfinished this time. I used a tutorial from Miss Maddy Sews.

One of the issues with the kit I bought was that the elastics were fairly poor quality, the band looks fine here but after a couple of wears it stretched badly and didn’t give me the required support I needed, At some point when I can face it I need to take this elastic off and put on a new band and this bra will be sooo much better but at the moment I can’t face unpicking my hard work.

I changed the strap placement at the back of the bra by extending the top of the wing as you can see here, leaving the rest of it the same size and that definitely helped the comfort.

I was going to make matching knickers for this one, but after finding out that the band needs changing I’ve decided to hold out until the next one. A good sew just a shame about the kit I bought, I will learn. Honest.

It’s still pretty though!