Merry Christmas to you all

I just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I've not been doing much sewing at all lately as I've been working and the last few weeks have been pretty much full time. I haven't quite figured out how to fit sewing in with working. Oh, and I've gone back to Weight Watchers, which mentally takes up my time too.

For the New Year I really want to learn how to prioritize what is important to me, which is sewing. I'm so very happy when I'm holed up in my sewing room with a Netflix movie playing and working on a project.

The last bra I was making has ended up in the trash. I think I need to continue to work on the pattern that fits me right now. Though it won't fit as I drop weight, but that's easy enough to deal with also.

So for now I leave you with one of my favorite family Christmas photos from 2001.

Dying to match

Another joke here. I started a bra using the tricot and matching lace from an old half slip I bought at Goodwill. I have a small piece of pink powernet that matches close enough to use in the band, but no other trims seem to match.

My goal was to try to match the color using RIT dye. The plan was good, it just didn't work. Of course if I spent the time and effort perfecting it, it would have worked, I'm just too lazy.

The RIT Dye website has lots of great information and a mixing guide to make 500 colors. I will plan on using this again, but when I want to dye all the items to match, not to match something else.

Here's what I came out with. Oh, and I'm going to go ahead and use it anyway. I need to be less particular.


Bra I'm making:


I have a great mistake to share too. I cut the length of channeling I needed, but dyed the long piece I cut it from instead. What a bother.

Sewing Panties

I decided to sew 4 pairs of the same sized panties hoping the 4 girls in this family could each try them on, see how they fit, etc. and then maybe I can sew some more....oh, just for fun.

HAH!

I really am not crazy about sewing panties. Now it could be due to the fact that I used tricot, a not-fun fabric to sew. I have problems with the slipperiness and then the stretching of the elastic. I guess it takes practice.

I'm thinking though that I will try my old sewing machine as the feeddog are set wider on my newer one, which makes it hard to grab the fabric.

I made 3 pairs with the picot elastic and I don't like the outcome. Even washed the elastic did not get smaller. Maybe the tricot is too light to handle the weight of the elastic.

I do like the single other pair I made with the light elastic lace.

We'll see what the girls have to say.

Too much lace and elastic...I'm NOT complaining

I've ordered lots of different grab bags lately to have a big assortments of lingerie elastics and laces, and even though I'm loaded....I still don't have what I need. Typical.

Today I had nothing in particular planned and just went with my gut. I ended up watching some bad movies and wrapping lace/elastic around mat board that my oldest daughter had left here. I'm really pleased with the results, though I still have more to work on.

At least I'm at the point where I will know what I have and what I might to purchase as needed.

Here are the before and after photos. Trust me, the befores are much worse than they look (as you don't see it all) and the afters aren't quite complete.

Bra done

I can't tie or make a bow for the life of me. This is obviously something I have to learn.

Here is my completed bra on the teenie tiny mannequin. It fits wonderfully in the cups, I still have too much looseness (only a tad) under the arm. I am going to redraft that part of the pattern.



Edited to add the bow I just made (rather than a new blog post.)


I have the bra on right now, the cups fit amazingly well. The band is perfect though it will need about 1/2" removed at the band edge of the cup right under the arm.

It's also somewhat itchy, at the back where the straps connect. The back of the straps fold over the ring, and I'm feeling that scratchy lace. That will be something to think about in the future. No lace (cheap scratchy kind) should be touching my body.

Also, I had to remove the channeling top-stitching along the cup edge as I was not able to get the underwire in. That was a real pain as it was tiny black stitches on that black lace. If I shorten underwires I'll probably not be able to have two lines of top-stitching, or will have to at least think about it ahead of time.

Shortening Underwires

In The Bra-makers Manual by Beverly Johnson the only information about shortening underwires that I could find is on p. 91 where she says you might need wire cutters to cut the wires and to use "Household Goop" to cover the ends. She also says that's the best product to use as it holds up in the wash and that she tried other products.

The underwires I ordered from Sew Sassy fit me perfectly under the breast except for being too long. Plus each bra you sew might be a bit higher or lower under the arm or between the breasts, so learning how to adjust an underwire can be necessary.

I typed "household goop" into Google and found what I think I was looking for, but couldn't find it a Walmart or Lowes but there was a tube at Home Depot for around $3.00.

There are no exact instructions on how to apply it so I just went for it. First I kinda sorta got a glop on each end, allowed it dry for a minute or so and then worked it a bit with my fingers (it didn't stick) into shape. A short while later I added another glop and did it again. I found a container to set the wires in to dry thoroughly (not sure how long that will be) and attempted to take photos. That was the hard part actually.

I'll let you know how well it works when I go to insert the wires. Obviously the tip has to be small enough to get through the channeling.


Glop of Goop on the ends.


The product I'm using and the way I'll let the Goop dry.


A close up of the Goop worked into a nice rounded shape, all done with my fingertip.

A pretty little number

I'm having fun working on another version of the PinUp Girls bra. This one is with purple tricot and black lace. I'm not done yet as the underwires I just bought are a bit too long (and my older ones too short.) Time to order yet some more. I plan on cutting them down and "gooping" the ends for now.





While I was patiently waiting for my goodies to arrive from SewSassy (I had great service btw and the items are all terrific...) I started on another bra, using a different pattern.

I made this pattern for my smaller busted daughter some time back. It's KwikSew3300, and I made the 38D, as the cup should be the same as the 36DD (which the pattern doesn't have.) Then I plan on just shortening the back band 1" as I like a 37" in band. We'll see what happens.

The fabric is from a half slip I bought at GoodWill and the lace too. I don't have channeling or elastic to match so the plan is to try to make up a "blush" colored dye with coffee and KoolAid. I won't get to that for a few days yet.

Here's where I am so far. No clue how it fits but the cups do fit over my bust well enough if I hold it up to me.



I finally took photos of what I bought at the Sewing Expo when it was here just a week or so ago.

Jacket photo and bra sewing photos

I wish I had the talent (or the desire) to do lovely wonderful technique posts...but alas, I don't. I take pictures then look at them afterwards and say to myself "who cares?" Yet I enjoy looking at the photos (and descriptions) that others post.

Okay, so it's not really my thing. But it is fun to see the close-up photos, so I will work on taking those, and I will try to take some photos of the "innards" also.

But for tonight I have a photo of the Fushia Lambswool jacket I finished. I wore it out tonight and had a quick photo taken first. Why is it that you put a garment on that you've sewn, and it fits well and you feel good wearing it, and then you see the photo and you go UGH!!!

The jacket feels good, okay, so it's a bit snug over the abdomen, I obviously don't have it zipped up, so who cares, or who knows. I'm just not happy with the photo. The other photo I had showed the jacket in a nicer view, but I looked like the wicked witch, which though appropriate for the Halloween season, doesn't make me happy to look at on a day to day basis.


I did the 2nd PinUp Girls bra today with minor alterations. Yesterday I did a straight 36E, today I did a 37E, added a bit at the CF cup, took a tiny bit out of the CF band and a few slight tucks in the cup. Adding the 1" under the arm was a good idea, but the other alterations didn't really help anything and there is a very small gaping at the front cup now.

I've decided that it's due to the underwires being a size too small (narrow) and I will order a bunch of new ones.

The photos I have are just close ups of techniques, so you can be nosy like I am.

This photo is the cup seam after it is top stitched and now being trimmed. Plus you can see that I'm trying to grow my nails out (it looks longer in this photo than in real life.) The color is OPI Catherine the Grape, a great plum color for fall, plus it matches my fushia jacket...lol.


Here you can see the top stitching on the cups and the cups sewn to the band. The channeling has been sewn on and the 1st row of top stitching done. The channeling does not need 2 rows of top stitching, but it is often done this way.


Here I am doing a small zigzag stitch on the elastic ruffle that is the décolletage trim. It gets folded back and zigzagged on from the top to finish the edge.


Here's the area I was sewing in, along with a good horror movie on Netflix. Oh, the movie was "The Haunting in Connecticut" if you are interested.

Analyzing bra fit

I'm wearing my new pink bra right now, just to see how things feel and fit. Last night it seemed a bit tight, today the band feels better and I have a few minor folds near the front of my arms, but I still have a small basket in the front.

I really hate to post the photos as I'm in "fat mode" right now, yet I know how helpful photos are that others post, so I'm just going to be brave.

Here's a photo of the "basket" which is pulling away from my chest. I'm also wondering if the center front needs to be a bit narrower. The channeling touches each other in the center front, but the channeling is also a bit wider than what I've used before.


Here's the photo of the bra on me. The more wrinkly side is the arm holding up the camera. You can also see the fatty armpit and back fat I have. Not a pretty site. In the photo it looks like the bra is too low under my arm, it really isn't. But at the same time I wonder about sewing a bra with more support under the arm. That is an area I really need support in. Bras tend to feel loose under the arm and tight at the lower band. Guess that has to do with my body shape. The slight fold shows clearly on the left side of the photo. I try to tuck my excess fat into the bra, but it doesn't stay there.


The fix for the basket is going up a cup size. But I've been looking at the pattern pieces and comparing the sizes and the F cup seems gigantic. But I can always just sew it and see how it fits. What's the worst that happens...I make a bra that's too big and fits comfortably when I'm wearing it at home.

Yet I still have folds to deal with, minor ones which probably wouldn't even be there if I was using a spandex based fabric.

Not sure what to do....off to examine pattern pieces some more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm editing to add that I think the issue is somewhat related to the underwire size. The underwires I have seem to be a bit small right now (as I've gained some weight back.) If I go up a cup size, or even partially, the undewire will be too small. Guess it's time to buy some different underwires.

Doing the bra thing again

Just finished up my review for a bra on Pattern Review. Sorry, but I won't rewrite it, so here's the link:
Pin Up Girls Bra Review

Photos though, those I'll show.




It fits almost perfectly. You know how it is, the boobs grow and shrink, I eat too much of this or that, etc...it's a tad tad tiny teeny bit too small. The plan is to make another, just a bit bigger with the same fabric.

Then to make it again with stretchier fabrics.

Sounds simple enough to me.

Fushia Lambswool Jacket Complete (well almost)

The jacket is done except that I think the sleeve lining is sewn a tad too short and is pulling up on the sleeve. How in the world does stuff like that happen? Luckily it's an easy fix as I sewed the lining down by hand (only on the sleeve, easier than that twisting turning inside out and upside down technique.) So I'll fix that as soon as I can.

Here's a photo on the super tiny dress form (hence folds and such.)


And just because people are nosy (I know I am) photos of some of the interior workings.




The sewing expo was fun, I just kind of glide through it these days since it's so much quilting and embroidery and embellishment. I hit the sewing booths, see what they have and go on by.

I bought some fabric at the Vogue booth, all knits, and the "One Seam Pants Pattern." Bought 2 patterns at Hancock (after seeing them in the fashion show.) Watched the fashion show, bought 4 patterns from Pegger Sagers, love the show and her commentating, had a good chat with her later. Then bought a solid wood sleeve board, and that totally made my day. Took myself out to lunch on the way home, and sewed some in the afternoon.

Decided if I'm going to sew that I have to find a way to work it into my now much busier schedule. I miss sewing. I have to clean and organize, decide some patterns/fabrics in advance, and just do it.

I really need to sew a few new bras too.

Plans for the expo

The sewing expo is in town for the next few days. Classes are starting today but my day to go is tomorrow (Thursday.) I've not signed up for any classes this year.

So...the plan is to go do some shopping, somewhat minimal shopping as I still have fabric from last year I didn't sew up, and I really don't want a giant stash.

But I have a pattern I'd like to make again, a few times more actually, so I'll be looking for heavier knits to sew up, you know, warm snuggly types of fabric.

Here's the photo of the top I wore to death last winter and I'm wearing it again this fall.


It's Jalie 2911 and definitely one of my all time favorites.


I got a goal today to finish up my fushia jacket. I haven't sewn in a week.

Slowly sewing

I've gotten to the point of sewing the lining in my fushia lambswool jacket. So far so good. I haven't hit any stumbling blocks and the jacket fits well as far as I can tell. I also did my first sleeve heads.

I don't know if others have done it my way, but I used a bias strip of my fashion fabric, and it worked just fine.

I'll try to remember to take some photos of my construction later on today.

Here's the jacket on the dressform that is 20x's smaller than me, hence the sunken chest area.


And Penny graduated from her puppy obdience class this weekend. I just have to share her cute photo.

I've been sick

Gosh, how annoying can this be? So I started a new job recently as a cashier at a local grocery store, and I've already had my 2nd cold.

I'm surviving, but it sucks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To sewing....how stupid can I be? Super stupid I guess. This jacket was what I would have "guessed" was a TNT. So I went ahead, sewed up the princess seams and top-stitched.

Oh...I didn't have top-stitching thread so I used regular thread in a triple-stitch.

Oh darn, forgot to just baste and check the fit.

Looks like I was able to eek out a bit of fit through the side seams.

I get frustrated when I forget simple stuff...like double checking the fit by BASTING.

It looks like it will fit though.

Give me another week to finish up, it's not going as quickly as I had imagined.

It's Fall...time to sew up some wool

My sewing schedule is so tight these days, and I prefer sewing in super long chunks of time as opposed to a half hour here or there.

But what to sew is always difficult. I really have more than enough fabric at this time. I have more than enough patterns too. I'm not saying I won't buy more here or there, but the stash is big enough.

I have decided to use today and the next two days sewing a jacket pattern that fit me quite well when I made it last year. I had a few issues, namely that the wool had a bit of spandex in it, and then when I fused it (the front portions) is wanted to unstretch from the interfacing.

The jacket is Burda 7934


My finished jacket


And the fushia lambswool on the bottom of the pile is the one I'm using.


Here's the review I wrote up at Pattern Review.

Hopefully I'll be done in these few days' time. I need to get interfacing and a zipper for the front. I should have enough wool to whip up a simple pencil skirt for my daughter in NYC also. Won't she be surprised? Well, not if she reads this.

Emergency Bra: Unsnap, separate cups, inhale...

I'm going to copy/paste this cute news article into my blog since links sometimes disappear over time.

Here's the link: Emergency Bra

Emergency Bra: Unsnap, separate cups, inhale...
by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore

Remember that bra we wrote about last year that lifted more than just our spirits when it won the 2009 Ig Nobel Public Health Prize?

Well, creator Dr. Elena Bodnar--whose inspiration comes in part from having witnessed as a young physician the devastating affects of the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster in 1986--is introducing the now commercially available Emergency Bra at the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Mass., on September 28. She hopes we can all "get a feel of [sic] the product," as she has grown fond of saying.

The bra is, of course, meant to be taken off, something most adults presumably have experience with. Once removed, it separates into two masks which, when placed over the nose and mouth, filter out particles that were found to be as harmful as radiation in Chernobyl.

There is also some noise of a "counterpart device for men" in the works, though the precise shape it will take has yet to be revealed. The emergency bra may work well for women, but attaining the second of the two resulting masks does require men who are not cross-dressing to beg and plead in the event of a disaster.
As Bodnar explained in her alluring Ukrainian accent when accepting the award:
Ladies and gentlemen, isn't that wonderful that women have two breasts, not just one? We can save not only our own life, but also the life of a man of our choice next to us.

Now, a year later, what was once a bizarre and intriguing idea has turned into an actual bra that can be purchased online for $29.99. Ladies, it's a sexy red and comes in a wide range of sizes, from 32B to 40C. Gentlemen, Bodnar assures us that in the event of an emergency, the size of the cup does not matter.

YouTube Link Watch the video through the link as I still need to work on resizing my blog pages to fit videos.

Too many magazines

Some time back I had this strange desire to emulate other fantastic sewers and their desire to follow fashion by reading fashion magazines. I was going to make a fashion bulletin board (the bulletin board is still in it's plastic wrap.) So I sat down at the bookstore one day with a pile of magazines, picked out my favorites, and took the subscription cards out of them. Oh, I also wanted inexpensive magazines.

Mailed those darn cards in and a few months later I was being inundated with fashion magazines.



Just remembered I forgot "More" and the subscription to "Oxygen" (but that one isn't mine.

This was an absolute mistake on my part. While one or two magazines a month "might" be okay for me, I truly dislike magazines. Maybe I should say I dislike fashion magazines.

.........WAIT......Burda comes every month too (I think I might drop that subscription) and Ottobre, and Modellina. My daughter's been picking up La Mia Boutique for me.

Um....I'm sure not getting much sewing done lately.

I truly am not into fashion. I do not watch Project Runway or Mad Men. I've been to NYC twice now this year and have yet to step into a clothing store other than Filene's Basement, and only my daughter got something. I didn't even go fabric shopping last time I was there (just too darn busy being a tourist.)

So I place all those magazines in the magazine rack in the bathroom, thumb through them a bit. Maybe I see a pair of boots I like, but you'll never find me buying them. I guess I just don't get it, the whole fashion thing that is.

When the magazine subscriptions run out I will probably stick to my favorite, one I've gotten for a super long time now, Allure. I also think Lucky is fun to look at.

And I will also say, it's not that I think any of the magazines are bad, it's just that it was overload on my part.

I'm not a fashionista.

KwikSew 3784...again

I have been so darn busy lately that sewing is totally on the back burner. Today though, I actually had time and whipped up a quick sleeveless top to wear dancing. The good thing about "dance" tops is that they don't have to be perfect, as I wear them in a dark environment.

I've sewn this pattern now three times I think. Twice I've posted photos with the ruffle (one in blue/white and one in the orange/pink/white knits.) I also made up a top in solid red. Oh, I did one in a black/white snake print with red piped elastic at the neck and sleeves.

Today I did it in a polyester print I have.

Photo of the pattern, which to me is obviously a TNT.


I have raised the neckline a good 1"+ and without the ruffle skip the center front seam. The armhole fits nicely.

So now I have this TNT and I really want to start working with it. I have other KwikSew patterns that I can compare it with as far as different styles go.

Other things happening lately is that I visited my daughter Michelle in NYC, but didn't do any real fabric shopping. I did get some powernet for bras, but we were so busy being tourists that fabric wasn't that important.

Plus I recently got a part time job that is working me close to full time. So I'm very busy and very tired.

As far as sewing goes, I'd like to make more simple tank tops for dancing...or maybe add short sleeves to the pattern too.

Bra making links

Needle Nook Fabrics in Wichita, Kansas is where I took my first bra making class. Anne St. Claire is a wonderful teacher and has been teaching for many years. She does not have an online site to sell her wonderful bra making supplies, but you can either phone or email her. Kits are a wonderful deal and all the supplies are in each kit except for the underwires. If you EVER have the opportunity to take a class with Anne, don't skip out. You will come out with a bra that fits and is wonderfully comfortable. It might not be perfect, being bra #1, but you will be amazed at what you created.

Fays Fashions & Fabrics is where I ordered a bunch of grab bags of laces, fabrics and elastics from, and everything I received was wonderful and fun. So I am very comfortable recommending this online dealer.

Sew Sassy Fabrics is a site which sells many bra making supplies. I have not ordered from them so I can not comment directly.

Bra-makers Supply is an online store from Canada with absolutely beautiful and high quality fabrics, laces, elastics, and supplies. I ordered the "Bra Makers Manual" which has wonderful instructions and information about bras and bra making. I definitely do recommend it. I also purchased one of their patterns and a kit. Once you're on the site, click around and read through the blog for more helpful information.

Bra-making classes has some great step-by-step tutorials

Venusian Glow is absolutely the best site for learning about bras and how to fit them well. Follow the directions on the Bra Matrix pages and you are totally set to go. My favorite page teaches how ill-fitting bras cause Armpit Rolls (something I deal with, ugh.) Seriously just go from link to link on this site, read it all, look at all the pictures, and you will learn so much about bras.

Braqueen Exposed has a lot of good bra information, just start clicking through the links. She has a review page with photos of people wearing the bras they've reviewed.

Don't waste your time looking at the Victoria Secret catalog for bras. Seriously, those women don't wear a single bra that fits. The bras are many sizes too small, just to enhance the cleavage. The problem with that is that the consumer looks at those photos and then thinks that is how a bra is supposed to fit. Instead, check out the Bravissimo Online Catalog to see photos of properly fitted bras on adorable models. You can also request a catalog to be sent to your home and use it for fashion ideas in your own bra making.


Li'l Miss Muffett- Heather has some photos of bras and lingerie she's been sewing on her own blog. Lots of really cute things.

Sigrid's Sewing Projects- Sigrid sews some of the most beautiful lingerie I've seen. Her fabrics and laces are amazing. Also on her blog, click on the tutorial link at the top, and then click again (she's still working on her site.) You will come to a page of Sewing Tutorials and there is a wonderful one on lingerie.

By following links online (blog to blog) I've found a few blogs from Dutch women on sewing lingerie. They make some super cute stuff, and it's fun to let Google translate the pages for me.

Lingerie Poetsie

Gestrikt by Tialda

creaBH

As far as pattern goes, Kwik Sew has quite a few patterns that have good reviews on Pattern Review. Anne St. Claire has her own Elite and Queen Elite patterns (check her site at Needle Nook Fabrics above. Bra makers supply has patterns they have designed as well as other patterns. There are numerous other bra patterns, just have tried any others, though over time I will be trying them all.

Just give it a try, you'll probably become addicted to the process as I have.

The bad news first

Since I haven't gotten much sewing done, I thought I'd let you know what's up.

So first the bad news....I got ringworm, ugh. No clue where from of course, though it showed up shortly after getting the new puppy, who shows no sign of it. With her little short hairs it's really easy to see her skin. I also have 3 cats, one of whom has a tiny bald spot on her head. I assume it was from a little fight. I'm taking the cats in to get checked.

I'm on oral meds as I have some in my scalp. I'm now petrified of going bald in a couple areas. And from what I read, yes, it will happen. I already use rogaine, so maybe that will help.

I guess I can't really worry about it, it is what it is.

Good news is that I got a part-time job and I'm really enjoying it. I'm a cashier at a local grocery store. That's right, the big bucks are rolling in now.

But after getting use to things (and trust me, it's far from easy) it's going much better. I'm starting to be able to hold a little conversation at the same time, fix my mistakes, stuff like that.

BTW, be patient with your cashiers, they might be brand new like me. I know the numbers for bananas (4011,) peaches (4044,) and seedless watermelons (4032.) Wait...white grapes are 4022, and red I think are 4032, I might have to double check that one. I'm trying to learn them. Soybeans in the bin are 512.

I need to wear slacks and a tucked in buttoned shirt. I was going to sew some tops and ordered some fabrics from Fabric.com, but I ended up at the thrift shop and bought 4 white tops for $11. Sure can't beat that. I just need to give them all short sleeves.

One is a nice linen shirt. I starched it and wore it yesterday and actually had a complement on it. Now that's pretty cool.

Today I'm joining a friends' sewing group to talk about sewing bras. I'm going to bring the ones I've made along with a few books, patterns, fabrics and trimmings, and just let the conversation flow. We will also talk some about fitting a bra.

I'm not a pro at that but I have learned a lot from reading.

What I'm going to do is make a new post with some links to my favorite bra sites, and then invite the women to my blog to follow the links.

It should be a fun day.

Worked on UFO's

Found a pair of Jalie jeans I had never hemmed. They are now hemmed and I'm wearing them tonight. I also finished up a cotton tank top, from the KwikSew pattern I did recently. Heck, I even have the blue bra on from the previous post.



The top stitching was done with a varigated rayon thread, triple stitch.

And here is a cool spiderweb formation.

Gifted old fabric

Right now I'm washing usable fabric I was gifted, 3 large trash bags full. Most of it is not so good, but can be used as muslins. A few pieces are good but the colors are atrocious. And there is one lovely piece of wool. Alas, it all smells pretty old, having been stored for ages. So it's being washed and we'll see what' happens. Even the nice piece of wool is going in the machine, in hot water.

I finished my "blue bra" the other day. Once again, fit is good but it's still not perfect. This is the Pinup Girls pattern, in about a 35D. The fabric is less stretchy than the pink bra, and it actually is more difficult to work with. I have a bit of a "fold" thing when it's being worn.

What I'm finding is that a stretchier bra is so much more forgiving (and comfortable.) Luckily I've always preferred a soft cup bra, so I will continue in my endeavors.



I've started knitting a scarf. Here are my cables.


And I'm totally in love with this jacket, so it's going to be a goal for me to copy this fall.


And Penny is 11 weeks old today. She is growing like a weed.