Tag: lingerie

Matching set

Kwik Sew 2489

Once I’d finished making my winter coat, I thought it would be fun to have a go at making a bra to go with the knickers I made at the weekend.

The pattern for this one is Kwik Sew 2489, and I have to say that I found it remarkably easy to put together. It is fiddly, but it’s certainly not difficult – you just need to pay attention to the instructions.

There are a few little alterations I’ll make to the next one:

  1. The straps are too narrow, both for my comfort and for where they join the top of the cups. Next time I’ll just make wider straps. I also didn’t bother with the slidy thing, because if I make them the right length I won’t need them to be adjustable.
  2. The little triangular panel in the centre of the bra needs to be slightly wider at the top. At the moment the band is fine, but the cups pull away from my chest at the centre. If I make the centre part wider and the cups narrower, that should pull the bra in a bit.
  3. I need to make a very slight alteration to the shape of the cups. I might make another bra, unlined and with the seams on the outside, so I can (carefully) pin the seam and make two different cups if I need to.
  4. I might leave out the powernet/lycra panel on the back of the band, and just make it the right length. It’s elasticated all the way round anyway, so it’ll stay put, and the powernet just annoys me by being a different colour from the rest of the bra.

That’s it!

Oh, and I left out the underwires.

So, there are changes to be made, but it already fits better than some of the bras in my wardrobe, so I think I’m going to call it a success!

Knickers!

Knickers!

Today I went shopping to buy some sketchbooks, which is something that I do at the beginning of every year. While I was in the art shop I spotted a little magazine I hadn’t seen before, called Cloth.

I had a quick flip through, and spotted some instructions for making a pair of knickers. They looked easy and fun, so I decided to give it a go. These little spotty numbers took about an hour from start to finish, including printing out the pattern and gathering up all the supplies.

They’re made from a non-stretch fabric, so that when you add the elastic they go all ruffly. I’m not 100% certain that’s a look I like, although the pictures in the magazine of knickers made in silk and with ribbons and ruffles are absolutely adorable!

I think I might make a few more pairs of these – I have loads of lingerie elastic in the stash, and they’d be especially comfy in stretch cotton recycled from an old t-shirt. Not as glamorous as this spotty pair, but lovely and comfy.

The pattern is available online, but I heartily recommend that you buy the magazine. They have a really nice mix of projects, ranging from these simple pants through to building a sheepskin lining for a jacket. They also have a comprehensive section of sewing instructions, so that even a complete beginner could pick up the magazine and have a go. I’ll definitely be looking out for the next issue!