Somethings Gotta Give...

I'm back hitting the books again after a glorious, month long Winter break! I have three classes this semester and it looks like they're going to be a little tougher. Especially Human Anatomy. I'm already seeing that I'm going to have to let a few things go, or at least "lessen my presence". Unfortunately this blog is probably going to be one of them. If you haven't noticed, I have a little poll in the right hand column to see what kind of tutorials and posts about lingerie sewing you'd like to see. I still plan to honor that, but the posts may come far and few between. Not that I've had any rhyme or reason to my posting to date, but you get my meaning. I figure I'll know more as I get into the semester to see really how difficult my classes will be.

As for the poll, I see most of the votes are going towards bras. My fave! So, what do you want to know? Fitting techniques? How to construct a bra from beginning to end? Fabrics, patterns, and other components? Anything?! I'm excited about putting together posts and tutorials and really want to know what exactly you'd like to see! Let me know what you want to see for the other stuff, too. Kelly asked about a bias-cut slip for the curvier set. CarlaF wants to know about fitting bras. I can do a post on sewing panties. What do YOU want to know?! Post in the comments or email me privately if you'd like. I'm all ears!

Those Sewing Whirlwind Pics!

Hi! Happy Monday!

First off, I want to sincerely thank each and everyone one of you for your kind comments about my Mother-in-Law on my last post. You all are just such a wonderful bunch of people! You truly warm my heart. That may sound cheesy and cliche, but it's true dammit and I make no apologies. She is doing much better now, thank you. She spent 5 days in the hospital and we found out this all stemmed from a really horrible sinus infection. She feels better than she has in months so we have been wondering how long she's been carrying around this infection.

Anyhoo, I finally had some time to snap pictures of my 'whirlwind sewing escapade'! This is a pretty long post, so go grab a cup of tea real quick! ;-)

Okie dokie, Numero Uno is the easy peasy circle skirt. I think this took all of about 30 minutes to make, cutting time and all! I just plugged my measurements into the formula given in the tutorial. The only thing I changed was the waistband. Instead of using wide elastic I used a brown cotton/Lycra and made a band about 14" wide x my waist measurement. I then stitched up the side and folded it in half, wrong sides together. Aligned the raw edges of the waistband and skirt and stitched them together. This makes the very comfortable "yoga waistband" you may have heard of. I can leave it wide or fold it over. For the hem, I was able to use my handy dandy rolled hem foot on my regular machine and voila! A skirt!

The fabric is some I've had in my stash for probably 10+ years. It's kind of a weird color and I have nothing to wear with it at the moment. The fabric is most likely poly and has a touch of sheen. It's sort of a heathered brown/gray with peach... I dunno.

Next, is the bra. This is Merckweardigh BHL15. She now has an Etsy shop and the patterns are in English! Whoo hoo!

 I used some odds and ends to put it together but I like how it turned out. I've made this bra before but I used all stretch fabric and it wasn't supportive at all. That bra is too big now, but I thought I'd try this pattern in a non-stretch fabric. I bought this tricot last year to use for some custom order panties and was dissapointed to find that it was a bonded nylon tricot. Bonded = No stretch, what-so-ever. The shop said nothing of this in their discription, of course, so I ordered it. It worked out fine though because it happens to be the perfect fabric for bras! My favorite RTW Freya bra is made of some similar stuff! Well, anyway, after all that the bra didn't fit in the cups, which is really too bad since the band and underwires fit perfectly!! The lower cup is good but the top squishes my breast tissue in a very unflattering manner. I'm thinking, and if I can get up the guts, I can slice the top cup while wearing it down to the seam and measure how much I need to add then transfer those findings to the pattern. I still haven't gotten up the nerve yet but I may try it.

Lastly, This is my mock-up of Vogue 8546:

 

This first picture turned out all fuzzy for some reason. Sorry 'bout that!

The back shows the wacky fabric a bit better. I really should take a close-up. It's some funky stuff, I'm tellin' ya. I'm forever attracted to the funky fabrics, though. I have a slew of '70's polyester autrocities, but I love 'em just the same. This fabric has a little bit too much body for this jacket. I think it will be much better in something more fluid. That's something I don't have in the stash at the moment, though! This fabric adds too much bulk in front and that's something I really don't need! All-in-all, I really, really like the jacket! It's very comfortable and I'm keeping my eye out on a good deal for some wool jersey. The only thing I'm going to add is a big button, kind of where my hand is in the front view, to hold it closed. 

Now for a bit of exciting news! As you know, I have been a pattern tester for some time. Most recently working with Patterns by Figgy's. Well, the lovely ladies behind PBF, Shelly and Karen, so very graciously asked me to be one of their pattern testers for their NEW BOOK!!! It's coming out next year! Yes!!! Shelly and Karen are writing a book and I get to help test for it. I'm also now an official tester for Wiley Publications. My name will be in the book and on their website and everything! Needless to say, I'm so excited and feel so honored! The only thing that really sucks is I can't tell you what the book is about. YET! As soon as I get the go-ahead, I'll let you all know. I can tell you right now some of you are going to be most pleased...

Well, I guess that's it. I think I have about three posts in one here folks, but it's been building up!

Have a wonderful week!

Some Bra Sewing At Last!

Surely you all must be amazed! It has been entirely too long since I've SEWN a bra, let alone posted about sewing them. So, what the heck happened?! Well, I got kinda burnt out and also miffed at the above bra. Um, remember this bra that I was making for a Pattern Review contest? Yeah, that was back in freakin' February! I just finished***read: slapped together*** it yesterday and when I put the damn thing on it was too BIG!!! Damn! Well, no worries. It has been stripped of every part that I was able salvage. The outer fabric (the sparkly stuff) is soooo stretchy that it just looked like crap anyway and that's what got me pissed in the first place. There were poofy bits every where and wrinkles. Oh, and it gave me NO support so "OFF WITH HER HEAD!!" or in this case straps, elastic and hooks and eyes....

This little cutie is a bra I started for my daughter several days ago. I finished it up yesterday, too. Miz M has been asking for a nude bra to wear under a white tank top. The pattern I used is Kwik Sew 3300 and as with most KS patterns, it was a breeze to sew up. I used plain ol' nylon tricot for the cups and powernet for the back. We had some fitting issues that had to be worked out but all-in-all I think it turned out really cute. Well, really the only problem we had was the band being way to short. I added about 1 inch to either side behind the hooks and eyes as you can see below. I tried a couple of different methods. Neither of which I like. Ahh well, it looks pretty craptastic but does the trick.

The cups fit her perfectly! Rejoyce! My lovely model is not a very good representation of what it looks like on my daughter. M has a wider ribcage. Everything else was good but I think if I make this again I'll widen the back band quite a bit. It's just too narrow for her build. Now we'll just see if she actually wears it. When we first tried it on it was a little tight (to her) and she got all whine-y and meltdown-y, like only teenagers can do.

Here's a funny/interesting little tidbit for you: A lady on one of the sewing groups I belong to mentioned her husband had been on a business trip to China, I believe, to a bra making factory (he worked for Bali). Well, I guess the lady laid her fabric out on a cutting table and took a sharpie and marked out all the pattern pieces, freehand. FREEHAND?! Isn't that amazing? It also explains why one bra might fit and another does not even though it's the same size, brand, style. That's another reason why women should NOT go by their perceived "size" and just go by fit. I believe bra sizing charts to be written by the devil, himself.

I'm going to cut this post off here. We'll have to talk some more about bra fitting sometime! I hope you all have a great weekend! I'll be packing since my kids are going to be spending next week with my Mom and Dad. It'll be quiet yet oh-so-nice....

Take it easy! 

Custom Nightie

I finished up my last custom order today! Yipee! LOL! This was a recreation of a gown that my friend's mom loved but couldn't find a replacement. Her gown is 14 years old and very loved (aka worn out!). Anyhoo, she brought me the gown after much hulabaloo (it was meant to be a surprise but it didn't happen that way, darnnit) and I made a pattern from it. I think, all in all, it turned out pretty well. I hope her mom loves it and wears it for 14 years!

A New Weakness

Have you seen this?

Y'all know my love of lingerie and I'm so weak right now! I can't buy it 'cause I don't have any money anyway...I'm adding this to my wish list though! I just came across this the other day when Mikhaela talked about the lady behind the patterns. She's an illustrator so that bumps her up in my book by about a billion notches. If you're plus sized and love vintage definitely check out her vintage repro pattern line. So cool!

First Ever GIVEAWAY!

Okay, y'all! As promised I'm going to have a giveaway to commemorate my 5th Blogiversary and my birthday. The Blogiversary is on Feb 26th and my B-Day is Mar 1st!

What are ye gonna get? Well, everything in the above picture! You know my love of underpinnings by now so of course it has to be lingerie themed. It includes a simple muti-sized pattern for a slip, suitable for a beginner. It's a vintage Sew Lovely and has never even been opened. Cool! I also think that you can size it up easily if you need to. Also, enough peach nylon tricot to make the largest size (There is probably enough that you could even make a matching pair of panties! This stuff is like 100"+ wide!) and a selection of stretch lace to adorn your lovely new garment with. I might even throw something a little extra in there. I love surprises, don't you!


Okie dokie, the details are:

1. You must leave a comment here on the blog or email me privately between now and March 1st, 2010. lil-miss-muffett@sbcglobal.net

2. I want you to tell me your most crowning sewing or crafting achievment! If you don't have one tell me something that you've done or has happened to you that is super cool. Anything goes! You shagged Tom Cruise? I wanna know! LOL!

3. The giveaway is open to my international readers too!

That's it! Pretty simple. I'll use one of those random generator thingies to choose the winner and I'll announce it on Tuesday, March 2nd.

Let the games begin!

Bustin' Some Stash!

I just read about Zoe's stash busting over at the Colette Patterns Blog and thought it sounded like a grand idea! I have absolutely NO extra cash for buying new fabrics and certainly not any extra space so I think I'm going to join along with my other sewing sisters who are also diving in! I have so much fabric it shouldn't be a problem! I've posted the little graphic in my side bar over there. I'm also thinking about going through my pattern stash and selling some of them off. I have quite a few vintage patterns that I will never use and it would be nice for them to have a new home where they can see the light of day. Keep your eyes peeled for that. I'll be listing them on my etsy shop!

In sewing news, I did NOT finish my bra and panty set for the Lingerie Contest at Pattern Review. I've just had too much going on. They are both cut out and hopefully I can get it finished this week! I'm babysitting again so I probably won't get anything done today. Here's a little sneaky peek:

Bra sewing again!

I've finally carved out a little time to make myself some new bras! All of mine are getting worn out and after having several conversations about bra making with Kristin, my juices got flowing to make some. Also, Pattern Review is holding a Lingerie Contest. It ends Feb. 14th and I thought I should get busy! LOL! The bra above is a mock up of one of my custom drafted Danglez patterns. If you look closely you can get a glimpse of the fabric I'm using for the contest piece. It's a really fun animal print with swirls and little silver paillette thingies. This bra has a diagonal seam cup and I just love how it fits! The details are more visible here on my dress form:

I wore it all day yesterday and didn't have to tug or adjust and I just love that! The contest bra is proving to be a little bit more difficult than the trial bra. It just sort of sewed itself. The print fabric is really stretchy and lightweight, almost to the point of being a mesh. Needless to say, it has to be fully lined and that makes things fussy. I'll cut a panty or two to go with it. Hopefully, I can get it all done before the weekend!

Recipe Thursday: Granny's Super Sweet Taters

Happy New Year's Eve! I probably won't be posting New Year's Day since the hubster has a gig tonite and we'll be zombies tomorrow. I can't believe this year is at it's end already! It went waaay too fast but I'm glad 'cause 2009 just sucked, am I right?! And now we can start saying twenty-ten, etc. instead of two-thousand and blah-blah. That always bothered me for some reason. I'm crazy, perhaps?

Anyhoo! I got my yellow undies made yesterday and I even did a review for Pattern Review! This is Kwik Sew 2100 and I like the pattern a lot. Their sizing is really off, which you can read about in my review, but these turned out great! I used a Nylon/Lycra and they sort have a slimming effect. Yay! I just realized yesterday that I make way more stuff than I review. I should really do more reviews this next year! It would be cool to have a record of everything I make throughout the year. I've noticed many other sewing bloggers doing a kind of wrap-up of their sewing projects and I honestly haven't got a clue how many items I've made over the last 12 months!

Okay, on to the recipe! You will most definitely need something with slimming action when you eat these sweet potatoes! They are so wonderful and it's the only way I make mine. I got the recipe from my Mother-in-Law several years ago and it's the one I think her mother used. I'm sorry I don't have a picture! I made these for Christmas Eve but totally spaced the picture taking/Recipe Thursday stuff. You'll just have to trust me on this one! We always reserve this dish for special holidays. This would be perfect to serve tomorrow!

Granny's Super Sweet Taters

6-8 Sweet Potatoes or Yams (whichever you use, try to find the smallest ones, they tend to be better)
1 pound Brown Sugar
1 pint Heavy Cream
1/4 tsp Nutmeg (optional)
9"x13" Baking Dish, sprayed with cooking spay or buttered

The night before you make the dish, mix cream and brown sugar in a covered container or big jar, refrigerate. (If you want to use nutmeg you can stir it in with the cream and brown sugar or wait and sprinkle it over the potatoes before baking. It's not part of the original recipe, just something I added on my own so please don't think it's necessary. These are just as delicious without it!) Stir the mixture every so often, maybe each time you get in the fridge. Boil the potatoes in a large pot, skin on, for about 30-45 minutes or until soft. Drain and let cool. This makes peeling the taters super easy! Okay, now you can peel 'em. Cut into quarters and place them in your baking dish, preferably in a single layer. You can do this the day before if you need the time! Right before you want to bake your taters get out your cream mixture and stir well, pour over the potatoes. Heat oven to 350 degrees then pop in the taters. Bake covered (I just use foil) for approx. 1 hour and be sure to spoon the sauce over the potatoes every 20 minutes or so. What comes out is a bubbly, caramel-y treat like no other! No marshmallows needed here!

As always, if you have questions please email me. I'd love to hear if you try the recipe!

Busy weekend!

Well, as my previous post stated, I finished up my Colette Patterns test sewing! Yay! But before that, on Friday, a milestone was reached for someone very dear to me....

My little man turned 5!!!

I can hardly believe it! Love you sweetie!

Next, I want to (finally) show you all the lingerie set I made for my daughter a couple of weeks ago!

I used a vintage Kwik Sew pattern and this is the fabric and stretch lace from Elingeria.de. It's a super cute cotton knit screen printed with hearts and 'love', etc. I love how it turned out! She just adores it and wants to wear it all the time. This feels pretty good to me since most of the stuff I make her these days doesn't get worn. She's at that stage.... *sigh* It's all about skinny jeans (gasp) and Converse! I didn't sew for her very much when she was little and now I'm wishing for those days again. She is in desperate need of undies so I can always do that. I also realized over the weekend that she needs some lounge wear! Of all things! That should be easy to throw together. I have some great Jalie patterns that will work perfectly.

Lastly, I want to give you that sneak peek I promised....

Have you all been good...hmmmmm?

Oh well, even if you haven't here it is!

Alright, that's all yer gettin! But don't fret! The new patterns are available for purchase this Friday! Yipee! So be sure to keep your eyes on the Colette blog. I wanted to point out how well my seams matched up. See how pretty? This is always a source of joy and satifaction for me. I just love when that happens!

Next up for me is the HP Uptown/Downtown dress. The pattern is all laid out on my big table waiting to be traced! I keep seeing everyone's amazing creations and I just can't wait to have one of my own!

P.S. Today I'm wearing my fuschia We Love Colors tights. I'll give a review on them (hopefully tomorrow) and the socks from Sock Dreams. I've worn both of those and, let's just say.... well, you'll have to come back and find out!

Hugs & Stitches!

I finally caved....

Yes, in a moment of weakness, I have fallen to that temptress Hot Patterns. When I opened my email from Patternreview.com this morning I had absolutely no plans to dump over $40 into new patterns that I really don't need. But when I saw Michelle's cute version I just plum gave in. I watched Trudy's vids on this a couple of weeks ago and it almost sent me over the edge but when I saw it made up and on a real person I just had to have it. I think it'll be so cute with boots and a little jacket for this fall. I've also had my eye on this one forever:

I figured, "what the hell?!" I'm already going broke... Ha! So, I think today I'm going to dig through my stash and find some fabrics that will work for both of these so I can get at 'em when they arrive in a few days.


I did have a productive weekend of sewing! I made my sweet daughter a bra and panty set from a vintage Kwik Sew pattern. She made me wash it last night so she could wear it today so I have no pictures yet. It turned out so cute and really fit her perfectly! Best part is she loves it! I used some fabric and lace I got in a grab bag from Elingeria.de some time ago. When I pulled the fabric out of the package I knew it was destined to be made into something for her. The piece was kind of small but that's the great thing about sewing lingerie for little people, it doesn't take much! ;-D

A Bra for Amy

When my friend Amy found out I was making my own bras she asked if I could do the same for her. Of course I said "heck YES!!!" After a few failed fitting attempts I had her try on a bra I had just made myself using the Queen Elite from Needle Nook (see side bar for link). The band was too big but the cups fit fairly well, being a smidge too big for her, and the wire size was perfect. Using this information I traced off the next smaller cup than what I used. I used the same pattern piece for the underwire and shortened the back to basically make it a size 32 band. I made an ivory colored trial bra and I think it fit her really well. I gave it to her so she could wear it and see how it really fit. She said it was a winner so I made her a "real" bra in black. The fabrics and notions are also from Needle Nook. The stretch lace was some I got in a bundle off Ebay. Here you can see it on my dress form:


The cups look all wonky because the bra doesn't fit my "model". It kinda gives you a better idea of what it looks like than if it was just laying on my cutting table. Trust me, I tried this....

Something else I added was a power bar. This is a little something new. I've read about it in my bra making books but hadn't tried it yet. Power bars are used kind of as an inner sling to provide uplift. This is especially important to us curvy gals. I really like how it turned out and will do this to my own next time. You can see it here:



Okay, sorry for all the technical sewing gobbledygook. I know a lot of you sew bras too so you'll get me. ;-D This is also an attest to how perserverance pays off. I just want to make sure all you budding bra-makers out there (Andrea, I'm talkin' to you!) don't give up! It can get frustrating for sure but the hard work really pays off. I learned a lot by fitting someone else, too. I really enjoyed the process and hope I can do it again. Hey, maybe this is the start of a lucrative career for me. That would be awesome! Spending all day sewing....and playing with pretty fabric and lace... hell YEAH!