Sheer Black Set With Attitude

I’ve been doing so much testing I decided it was time to give myself a new challenge and keep myself occupied until our next trip in the motorhome. Some interesting rtw designs popped up on my feed that I really liked the look of so I decided to have a go at replicating the look and feel of one particular set.

So here is my finished set. Read on if you want to see how I achieved this.

I started with the bra and it was quite a long process to come up with the pattern pieces so I’ve put this initial part in the following short video.

Bra design from sketch to pattern pieces including test make.

Using the drafted pattern pieces together with the adjusted pieces from the Orange Lingerie Boylston I made up all the separate elements. As with the test I used two layers of sheer cup lining for the cup and frame and a single layer for the straps. To achieve the desired sleek look I used a matt fold over elastic from Bratastic Fabrics. I was then ready to put together the cups.

The quarter foam cup was perfect but the middle section just didn’t sit right. The problem was that the black foam had far more stretch than the beige I had used in the test. The middle picture shows the piece cut with the stretch horizontally on the bottom. The straighter piece is cut with the stretch in the opposite direction but applying the fold over elastic in the same direction top and bottom, so as not to distort, but I didn’t keep enough tension. To correct this I had to undo the bottom fold over elastic and apply as I normally would.

With the middle piece now correct I could attach the long strap piece, to which I had already applied the fold over elastic, to the inside edge. I then inserted the cups into the frame and attached the back bands. Unlike my test make I straightened off the bridge but once I was in a position to try on the strap elastic I had used for bottom did not have enough stretch to be comfortable so I separated the elastic from the bridge and raised as far as I could to its original shape.

Having used soft fabrics rather than strap elastic for the front strapping detail I managed to achieve the desired look and the result was incredibly comfortable. So onto the rest of the set. The rtw design was a harness suspender with some very strappy underwear which I thought looked cluttered with all the straps on the bra so my idea was to attach the suspender to the bra with a g hook at the centre front and to the back fastener. For the underwear I thought of The Lingerie Formula Forget-Me-Not Cheeky Cut Panty which I had made before and had fabric straps like the bra. The challenge was how to make this!

I hadn’t made suspenders before and the pattern I already had but not used sat higher up on the waist than I wanted. I thought of the Evle la Luve Jamie Bodysuit which had exactly the shape I wanted for the suspenders, although I needed to add the centre front bodice shape taken from the waist to the bridge to the bottom piece. Next I needed to shape from the hip at the sides and arch to sit above the upper edge of the underwear and then remove the straps from the side and make the back come around to the front straps.

I decided to make the underwear first so I could finalise the shape for the suspender. I made two adjustments to the pattern pieces as I thought the enclosed gusset seam would not look good on the plain black fabric from BWear I was using. I joined the two pieces together eliminating the front seam but leaving the gusset enclosed at the back. Next I had to decide how much to add to the back piece to bring it around to the front with the width being determined by the two strap pieces that would be attached.

With the front and back made up I had to decide how to attach the back to the front enclosing the straps . I used some wide fold over elastic and enclosed the back seam leaving tails either end. I then placed the straps behind and folded over the ends to join at the back. This worked beautifully and was a perfect match for the bra so on to the final element. This was going to be more of a challenge as for me at least it was more of an experiment.

I tried on the bodysuit over the bra and underwear and measured from the waist elastic to the bottom of the bridge. Using an erasable marker I drew roughly where I wanted the shaping for the suspenders and then I transferred the markings to the original pattern and traced off the sections I wanted. After making up the waist elastic using the original instructions I made a quick test version using some scraps of lace fabric. The top piece was fine but I need to scoop more out of the arch to sit above the underwear.

Once I had the front pattern piece finalised I played around with the placement of the panel pieces and when I was happy with the placement I traced off adding seam allowances. To give some support I used two layers of mesh basted together. Rather than have lots of unsightly seams I added the fabric pieces on top of the mesh, marked the seam allowances, folded under and basted. I placed the pattern piece underneath so I could see where to place the pieces and basted in place and used my edge foot so I could sew right to the edge of the fold.

As the fabric is very fine I decided to use strap elastic for the final panels as this would cover the horizontal pieces better. Then I attached fold over elastic all over. To attach to the bra I used twill tape to create a tab under the bridge that would not be seen or affect the use as a bra on its own. I attached a g hook to the top and narrowed the very top down so it lay flat over the g hook. At this point I could try it on and decide how long to make the straps.

All the hard work paid off and it looks stunning on. I’m still busy testing for some great designers as well as working on my classes for the Bra Bee. So I have a lot to fit in between trips out in the motorhome but I do want to spend some time making clothes as I’m hoping to start wearing dresses and skirts again.

Jackie - The Fabulous New Zipper Front Sports Bra From Porcelynne

It’s been a while since I posted but I’ve got quite a few new patterns to share with you. As this has just been released I thought I would start with the Jackie, the new sports bra pattern, from Porcelynne. When the call went out I was eager to test this pattern for a number of reasons. The main reason was the zipper front as I’m having physio on my shoulder and using a back fastener is incredibly painful. I love the strap detail as well as the clean inside, no seams to rub or chaff. It also turns out it is interchangeable with all of Jennifer’s other sports bras as well as the Tankini Add On. So let’s see how I got on.

Starting with the pattern, as expected the size range is phenomenal. Jennifer had posted some pictures on the Porcelynne Facebook of makes with larger cups and the shape looked great so I was interested to see how this would look on me at the smaller end of the scale.

There are three pieces to the cup as well as a shaped back. The zipper has a top and bottom tab built into a hook and eye which you can fasten first to make pulling the zip up easier for the bigger cups. I chose the zipper shield option as I thought the fastener would not be necessary for my size.

Moving on to the sizing. The pattern describes the fit as “more relaxed for low impact sports or daily wear”. My measurements put me in a 32D. As I wanted more compression I went down a band and cup size as suggested in the instructions. There are a lot of pieces so I have uploaded a short video of the pieces and the materials I have used. Tailormade still has the grey fabric in stock but the Orange Soda Space Dye Poly Lycra Knit is no longer available from Fabric Fairy but they have a huge range of similar products.

As there is a Facebook Sew Along Group I am not going to go into a lot of detail about the construction. I started with the straps. For my sports version I used foam for both comfort and to stabilise the inner strap. This does make them quite bulky but my machine didn’t have a problem. My comment here would to make sure you use the correct width pattern piece for your elastic and findings and adjust the front strap placement on the side front to match.

I only had a really long zipper to use but it is relatively simple to cut it down to size. I didn’t have any silver end stops left so I used a crimp bead cover from my jewellery making stash. The instructions have you leave an extra 3/4” but I found this a little short and only just fit into the band. Next time I think I will leave cutting until the shield is in place. Also remember to make sure you have the pull in the section you are using before you cut off the excess.

I would definitely recommend reading through the instructions as well as watching the Sew Along before construction as the steps to enclose all the seams are not straightforward. So in the end you are pulling the whole garment through the shield side of the zipper and then you topstitch through the main fabric, zipper and shield to close the gap. This is a lot of bulk to sew through and I changed to my walking foot and size 16 needle.

The fabric and fit are fabulous for a sports bra. I love the clean inside and it is so comfortable. I just love it when a test make goes so well and why I like to use appropriate fabrics for every make. This pattern is particular good for scraps of fabric and the grey is what I had left from making the Greenstyle Inspire Tights Moto Add On. I put the bra through a workout and I am pretty impressed with the support from the compression without being squashed flat. Personally, there is too much bounce for a long run but pretty good for everything else.

As the pattern is interchangeable with the other sports bra patterns I thought it would be good to combine with the Laurel as I loved the hook and eye details with a heart cut out and the criss-cross front band.

For this make I decided to go with a comfortable day bra. I kept the band size the same as I like a snug fit but went up a cup size for less compression. I’ve uploaded another short video for the pattern pieces and materials used. This was before I realised I had gone a step too far without reading the instructions for the Laurel.

I’ll come to the seam ripper moment later but first I thought I would share the links to the fabrics I used. The main fabric is from BWear and comes in a number of colours but the one I have used is Lavender. The white athletic mesh is no longer available but Tailormade still have the black. Again the heart mesh is no longer available but Madalynne always has some fabulous and unusual fabric to add to your stash.

Moving on to the construction, I started with the criss-cross pieces. It was a little fiddly to get the pieces in place as you have multiple layers of fabric and elastic. I tried to machine baste in place but the fabric is very slippery so I did this by hand several times so I could place before attaching to the front.

I didn’t have much room to adjust the straps for the first make so for this one I added some length to the side front. I redrew the sides so that I had a straight tab for folding over the slider as I found the shape a little bulky on the first make. I also stabilised both the main and lining fabric at this point to stop them stretching out.

So it wasn’t until after the video when I was trying to work out how to keep the seams enclosed that I realized I couldn’t construct the Laurel in the same way as the Jackie. For the Laurel I needed to sew the back neckline and heart cut out, attach elastic and then turn through to finish. Seam ripping lightning stitches is not fun but I had to undo the four side seams. Also, the heart cut out is not as neat as I would like as I used 3/8” clear elastic and when I watched the videos on the website it said to use 1/4”. I think this is a bigger issue with the smaller sizes as there is very little distance between the neckline and where the scallops of the heart meet.

Combining the two patterns worked out brilliantly although I did have to think through the construction to put the two together. The only difference is that the band seam is not enclosed.

Despite the hiccups along the way it turned out pretty well. In conclusion the sizing is spot on and the shaping is beautiful. This is a fabulous day bra and will be perfect for long walks and cycling and trips out in the motorhome.

If you are interested you can buy the Jackie at half price until the 26th November and, in addition, on Black Friday itself (the 26th November) there is a 25% discount on all Porcelynne patterns. For my test makes I have used scraps of fabric but Jennifer has put together some kits specifically for the Jackie as well as having some sports bra knit fabric by the yard in some lovely colours. BWear has also put together some kits that are suitable for the Jackie (both the Jackie and Emily kit).

Back with a new blog soon.

Meet the Vivien Bra - a stunning new pattern by Annie and Myras

The last few weeks have been very exciting as I have tried out some amazing new patterns. The first was the beautifully named Vivien Bra. Jennie, of Annie and Myras, kindly sent me the pattern pieces in my size to try out. So here we have both variations as I just had to make both.

"Classy with a side order of danger!” is how Jennie describes the Vivien, “designed to create a pretty and feminine bra yet whilst still aiming to provide support for those with large cup volumes, and smaller back frames.” The main cup has a vertical centre seam and a power bar which can be placed under or over the main cup pieces. You buy the cups for each style separately with the band and instructions being another package.

Variation 1 was released first so I will start with this. The frame size is the average of the full bust and underbust with the cup the difference between the frame and fullbust. At 30” underbust this was at the bottom end of the 34 frame size so, as the instructions suggested, I went with the 32 band and I was glad I did. The “Super Geeky” Wire Chart at the back of the instructions was really helpful and came up with the 32e for the band and my 38 wire size although the measuring system would have put me in a d cup. I made up a 32e cup in foam and decided to use this.

Included in my last order from BWear was this very pretty lace which comes in left and right pieces for mirroring and I thought it would be perfect for this pattern. As the top of the seam is pretty straight you can match your lace across the top which is very aesthetically pleasing. The instructions construct the cup by sewing the seams on the lace and lining separately and then putting wrong sides together, topstitching either side of the seam through all layers. I tried this but didn’t like how it looked with the sheer lace so I undid everything and enclosed the seam, topstitching and trimming back to the stitching for a uniform look from both sides.

There are so many options for the bridge and powerbar but the pattern includes detailed instructions for every possibility. As my lace was directional I chose not to use the scalloped edge for the bridge but tried to find a section that would flow from one cup to the other. The next choice was to use duoplex for the powerbar on the inside of the cup rather than the lace as I thought that using here too would be too fussy for the delicate sheer look of the main lace cup.

I was blown away by the shape and fit of the bra although I had to fasten on the tightest hook to get the snug fit I prefer. For this reason I would definitely make this style first as I knew exactly what size to make the back for the front closing variation. Also, you can test the cup without having to worry about the front closure.

With just small pieces of the lace left I had to think carefully how I could make a matching set. I started with the smallest side to see how much I could cover the Orange Lingerie Kingston thong. I chalked a line down the centre, laid the other side on top to match and sewed down the chalk mark and this gave a piece to cut for an overlay. I cut out the front panel in mesh, attached to the gusset and finished the leg elastic. Then I placed the lace overlay so the scallop sat on the elastic, zigzagged down and finished as normal.

The Kingston is a perfect complement for the Vivien and one of my go to patterns for the non stretch lace used in a bra.

So moving on to Variation 2. I was just so excited to try this one as I have wanted to try a front closure for quite a while, as although I have used a front closure on a sports bra that was then covered with a zip up outer top. The plunge neckline adds to the drama. I also loved the idea of adapting to a one piece darted cup which looks better with lots of lace. Again, I have done this before but the plunge neckline requires a little thought as to the placement on the scallop and Jennie was kind enough to help. I tested out the cup on some scraps as you have to be careful not to end up with a pointy cup. I end the dart with a couple of stitches on the edge of the fabric. Then I pressed and placed over the foam cup I had made for the first bra to check the shape.

I was not expecting the choice of lace to be as problematic as it turned out to be. The outer cup in the size I was making is quite deep so some of the laces I had thought of using didn’t work as the opposite side of the embroidered tulle hit the bottom of the cup as in the first picture, below. For the second the teardrops are all in one direction so would be in different directions at the dart. This left the cream lace so I actually cut out the cups. Unfortunately the contrast between the sheer parts and the embroidered dots didn’t sew well on the dart and the seam allowance was too obvious. Then I tried basting the lining to the lace and using as one layer but I still didn’t like how it looked. So then I remembered some lace from another BWear kit.

Completely sheer but with more of an overall lightly stitched embroidery design this lace is perfect. I made the cups up first just to check how the dart looked. I did topstitch down and trim back to the stitching for a uniform look on the right side. Next I tackled the closure. The instructions suggest ribbon for smaller sizes but I decided to use the lace. I used Misty Fuse to permanently adhere a piece of lace to a more opaque sheer lining and then lined with the one I used for the cup. I drew around the pattern piece and then stitched 1/4” in from the top and bottom lines, cut around the pattern piece and turned through to the right side.

Attaching to the cups was fiddly. Not only is there a lot of bulk in there but the fastener does get in the way of the foot. I did try with my zipper foot but there was no way it was going through the bulk. I handstitched them tightly in place after a couple of attempts to get both sides level.

Moving on to the powerbar, I had already adjusted the pattern piece as I wanted to this to be the same width of the strap elastic I had chosen. It was only an 1/8” but it is something that annoys me. Again because the lace is so sheer I decided not to use it for the powerbar as well. Rather than duoplex I used the more opaque sheer lining as the right side, keeping the sheer look but not seeing the arm elastic too clearly. The ruffle strapping really suits the style of the bra.

With the bra done I had just a small piece of lace left and I decided to use the same overlay but this time on the Orange Lingerie Montgomery brief. The pattern has an enclosed front seam but the back is open and can be bulky when overlocked. So I decided to construct the same way as the Ohhhlulu Claudia.

Normally the front is enclosed between the gusset and lining and the leg elastic attached to this before sewing the back seam. Instead I enclosed the back before attaching the elastic. As you can see in the photo the gusset is wider by the width of the elastic. Then I attached the elastic to the leg. For the second pass I folded under the end and hand stitch down and pressed which reduces the bulk for sewing and ensures the elastic does not move out of place.

Another beautiful set completed. Having made V1 I was pretty sure V2 would fit perfect too but I have to say the plunge neckline with darted cup is my favourite but I will definitely be making more of both.

More pattern releases to come!