Since I'm not sewing the dress, I thought it'd be fun to make a new bra for the Christmas party next Saturday only now that it's finished, this one might not be smooth enough to go under a knit dress. Even though I fill it out better than Millicent, there are a few ripples along the seam line that could be caused by the woven fabric, the width of the bridge, or the cup size. I'm debating which. Thoughts?
The pattern is Kwik Sew 3300 as pictured. Kwik Sew publishes a lot of lingerie patterns. The ones I've used so far have been well drafted. The sizing suggestion is to sew the size you buy in RTW which presumes that you're wearing the correct size. I'd have preferred more measuring info. I sewed a 36C because that's what the bra I was wearing at the time was however I've also sewn/worn a 34D and a 36D so who knows. The main thing is to find a pattern you like and then fine tune it to fit you. This one fits pretty good first time around and is the first bra I've sewn with a vertical cup seam as opposed to a horizontal one.
The underwire channel is made from bias cut fabric. This works really well and is much easier to sew in than the standard channelling because all you do is match and sew the seam allowance. However, next time I'll use a matched to the lace color to be less conspicuous. This is the second time that I've used a bias strip. This one was cut from polyester lining fabric and is neat and crisp with little bulk. The time before I used cotton and it wasn't nearly as successful.
On my RTW bra, the top of the bridge is barely 1/4" apart between the channels. The bridge on this KS3300 bra seems too wide but it is also lower so I'm not quite sure and will pin it narrower and wear it around the studio for a while first to see how it feels before doing anything permanent. I keep wanting to pull the cup over toward center but - as I said - that could be the cup size or the bridge width.
The woven cup fabric is a Chinese brocade, black with a fuchsia paisley design. You know how I love paisley. YES YES. The lace was from Fabricana in Richmond when I was down shopping last February. It was nice to finally sew it. I bought several bra fabrics on that trip and may sew another one soon - a knit that will stretch to shape my body better.
Johnette wrote - Gorgeous necklace and looks very expensive... U have great taste.
It was a fabulous find. I bought the necklace with co-ordinating earrings at a favourite boutique for jewelry. It was $35.00 plus tax.
AnnetteAK wrote - Sometimes retail therapy is what is needed. I go for months without buying anything for me and then buy several things within a week. I don't feel that this is bad - I don't overspend. The important thing is buying only what we love and not buying to buy.
Typically when I'm indulging in retail therapy it's exactly that - I'm actually buying something instead of just looking - and I tend to buy something I would use like the necklace or something of a slightly higher quality than what I would have normally bought like the "good stuff" yarn. I rarely go way overboard and leave plenty in the store that I've managed to resist. Since I'm not an avid shopper, I don't really worry about when I'm shopping to soothe. It's never gotten out of hand probably because I do the banking in our house and would have to reconcile it - LOL.
Several people wrote - Why not take over Tony's salon if he is closing down?
He is closing at the end of this month. The staff have already found new jobs, the fixtures have been sold, the lease has not been renewed, and at the end of December the salon will cease to exist. That's just fine with me. I am only researching the possibility of returning to work as a hairstylist. It'd be a huge jump from not doing hair for twenty-five years to owning a salon with staff and that is absolutely the last thing I'd be interested in (my last child just moved out - VBG) and especially as I have no idea what the industry currently looks like. At the most, I'd rent a chair and be a business of one and that option may exist at some point in the future but for now, I'm fact finding and we'll see. I won't be making any decisions quickly although I do value Tony's advice so what he has to say will have an impact.
After I decide about the bra and if it'll work or if I want to try sewing another one, I'll decide what I'm sewing next. If not a bra, possibly jeans.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - encouraging phone calls, adjusting to change
Great colours and fabrics!
ReplyDeleteOh that is such a pretty bra. I hear you on the complaints about sizing and measurements. I've made many very pretty bras that don't fit for one reason or another and sadly you don't really know it's not going to fit until you're pretty much done.
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