It's All About the Back Bodysuit

It’s been such a long time since the last post but life has changed so much. The first part of the year was taken up with preparing my International Bra Sewing Bee classes and then I was busy getting ready for the birth of my granddaughter. It meant I didn’t have much time to make much for myself but I did manage to try some new patterns as well as make some lingerie suitable for life on the road in the motorhome, where we spend most of our time walking and cycling once we arrive at a site. No wild camping for me! I did get chance to set myself a challenge of recreating the look of a ready to wear bodysuit that I really loved.

Trying to recreate the look of RTW is what I love doing. It does take a lot of effort but is so worthwhile. With something like this I tend to start with patterns that I know fit and combine these with some hacking and drafting. So, the starting point for this was the Studio Costura Eva panties which are high waisted with a bikini cut on the leg openings.

As you can see from the picture I have hacked this pattern a few times! Rather than have the lace go into the gusset I wanted to create a V as in the RTW. This involves adding the leg bands back to the main pattern and deciding on the shape. For the front I followed the line of the RTW. For the back I tried on a previous make and decided where I wanted the strapping to finish and this would determine the back lace pieces. For the test make I made up a solid front and back in jersey and once I had got the fit right I worked out the strapping.

Then I moved on to the cups. The RTW has a triangular cup. I thought of a couple of options, the Emerald Erin Jordy bralette and the Madalynne Simplicity 8228. I decided to use the 8228 as this already had an all lace front and I thought it would need less adjusting. I extended the frame down to the waist. For the back I started with the Madalynne Lawren Bodysuit. I put it all together so I could try it on and see how it fit.

For a first fit it was actually pretty good. The cups fit well but were too wide at the shoulder for the look I wanted. Also the triangular shape didn’t provide enough support as I wanted this to be wearable. So I needed to create some shaping to the side of the cup. It was hard to assess the fit of the back as I had slashed to to the waist. So I swapped this out for a solid back.

Unlike the RTW, which sits above, I wanted my make to sit on my natural waist. To fit in length I needed to add a wedge all across the front and blend from the side to nothing at the centre back.

So with these adjustments done I was ready to try out the pattern pieces and think about the strapping. I wasn’t ready to use my chosen fabrics so I found a long length of navy stretch lace and lightweight lycra so it would give a better idea of how it would look made up rather than the scraps I had used on the first version. If it all worked I would have something that was wearable.

A lot of RTW have really messy strapping on the inside. I wanted something neat and tidy that wouldn’t irritate my skin. Using a method I have used before I played around with the placement for both the top and bottom back. I then drew this on tear away stabiliser. I stitched down the open fold over elastic on the seam allowance.

Then I added the strapping, stitching down under the fold line. This was then ready to transfer to my back fabric pieces. I then folded the fold over elastic down to encase the strapping. Then, I just had to tear away the stabiliser to reveal an open back.

Top Left RTW, Top Right First Draft, Bottom Second Draft

So although very wearable I still needed to tweak a little. The lace cups were still too wide at the shoulder so I blended down to allow just for the width of the elastic on both neck and armhole edges and reduced the width of the back to match. I had over adjusted the frame so I moved out the seam leaving the cup the same size. The back top strapping was perfect but I needed to narrow the bottom section for a better fit. So now I had all my pieces ready for the actual make..

I had been keeping the eyelash lace and open mesh from Madalynne for something special and I thought this would be the perfect match. Next I had to decide on the lining fabric. The beautifully soft antique rose mesh from Small Bobbins looked perfect. For the strapping I used some narrow matt strap from Bratastic. Photographed on the white dress form doesn’t do it justice. Next to the skin the bodysuit looks amazing.

This is one of my favourite makes. Not only does it recreate the inspirational look but fits perfectly as it is made to my exact measurements. Now to the next challenge, whatever it may be.

Matching Bras for my Great Bra Sewing Bee Panty Inspiration Class

Some of you may have watched my “Panty Inspiration” class on the Great Bra Sewing Bee where the brief was to show how to recreate the look of your favourite rtw with commercially available patterns and supplies. I made up some of the designs from the class into finished makes, they turned out so gorgeous that I decided to make bras to match. So here is a round up of the sets, the patterns and supplies used and the changes I made to the patterns to recreate the look.

This first set is inspired by the Maison Lejayby Nufit range which is described as “undetectable under the slimmest clothes” and in particular those with a combination of plain jersey and floral stretch tulle. I had a lot of requests for “pretty and comfortable” and I thought these fit the bill perfectly. Just prior to preparing the class I had received my order including this beautiful floral mesh from Madalynne which is really super soft. Already in my stash I had a similar wide tri-band elastic from Bra Builders. The look is described as “sporty chic” so I opted to use mesh rather than jersey for a completely sheer look.

For the high waist full coverage briefs I used the Ohhhlulu Grace which is a hipster but when you add the wide band elastic it sits at the same place on the waist as the rtw. I reshaped the front pieces as the pattern has a straight seam and I wanted to introduce the curve.

The bra, described as a triangular soft cup, is a darted one piece cup finished with fold over elastic and partially adjustable straps. The pattern that immediately came to mind was the Emerald Erin Jordy which is a triangular two piece sitting on a wide elastic band. I do love this pattern and have made all the versions but for this make I was looking for more coverage around the side so I decided to adapt the free Madalynne Barrett pattern which is described as “sporty femme”. You can adapt most patterns to be a darted one piece cup but they can end up a little pointy if you are not careful.

I didn’t used fold over elastic for two reasons. Firstly, I didn’t have enough in the right colour and secondly, I prefer the support of plush picot when using stretch fabrics in the cups.

I started with the changes to the Barrett front.` As you can see from one I made a few weeks ago, the centre front has a triangular cut out. So on the pattern piece I drew a line down to establish the centre front. Next using my curved ruler I shaped the front to drop to the bottom edge for a plunge neckline and then added the width of my picot elastic. On the bottom edge I added 1/8” as I wanted slightly more overlap than the 1/4” seam allowance.

The Barrett is a pull on bralette but I wanted a back closure so I used the back piece from my Madalynne Fenix Bodysuit as a size guide. I put my fastener and elastic on the line to work out the depth of the band needed at this point and then I added on the width of my elastic and drew a straight line up to the top edge.

With my pattern pieces ready I proceeded to make up as normal. To stop any spillage I like to overlap the cups at the centre front. Firstly, I basted in place before overlocking along the bottom edge. Overlocking not only finishes off the raw edges but acts as a guideline for overlapping the band elastic. Then for reinforcement, after I attached the band, I stitched in a triangle around the overlap.

Moving on to the next set which took a little more thinking through. Hannah, of EvielaLuve, had classes on both strappy bralettes and panties so I decided to go for something a little different. The satin ribbon detail of the Aubade Courbes Divine Short, which translates to divine curves, is another cute design without compromising the comfort and/or fit. I love the description for this one, “The contrast in lace panelling creates alternating transparency which shows the skin and combined with the cut-out detail with decorative lattice creates the ultimate sexy brief.

I adjusted the Studio Costura Eva for the brief by lowering the waist and creating a fabric panel for the front as well as extending the lace panels to meet the bottom of the ribbon detail.

The collection has two bra styles, a plunge and a half cup. With the plunge the lattice detail was accommodated on the side which is mostly hidden so I thought I would try to recreate a lattice bridge. In putting together the class I became very aware of how different camera angles affect the look. It wasn’t until I scrolled through the images that I could see that the padding curved up into the arm. I have previously used the Orange Lingerie Devonshire to alter from a balconette to a half cup but for my size this wouldn’t leave enough room for the lattice so I made it as the balconette. I took a little out of the curve of the vertical seam using the 34C overlaid over the 34D pattern pieces but kept the height for the coverage I prefer. Vertical seams are great for uplift.

First, I made up the lace cup as per the pattern instructions and then moved on to the shaped padding. Then I used my usual method of making up a full foam cup, holding it against me and drawing on the shape I am looking for. Next I cut along the drawn line and this became my pattern piece. I didn’t have a good enough colour match with the sheer lining I had so I used some bias binding I had in my stash to cover the top edge of the foam.

I used a similar method for the lattice but, unlike the open back of the brief, the bra needed a backing to the ribbon so it would retain it’s shape. To design the lattice I drew the bridge on tear away stabiliser in similar proportions to the brief but I had to narrow slightly to fit the crisscross within the width at the top of the bridge. I placed two layers of sheer lining over the stabiliser and stitched along the outline of the pattern piece. Next I attached the ribbon, stitching in place along the marked lines. Then I placed fabric pieces, with the seam allowances folded under, over the ribbon and again stitched in place along the marked lines. Finally, to create the bridge, I cut along the original stitching marking the pattern piece.

To finish the bra I followed the pattern instructions except on the second pass of the band elastic I didn’t sew over the sheer lining. I stitched from the front with a small zigzag with matching thread so I didn’t have red stitching showing through.

To complete the look I finished with bows at the strap attachment and I think it turned out pretty perfect. The shape is amazing. Red is always a difficult colour to match but the elastic and lace from Sew Wardrobe were a perfect match. So on to the next set.

This set is recreating the look from another Aubade design called the Aubade à l’Amour Pearlized collection. For the class I made both a shorty using the Day Dream Nora hipster, with the detail on the back as shown, and the brief, with the detail on the front. There are three bras in the collection, a push up half cup, a bandeau and what is described as a comfort full cup. My initial thought was to make the bandeau version with mesh gathered across the front using the Afi Atelier Exquisite Butterfly addon but it wouldn’t really require much adjustment and I wanted a bra with smoother lines for under clothing. Also I didn’t want another padded bra so I went with the look of the full cup using fabric and lace I had left.

The pattern I had which was most like the design was The BraMakery Chloe but I knew I needed to take some of the fullness out for a better fit so I decided to use a similar pattern, the Merckwaerdigh Wings. I had bought this at the start of my bra making journey but never got around to making other than a test size but was recently reminded that I had bought quite a few of Merckwaerdigh’s patterns when I saw a post on Instagram.

To match the shorty I was going to use the scalloped edge lace for the upper cup only and then the honeycomb stretch mesh for the rest. I also didn’t have enough lace to use on the band. To start with I made the lace cups and then I made the side and lower cup in foam to place around the cup. This was to help me decide the shape and size of the mesh panel and again I drew a line and cut along for the pattern piece. After studying the various images I decided the mesh wasn’t actually gathered but the stretch fabric would do this with the pull from the strap when worn.

To use the mesh for the base of the bridge I fused to sheer lining with Misty Fuse. I marked on the bridge where the lace cup piece would end. Then I cut two pieces of the fabric to create the v adding a seam allowance to be folded over and then sewed the centre seam again using Misty Fuse to stop the stretch fabric moving. I carefully marked on both the cup and bridge where the pieces would meet.

I made the side pieces the same way fusing the fabric to the sheer lining and enclosed the seams using another layer of sheer lining. The perfectly aligned front was well worth the effort. The pattern has large lace wings for a bare back look but with no lace left I adjusted the pattern for a regular leotard shape using just the powernet. The straps also feature gathered mesh. I have made straps similar to this before but decided to use no gathers for a smoother look but still used mesh to create the illusion of continuing up from the mesh sides.

I cut two 12” pieces of elastic the same width as the strap tab and strips of mesh twice the width with seam allowances added. Next I sewed the mesh strips right sides together and then turned through. Then I threaded the elastic through and marked intervals of 2 1/2” to sew across to hold the mesh in place. I attached to the strap tab right sides together and pushed the seam allowance down and sewed through all layers.

Finally I made some plain adjustable straps for the back. I tried on to decide how long to leave the front strap to allow for enough adjustment at the back. I was thrilled with how it turned out especially the soft gathers of the mesh sides when worn. I just to need to embroider some bee decorations for the straps to match the back.

I know it’s a long post but I have one more set to share with you. Another frequent request is how to achieve the look of no vpl briefs. Most designs are very plain but I really liked the Marks and Spencer “Smoothing No VPL Brazilian Knicker”

For the class I used the Studio Costura Mia which is also a brazilian cut. I split out the front into a lace and fabric panel and angled my lace a little lower for more coverage at the front. For the legs I used double sided fusible elastic and instead of a bound waistband I used some really pretty fold over elastic.

I have a couple of patterns that are designed for preformed foam cups which are used in the “Smoothing” bra. Bra Makers Supply have a full frame pattern but I used the Orange Lingerie Mystic which is a partial band and required fewer adjustments.

Moulded cups are really hard to get hold of in my size so I decided to make use of the cups from a rtw where the band and bridge had stretched out after only a couple of wears. I took the bra apart and recycled the wires as well. What I found interesting was that the fabric covers were also moulded.

To recreate the look you need some really stretch fabric like the microlycra I was using from Bra Builders. The first step is to add some stable fabric to the bottom of the cup for the seam allowance as the foam itself cannot be folded. Then you have to stretch the fabric over the cup without causing it to collapse. It takes a bit of time but you have to keep going around stretching until you get all the wrinkles out. The pattern then has you cut around and then attach to the back of the cup and roll around to the front and then start the process all over again. Sometimes this can create a bit of bulk at the neck edge. So I first stitched in place all around the cup with the foam side up except for the top edge. For the top edge I used 3/8” double sided tape on the foam side and pushed the fabric over the top and onto the tape. Then I cut the loose fabric back to the tape.

As the wires are shorter than those used in the pattern I had to shorten the bridge and construct in a slightly different way to use the scallop edge of the lace. First, I fused the lace to a piece of sheer lining then I cut out another piece of sheer lining and turned up the bottom seam allowance. I attached the two pieces right sides together at the top edge and then flipped the front over and sewed across the bottom edge catching the turned up seam allowance.

As my wires were also shorter at the side I had to adjust the height of the side frame before combining with the back band using the Orange Lingerie Berkeley band as a guide. Rather than use picot elastic which can be bulky on the foam I used fold over elastic to finish the upper edge. I really like the slightly wider and stronger elastic from Emerald Erin and remembered I had bought some in the new the blush pink colour which was was a great match. To complete the smooth appearance I attached the strap direct onto the foam cup and created an adjustable strap by attaching a small piece of strap elastic to the height of the band for the ring attachment.

So that is my matching bra sets done! What to do next?

Bra-A-Week Challenge - Emerald Erin Black Beauty and Orange Lingerie Devonshire

Confined to the house with a lot of time on my hands and inspired by Emerald Erin I am trying to up my game and play around with patterns for some different looks. So I am proud to present an Emerald Erin Black Beauty with neon stretch lace and Orange Lingerie Devonshire with half cups.

The neon lace from Tailor Made for this week is a stark contrast to the pale lilac of the previous week but the sun was out when I started and just said “please use me”. I had wanted to make a bra with a sheer edge cup and thought the Black Beauty (although it requires stable fabric) would be a good place to start as I could use a mixture of the two versions and tweak for the stretch lace. The first decision was to choose the tulle. I came across the pistachio I had left from a previous Black Beauty and I thought it would look perfect as it picked up the small amount of green in the neon.

I used two layers of folded tulle for each cup. To make sure the tulle folded flat I folded the smooth side over the less smooth side and then they stuck together. I placed the lace over the upper cup piece and cut in place that way up. Using a layer of lace and tulle I encased the upper cup.

I decided to use the lace edge on the power bar so, again, I placed over the pattern piece to get the low point of the scallop in the right place. Then I cut the tulle from this piece. This then influenced which colour elastic to use as the yellow looked better underneath than the pink. With the cups done I moved on to deciding how to make the cradle and bands.

Deciding on the mint fastener I first had to adjust the back band to accommodate the extra height. I decided to use the lace for the back bands together with a layer of soft powernet. Rather than use the lace all over I decided to bring in some more tulle and used this on the bridge. For stability I used two layers as one with sheer cup lining for stability. Again the yellow elastic looked better under the tulle. The beige channeling was chosen as this was the least obtrusive. To keep the front edge clean I closed off, sewing through the channeling and seam allowance only and then hand stitched to the front .

I thought the perfect partner would be the Studio Costura Vera Panties utilising the mint strapping. As the lace does not mirror I redrafted the back piece so I could use elastic and have the scallop edge on the waist. I took off the back seam and added the width of the elastic to the leg on the back pattern piece. I only had four gold sliders and no rings so I also had to adjust how I fit the straps. I used sliders for the front and tucked them in on the second pass of the elastic giving a really clean finish.

For the back I attached wrong side to wrong side and then folded back to stitch in place for another clean finish. Another fabulous combination but still hoping enough for another panty.

Not much left but I managed to squeeze out an Evie la Luve Chloe thong. I must admit to not being a big thong fan but with enough depth to the sides this makes for a pretty comfortable fit. I cut out the mesh first and then fitted what I had left over the front with just enough for the back as well. The mint fold over elastic was perfect.

I just love this set and very different to the set of the previous week.

I had been waiting for the right design to come along for this very beautiful lilac tulle from Tailor Made and as with most of my makes someone releases a new pattern or hack that ticks all the boxes. Orange Lingerie posted a tutorial on how to turn the 3/4 Devonshire into a half cup and my mind was set. The adjustments are quite simple, however, I did make up a paper cup to check there was adequate coverage. Then on to choosing what colours to use with it. So out came white and various shades of pink and lilac.

I made choices as I went along as one affected another. First I decided on a very soft pink tulle which gave a pink hue and I preferred the more pink/lilac elastic over the pure lilac. Then I had some very pale lilac shimmery powernet which looks amazing but it is not showing up well in the pictures. I tried to break up the all over look of the lace by positioning the flower on the side of the frames only. The placing of the cup pieces on the lace is problematic as the lace cannot be mirrored but I think I achieved a good balance. Although I do have a pattern to make a fastener I did a quick makeover of a white fastener. I covered the front of the eye side only so the plush back was still against my skin and covered both sides of the hook side.

Then on to the very glamorous straps which was my attempt to achieve a RTW look I had seen. I used a strip of the lace tulle with one of the lining tulle for colour consistency. The front strap is fabric for this pattern so I ensured the strips were cut with no stretch in the length and used 1/4 seams on both long edges and turned right side out. I still wanted the comfort of plush elastic so I place over a piece of strap elastic and sewed down the middle. Then I marked a line every two inches and stitched across so I could gather to the width of the elastic. Well impressed with the look and still comfortable!

The obvious choice for underwear was another Orange Lingerie pattern, the Montgomery Brief as you can use non stretch fabric for the front panel. I’ve made this numerous times but I think this has to be the prettiest and so comfortable with the super soft mesh I found in my stash. With just a small amount of lace tulle left I managed to use this for an overlay on the Evie la Luve Binky, another favourite of mine using the direction of the stretch across the body. I used the white fold over elastic as I didn’t want it to overwhelm the single layer mesh. Amazingly pretty and feminine as well as comfortable. What more can you ask for when we are all spending so much time in t-shirts and joggers!