So, that was a fail

Between house guests and not feeling well, it's been a little over a week since I've done any sewing.  I feel a little lost in my room now, not knowing where to start or where to go.

But the other week, after making my Lucky in Love bralette, I wore it for a whole day.  I declared it a success! At 3pm I needed to do a readjust/lift and separate but otherwise it felt comfortable and I hardly noticed it.  Because of this, I decided to have a go at making one with powermesh for more support.

I also decided to use the Lucky Lingerie back and band, rather than the Lovesick parts because the Lucky sits lower and feels a bit more "bra" and a little less "crop top" (in my size at least).

It looked pretty nice and felt good when first on, but I spent all day adjusting it and catching straps from falling down my shoulders.

Back to the sewing table for this one.....

I'm going to compare it to the first model. I might need to tighten and reposition straps, as well as adjust back size/shaping.  I think it also needs top stitching to sit better at the front.  The powermesh is a bit stiff and tends to roll.  But I'm glad I didn't do it on this one now that I need to unpick it and try again!

I'll keep you posted.

Lucky in Love

I'm on the smaller side of "large breasted" which makes it annoying to buy bras because many of them will appear to come in my size (based on their size range) but when I try them on I'm just one cup size out because every brand is a different fit.  This means having to go to a specialist shop, with "specialist prices" to match to get nice bras.  For reference I'm about a 16-18F (Australian) but as I said, it varies with brand.

In the last 12 months, when I really 'discovered' indie PDF pattern designers, I've seen a range of bralette patterns.  These look comfortable and easy to make.  I wasn't looking for the same support as an underwire bra because when I started looking I was still breast feeding and was wearing soft cup bras anyway.  I'm not feeding any more, but still like the idea of a more comfortable bra option when I'm staying home most of the day.

I've tried a few of these patterns without heaps of success.  They do seem to be more suited to the smaller busted, but not impossible for the larger among us.  I couldn't get a level of support I wanted, even considering I was comparing to a soft cup.  Then I tried some with power mesh, and that gave me support but also mono-boob.  The struggle is real ladies.

I had the most success with the George & Ginger Lovesick Bralette (which is free when you join their FB Group. This design incorporates darts which help with support.

I was still getting a bit of mono-boob happening though, which is as much about comfort as about looks.  Also the neckline is a bit higher than I'd like if I was to wear it under clothing as a bra.  Some have tried putting a centre piece in to gather up the front, like I did in my version of the Tank Hack but this didn't help to keep my breasts separated.

Then Rad Patterns brought out their Lucky Lingerie pattern.  This was very cute, and some said that the twist front helped with separation so I thought I'd give that a try.

My first attempted was rather disappointing.  I was just falling out all over! (Tiger print was on the clearance rack that week)

Some advice from Stephanie at Rad Patterns helped but it still wasn't giving me what I wanted, and this didn't have the same support as the Lovesick.  I left them all in a box in the corner for "later".

Finally this week I got around to trying out the idea that had been brewing in my mind over the last few months.

I mashed the cup shaping/darts of the Lovesick with the cute twist of the Lucky, and this is my result

It's basically a Lovesick, with the front neck and twist shaping of the Lucky.  I'd like to try one that has the Lucky back as well, because the back has a cute keyhole to match the front.

I've been wearing it for about an hour so far this evening.  So far I still have ample separation and it doesn't feel too droopy.  Will be interesting to see how it holds up over a whole day.

Overall, it feels great for a bralette made out of only cotton/lycra.  I'm sure I could get mores support if I used power mesh in the cups.... so I guess that's my next adventure in bralette making!

Frankenshirt

I think I'm pretty close to my perfect fitting t-shirt.

So this is an Agnes body, cut with a Miss Ruby Tuesday scoop neck, and the sleeves are from the Ginger Dress on the front and the Amanda on the back.

It's still a little tight in the bust, but I'm not sure if I'll change it, I don't mind it snug LOL

The sleeve pattern piece looks a bit wonky because of the mashing so I might have to smooth it out a bit but otherwise, I think I have a winner!!!

I might try skimming down the sides to see what that looks like, a bit more like the Everyday Tee.

Lovesick Bralette Tank Hack

I've been ogling Little Ragamuffin's Sweet and Lovely Dress since someone shared their version in a Facebook group.  I haven't tried it though because I have been worried how it would look on my body.

After my recent success with tops though, I finally thought I could do it some justice.

I decided to start with the Bralette Tank Top Hack before I ventured into a whole dress.  This uses the George & Ginger Lovesick Bralette pattern (which is free if you join their FB group), and then you add a bottom piece onto it to make the tank.  I'd already successfully made the bralette so knew I had the right size fitting well.

Jennifer uses the band pattern piece from the bra as a guide to make her 'body' piece, but she has a much slimmer physique than I do!  I decided to mash my trusty Agnes body with my Lovesick top to give me a bit more room around my tummy.  I wanted to do the front centre piece that Jennifer does on the Sweet and Lovely Dress, but I was worried how that might pull up the front of my tank because of my ample cleavage.  To work this all out, I put on my Lovesick Bralette, then my Agnes over the top.  I used pins to mark when the side band hit and where I wanted the centre front of the bralette to meet the body of the tank top.  Taking it off and transferring the markings to my Agnes pattern, I ended up with a curved shape at the top.  I then realised that my body piece was wider than the finished bralette piece.  I decided to add a little width to the bralette, since I wanted to wear it over a bra so it didn't need to be as snug.

On the Centre Front (left), you can see how I've curved the piece up to meet the bralette

My next problem was that I was intending to upcycle a dress, and the skirt wasn't quite wide enough to cut my body pieces out of.  I decided to reshape the sides so they were more in line with my Everyday Tee than the Agnes.  This probably looks better anyway, since I like to wear my tanks closer to my body, often as an under layer.

Pattern all sorted, I cut it out and followed Jennifer's instructions, and here is my upcycled Lovesick tank!

Now I'll just have to add the Sweet and Lovely dress to my ever increasing To-Do list.

Pattern Organisation

Following on from my post the other day, I'd like to share the pattern organisation database I use on my phone.

For those that haven't read the previous post, I use an Android App called Memento Database. Memento is a totally customisable database (library) App, so you can set it up however you would like. I have one library for patterns and one for fabric.

This blog post is about how my pattern database is set up, not specifically about how to use Memento. I've mostly worked it out as I went along or Googled, so if you would like specific instructions for anything, please comment below and I can try to answer your question.

The following screen shots show the fields I have set up:

Photo - this is usually the cover photo of the pattern. There is space for two photos so if the pattern has lots of options I take a photo of the line drawings from the pattern. For PDFs I am currently taking a photo of my computer screen when I have opened the PDF.  It's not ideal but it works for now.  I think if I wanted to go to the websites of the designers and download the images, I could add them into the app but that just sounds like too much work for me on my phone.

Pattern Company - obviously the name of the company/designer.  This field is set up to auto-complete, so when you start typing the first few letters it gives you options to choose from (if you have previously entered data).  You don't have to choose a Name from the list of options as it will create a new entry but doing some means that you run the risk of having two slightly different versions of the same thing if you're not careful

Here is the auto-completed pop-up for the Pattern Company

Pattern Number - This is labelled as 'number' because I started with paper patterns from the Big 4, but since I started entering PDF patterns I use it for the pattern name. It won't let me change the title as I have linked the database to Google Sheets, but you might be able to change it.

PDF - Just a tick box to indicate if the pattern is PDF or not

Sizes -  I enter all the sizes separated buy commas, so "14, 16, 18" or "S, M, L". Again this field is auto complete so as you go you'll build up many entries that you can select from.  If you need to enter something that is similar but not the same as an auto-complete option, you can select that option then edit it to add/remove sizes as needed.

Here is the auto-complete pop-up for sizes.
You end up with lots of entries/options, but it's easier enough to scroll and select what you want.

Photo - This photo field is for the back of the pattern envelope info. The size measurements, fabric requirements etc.  For PDFs I again take a photo of my computer screen whilst displaying the relevant information in the document.  The images come out looking a little funny because of the screen/light but I still find them readable for fabric qty etc.

Recipient - click on the arrow and a list pops up. You can select as many options as you like. This just helps when searching for patterns.

Categories - again a pop up list that you can select multiple options. 

Notes - free text field for any extra information. I sometimes find that PDF patterns don't tell you the fabric type in the same spot as the requirements, so it doesn't appear in the above photos. I just make a note of it here

Woven/Knit - tick boxes for making search easier.  I sometimes use the Group function to separate out patterns which use Knit or use Woven if I have a particular fabric in mind.

Projects - I make a note of what I've used the pattern for. This is what I use to keep track for my stash tally (see below)

Extra Photos - I added this field recently because a PDF pattern came with so many extras that I couldn't fit them all into the main photos.  In the free version, you can only add two photos to each photo field, but you can create as many photo fields as you'd like.

Here is a complete entry for a paper pattern

Here is a complete entry for a PDF pattern.  This is the one that required me to create the "extra photos" field!

Memento also has a pretty handy sorting and filtering ability that makes looking up an item easy. If you swipe left when on the database list, it will reveal the menu on the right side of the screen.  Here you can Sort, Group and Filter.

Whilst I mostly used the Group function for fabric, to search my patterns, I mostly make use of the Filter function to find what I'm looking for.

I have several filters set up to create tabs at the top based on the category of the pattern.  You can gently swipe left to reveal more off the right of the screen.

I then swipe left to access the filter option and select my recipient

And I am shown a list, in this instance, of dress patterns for women

You can also see at the bottom of the screen there is a count of the number of entries.  As you select different tabs at the top, the numbers change so it gives you a count of how many items in that category.  This is what I'm using to keep track of my Stash Tally for the year.  If I select the All tab, with No Filter, then group by Projects, that 'Empty value' group at the top tells me how many patterns I have that I've never used.

It has taken me some time to develop this database to its current state, but it's what I have found most useful for me.  It also took me quite a long time to enter everything.  I would do it in batches, and I still sometimes come across things that have been missed.  But this set-up allows me to sort/filter and group to quickly find patterns for a project, either based on what I want to make (skirt, pants, dress etc) or how I can use up a particular piece of fabric (this is when I group by knit/woven).

If you would like to see how I’ve set it up, I have shared my template, so you can search for it within the App rather than setting it up yourself!!  If you go to 'Add Library', choose 'Online Catalog', then search for 'sewing patterns', I'm there! (pinstripes).  I have not downloaded a template before, but I'm assuming once you do, you can edit the set-up to suit yourself.

More Adventures in T-shirts

After my success with Halla's Agnes and Slim Dolman, I decided to try more t-shirt variations.

I have the Ellie and Mac Every Day Tee pattern and really liked the bottom shape. I was feeling lazy though, so knowing that the Halla Slim Dolman fitted me through the bust (after a FBA), I just lined up the Everyday Tee with the Slim Dolman at the arm pits and combined the two. I used the 'loose fit' version but I'm not sure if I lost width when I merged with the Slim Dolman. I had to take up the hem a few inches to get the length I liked best. 

I think I would like just a little more ease across the belly, and the sleeves are just a tiny bit too tight, but otherwise it is love!!