I made a Bra--that fits! Simplicity 8711

Oh goodness, I am so excited!  I finally made a bra that actually fits me and is comfortable to wear.

Here's the pattern I used: 

How sweet is this bralette? Simplicity doesn't mince words in their pattern descriptions.  This one simply says, "Misses monowire bra and panties."  

I also order the bra kit from here: https://madalynne.com/  So many fun fabrics and styles!  

The kit arrived in this sweet little pink box with more fabric than I needed.  It also was generous with the elastic amounts.  The only thing that there was only one set of was the o-rings and the sliders, a two-hook-eye combo, and a three-hook-eye combo.  Plus you get one monowire.  

I love that little ruffle at the bottom band.

So, let's chat a bit about sizing.  In the past, I've tried to follow the directions for sizing.  I've made either an enormous bra that wouldn't fit me with great amounts of toilet paper stuffed inside, or one that was too small.  This one, however fits!  I am just giddy about this! 

That little picot edge of the elastic is so cute.  Plus, I love the black lace with the beige lining.  Wouldn't this also be pretty with pink lining?  Actually, any color?

Here's a closer-up of the ruffle.  

And the back, which you can see how the ruffle ends up finishing off.  

And, lastly, a photo of the side seam.  I will be making more bras now!

Thank you Madalynne!

Sue :)

More from Simplicity 8375--ripe for hacking!

One of my goals is to purchase block (basic) that I can adapt or design to whatever I want.  How realistic is this?  Not very but a girl can dream, right?  Here's my base pattern that I am talking about using as a block: 

How sweet is this?  Plus I really like that it's a bit more boxy than my beloved McCall's 8668.  

I recently made two tops from this.  Both are entirely different and equally fun and so suitable for summer!  Here's top 1: 

I found the inspiration for this top as a RTW online.  I didn't exactly copy it, but the styling is there.  

I hope to be able to take some photos of me wearing this soon!  Both fabrics were from my stash.  Up until recently (couple of years), I shied away from wearing yellow.  With the absolute awful weather we had this past winter, anything bright and cheery is so welcomed!

You can probably tell what I did by looking, but with the lace, I simply overlaid it with the lace, cut, and then added the ruffle.  I did roll hem the ruffle since that is what the inspiration photo had.

For this one, I obviously made sleeveless and then chose the scooped back.  Across the back, you'll see what I did.

I love tunics like this for summer.  So cool and comfortable to wear.  This fabric came from JoAnns.  I love the mustard-y yellow with the white and black.  

I just put a single strip across the back.  The neckline wasn't drooping and the shoulders were staying put.  I just wanted a little something there.  

So there you have it.  Two yellow tops from the same pattern that look totally different! 

Thanks for reading!

Sue

Simplicity 8014 in denim

  

Hello and Happy Mother's Day Weekend!

I wanted to share with all of  you my latest creation that I am in love with!  This is Simplicity 8014 and I used a black denim with a bit of stretch.  Here's the pattern:

How cute and classic is this dress?  

Using white as my topstitching is a bold choice, I know.  However if you are patient and keep your seam ripper handy, it's not too bad.  For my topstitching thread, I pulled out machine quilting cotton.  It's a bit heavier than a typical poly thread and when I tested it out, it seemed to stand up on the fabric a bit.

I have been working on sleeve placement and how it fits my particular shoulder shape and am happy with the results.

That cute gathered back into the yoke is always a favorite of mine when creating a garment.  The pattern only called for one layer of yoke, but I used two as it creates a much nicer finish on the inside.

Also, sometimes with denim you get that annoying fold line on the fabric.  I tried to work around it but wasn't able to cut without seeing it.  Over time, when the dress fades, it will become less noticable.

The details of this dress ar a lot of fun.  There's a shaped lower hem, collar and stand, button front, and side seam pockets.  

To go with my white topstitching, I used white square buttons from my stash.  I like the look on my dress.  

Here's the dress sans belt.  Without the belt it skims over your body.  I like that!

Here you can see the gathers and yoke.  

Here's a better picture of the lower hem.  I love the shape.

Thanks for reading!

Happy Mother's day to all of you moms!

Sue

Bright orange and Mimi G: Simplicity 8889

Hi all!  

Today I want to share with all of you this cute top from Mimi G.  The styling on this is just darling!  

Here's my version: 

This pattern is very well drafted.  It fits me so well.  I barely made any alterations to this, other than my usual which I will describe below.

I am loving this bright orange linen from JoAnns.  I hope it holds up!  It's always so hit and miss with them.  This did wash and dry well, so I am hopeful.

First, let's talk about the pocket that I modified.  I added a self-fabric tube or flat piping to the right side of the pocket facing.  I had a bit extra of the fabric, so I decided to add this non-functional loop to the pocket so I could use this pretty pearl button.  I had two and knew it would be difficult to use just one on another project.  After sewing on the loop, I added the flat piping.

Then I turned the facing to the right side of the pocket so it would show.  Fold back the side edges and bam!  You are ready to stitch this onto the garment. 

There is a hidden placket for the buttons.  I love hidden plackets.  They are fun to make.  

I made clean finish hems on the sleeves and bottom edges.  

I matched the rounded edge of the hem facing to my top stitching. 

And, for the final picture, he's the back.

I almost forgot to mention my alterations!  I lengthened from the shoulder to apex, the bust curve and the back from the shoulder to the waist.  My total length adjustment was 1.75" for each--front and back.  Had I not lengthened this, I would be belly-bearing and that isn't a good look for me at this point in my life.  ;)  

I really love how this turned out!  I am wearing this with my McCall's 7432 dress pattern.  This is another fav of mine!  

Thanks for reading!

Sue 

Lacy Tee Shirt using Simplicity

Up again, is another Simplicity 8375 hack.  That's what this pattern is made for!  

This is a pattern for a very basic knit dress/tee/tunic with numerous hacking options printed on the pattern pieces.  Hack Away!  

I used this pattern to create the lacey sweater knit I made to go with my floral skirt.  This knit has been in my stash for a while.  I don't even remember where I purchased it from.

This is so easy to play with, sew, and let your imagination go wild!  Here's what I did that cost me less than one hour to create.  

 

I made the simple top using another fabric for the neckband.  

I left the sleeves and lower hem raw.  I can hardly believe I am typing this, let alone doing it!  

That's it.  The part that took the longest was to pin the neckband to the top.  I didn't even topstitch the neckband in place from the right side like I normally do. 

I hope you'll do some hacking on a pattern that fits you well and you enjoy using!

Thanks for reading!

Sue 

Simplicity 8790 in Stof

As soon as this pattern came out, I began hoping it would show up at my local JoAnns.  Once it was sold out and the next time Simplicity was on sale, I was finally able to get it in my hot little hands. 



I am such a sucker for knit dress and I love hoods.  Simplicity's embracing of Indy pattern designers is awesome!  This pattern is by Sew House Seven.  I've made several of their designs and have had great success.  I will count this one as successful too! 

Easy fit, comfortable, and it's a knit dress!  What more can you ask for?  It also has these great roomy patch pockets. 

Here's a close-up of the front portion of the hood.  The very front of the hood has a high neckline.  At first I wondered if I should redraw it but decided to leave it alone.  One thing you'll notice about the pattern envelope is that for this view, the lovely young lady is wearing her hood up so you can't see how high the neckline is. 

Here's the back of the hood.  It's rather small and doesn't overpower the dress or the back neckline. 

Here's a look at the pockets.  They are nice and deep.  To keep these from sagging or getting wonky, I used SewKeysE woven stay tape on the sides and double sided hem tape on the top portion of the pocket. 

My photographer, always gets me with goofy looks on my face. 
 

We had to take photos outside today.  It was above zero degrees, the sun is shining, and the wind isn't really blowing.  Count today as a win! 

The blousing is just perfect on this, I think.  Not too much, not too little. 

Here's a look at the back, or I should say side-back.  I should mention the fabric.  This is a Stof knit that I purchased from a recent trip to see my daughter, granddaughter, and son-in-law.  I wish we had this nice of knits locally.   

Thanks for reading!  I hope your weather is improving where you live!

Sue