Finished & Fitted

Sharon was over yesterday to sew another bra. We're making tremendous progress with fitting but we're not quite there yet. I sent an email and pictures to my workshop instructor and another to BraMakersSupply.com hoping that one or the other or both would give us some advice. Last night, Linda, my instructor, emailed back with how-to information that should make the difference. Talk about great service. We'll try her suggestion next although - LOL - there's a one week workshop that's starting to look like a lot of fun.

I finished and fitted the muslin for the Vogue 2893 top, made adjustments to the pattern, and cut out the silk dupioni fashion fabric and the cotton-silk interlining. The cotton silk is a fairly bright blue, which might not be the exact right color but it's so light of hand and so strong that it's perfect for the interlining. It won't be visible.




I'll hand baste the interlining to each garment piece and then baste the seams together and try the top on again before doing any permanent seams or finishes. I know that the armhole depth is good, the bicep and bust widths are correct. and the garment sits snug against my body across the top. It's the hips that aren't co-operating. However, there are two back princess seams and two side seams so plenty of room to make adjustments. It'll work.

gMarie wrote - What types of stitches are you using to construct your bras? I want to make them and pretty, fun, funky matching sets - but I want them to be pretty. I don't want to notice the seams and think - UGH!




Seams are more noticeable on plain fabrics than with lace or a print. The only stitches I use are a straight stitch and a zigzag stitch - mostly a zigzag. Above you can see black stitches on pink. They're evenly spaced, straight, and neat. I think that looks pretty. Below, you can see the zigzag stitch through the plain pink and through the lace covered cups. Look at where the cups meet the lace and...

... you'll see the straight stitches used to attach the channelling. When stitching around the channelling, I'm careful to evenly space the stitching line from the edge of the cup. The short row of tight zigzag is something new to keep the underwires from moving around in the channelling. They need to sit tight to the bridge.

The picture above shows the straight stitches that secure the channelling meeting the zigzag stitches that secure the lace elastic. My bridge is usually narrower than this one. When it is, the bottom row of stitching forms a V going around one cup to the middle of the bridge and then back around the other cup. The center of the bridge is one of the least neat spots on a bra. I think that's why "they" cover it with a bow. I've yet to sew on a bow and at $1.50 each, not likely to happen soon.

K.Line wrote - I am so impressed with your beautiful work! I want to come visit you during Bra Month!! And I'm sorry that the workshop isn't financially viable at this time. Keep us posted.

What fun it would be to have you here during Bra Month. I'm aiming for January but it really depends on how things go with the work search. I've applied for three customer representative positions. One's casual on-call, one's part time, and one's full time. I'm hopeful and...

... I'm SO GLAD to be feeling light and relieved to have made this decision. I'm surprised it took so long since, although it was a difficult decision, it was a relief when I stopped teaching traditional quilt making and again when I stopped teaching all together (even though I later missed teaching - I needed that break) and still again when I stopped producing pieces for resale. Each aspect of our work being has an emotional and physical weight. Sometimes, we don't realize how heavy that load is until for one reason or another it is lightened.

With all that previous "relief" experience, how strange that I kept trying to figure out what product would sell and where to sell it and how to teach and who to teach. I had cut the strings but I was still hanging by a thread. It kept me grieving for too long. Recognizing that those doors were closed and turning in another direction expecting a window to open is another tremendous relief. My brain is thrilled to be letting go of juggling possibilities, pondering product development, generating marketing ideas and... and... and... and... and... and... and... all the myriad details of owning a business, to just be still.

I'm excited about becoming a part of the visible work force, about getting out of the house and interacting with other people on a regular basis, about clients and co-workers and being able to excel in my position and to support and encourage others through that position. I'm excited about learning new skills and about utilizing ones that I have in a new environment - LOL - while wearing my amazing new go to work wardrobe with heels and hair and make-up. It'll be an adjustment, I know, and I'm still excited.

AND... I'm excited that my creativity will be mine. Life in the studio will be completely and totally all about me for the first time in a really long time. That feels light and airy and full of potential and absolutely fabulous. YES YES!

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - an end to grieving and feeling good about moving forward