1 May 2016

Stashbusting Sewalong - May is Lingerie Month

It's that time of the year again, I get to talk about sewing lingerie all month. I'm your host for the stashbusting sewalong this month, so let's get to it.


Bras, petticoats, slips, maybe pyjamas if you're not into sewing any lacy frilly things. What will you be sewing this month? Amongst other things, I have a few new bras to show you this month, and I can't wait to see what everyone else will come up with.

I'm sure there are many blogs out there that have a comprehensive list of helpful blogs and websites to assist you in making the perfect bra. I'm not going to try and replicate that, but here is a short list of my must visit lingerie blogs:

Cloth Habit - Among other things, Amy has a great sewalong to get you started with your bra sewing techniques. This is a must
Orange Lingerie - Along with Norma's bra patterns and book, she also has a blog with lots of helpful bra related information
Madalynne - Maddie is the designer behind the free Sierra bra pattern (see more on this below)
Emerald Erin - Erin is a wealth of knowledge with her regular posts on bra theory, and hosts the Bra-a-Week challenge
Life of a Fairy Bra Mother - Beverly Johnson, author of the Bra Maker's manuals (which I have), and numerous Craftsy classes

Last year I posted a list of some great free patterns. Since then, there have been some new free patterns added to the sewing world which I have tried out.

The first is the Sierra bralet by Madalynne. This is really quick and simple to sew, with very few parts to source, and has no underwires. I actually made two versions of this bra (green lace, white lace), in some kind of attempt to prove that it could work on me, but alas, it doesn't actually suit my body shape. This bra is designed for the slimmer framed, less endowed lady, so if your cup size is AA - B, you might like to give it a go. Try googling "Sierra madalynne" to see more versions made up.



The second freebie that has taken home bra makers by storm is the Maya bra by Ana Filimon. I have recently finished my version, and will share my post during this month.

A third option, which I know I tend to talk about a lot, is drafting your own pattern. I have previously blogged about two methods of drafting bras, but have tried out a third one recently. Foundations Revealed have a free tutorial for drafting your own darted cup pattern. They have four beginner articles for bra making, with the first two where you draft your basic pattern being free. The others, as well as a host of other bra making articles, are available to paying members of the site.

The band is drafted using your underwire, and personal underbust measurements. For the cup you draft a standard size cup, and follow the instructions to grade up or down from there. I'll put up my review and the bra that I made from this pattern in a couple of days.

Speaking of drafting patterns, I just came across a great tutorial for drafting your own undies pattern. It's a new tutorial from Timelace Studio, so I'm sure feedback on the original post would be appreciated if you do try it. I'm planning on giving it a go, as I'm always attempting to improve my own pattern, and it would be interesting to compare to mine. I'll let you know how that goes too. There's a separate version in German too.

Another link that I didn't list last year is the Ruby slip from Sherry of Pattern Scissors Cloth. When I hosted lingerie sewing last year her blog was down, so I couldn't link it up. Lucky for us, it is back up and running again, so you can download your pattern to make your own.

The last thing that I will show you this month is how easy it is to dye your own bra findings (even if you don't get the colour you thought you would).

Ready, set, sew!


Links to related posts:
Foundations Revealed Cream and white lace bra
Dyeing Bra components
Maya cream lace bra
Self drafted underwear and thong pattern reviews

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