Sometimes you just need a fast trouble free sew and this is mine, standard bodice block, cut the skirt the width of the fabric to either pleat or gather. Invisible zip, bias bind neck and armholes then done. Easy made it a fair few times before.
Then you try the dress on immediately break the invisible zip, need to unpick, re insert, don’t like how it lines up, throw it in the naughty corner while you go overseas on holiday, come back re insert again and by now are so over it you don’t mind it’s not 100% lined up so you just finish it and be done. So yeah totally a fast sew..
Pattern: My bodice block and skirt is the width of the fabric front and back
Fabric: cotton lawn picked up in Cabramatta for about $8 a metre possibly less
Alterations: bodice may need adjusting now I have refitted my bras? also wrinkle on back? bad posture or needs a bigger sway back adjustment?
Lower cups are lined in bamboo jersey with the upper fabrics being pink stretch mesh and printed stretch mesh. I basically used whatever trims I had in the stash that matched though I’m quite pleased at being able to use that little ruffle elastic for the neckline.
Keeping the straps long I turned them into a cross over back which seems to suit the high neckline. It’s good on really hot days but the single line of elastic along the base can be slightly irritating. Next time I want to try adding a different back to see if it helps alleviate the slight cutting in feeling I get along my sides.
Every so often I fall in love with a piece of fabric, colour and print and big motivating factors and well this fabric it was one of those swoon at first sight type moments. It came in during a shipment of designer fabrics when I was working at 
Then when making this bra I decided to take the multi hued elements of the print and step further and use non matching trims to make the bra. Bt rights, this many colours, types and print mixed together should be a dogs breakfast. But it’s not it all came together in one of my most favourite makes ever.
The pattern is another Cloth Habit Harriet Bra with a few extra modifications. On my original I added some extra to the lower cup so I sat down into the cup more and adjusted the seam allowance at the bridge to allow it to be fractionally wider so the wires didn’t sit on top of each other.
These changes I was happy with but I want a little bt more projection and lift. When I wear the pink one I totally want to pinch out a section at the top to bring everything up. So I did, well sort of. Using 
With these changes I think I’ve got the fit almost perfect for me, they are super comfortable to wear and I like the shape they give me, it’s not the high rounded shape of a full moulded foam cup but honestly am over that look anyway.
The Lexington is a non wired bra that uses bra strapping to give shaping and definition with its cute cross over style. I had purchased it pretty soon after it came out with the hope that I could get it made up in time to wear on the plane for our trip. Sadly I ran out of time for that to happen so I was pretty glad when I had some spare time a few weekends ago to cut one out.
Using a printed stretch mesh as the outer, a crystal lycra as lining and cream power mesh for the back (all from Pitt Trading). Initially when I cut the pieces they looked so big that I was a little worried. That feeling of them being too big lasted all the way till the first time I wore it and once it was on, it was so comfortable that I forgot about that entirely. It is very full coverage and I might slice the top down fractionally but it doesn’t look bad just kind of lots of fabric.
Constructionally it went together well and the instructions are nice and clear. I also followed the online sew along on the blog that explains how to get the central cut out. The way the cut out is done is a bit clumsy, sewing a section in and then cutting it out just felt weird. You can see the remaining fabric around the central cut out. It looks kind of cute from the outside but the size of the cut out is way bigger than I was expecting. I like it but I think I want to try a version without it as I hope I like that even more.
I wanted something I could wear to work hence my choice of a darker style of fabric.
These photos were taken on the way home from a full day at work so you can see at least it doesn’t wrinkle up too much despite a days worth of wear.
Despite being much darker than I normally wear this one has been in heavy rotation during the holiday and then wearing it to work since then. I just wish it was as light and airy as my other lawn pieces which would be a great help in this sweaty weather.
The heat of summer is getting hotter and longer. Last summer I promised myself it was going to be the last summer I wore foam bras, they are sweaty, hot and generally just add to feeling hotter and sweatier.
Measuring myself against the size chart I went with the exact size the chart told me to do. To check the fit I cut out a tester version in plain cotton with the Direction of Greatest Stretch being the bias of the cotton fabric. Once cut I quickly sewed it together without elastic then basted in the power mesh back and back closure.
Once it was together I tried it on, the band was ok sitting flat without too many wrinkles, the lower cup however was all wrong. I had a flat section above the wire casing and I was spilling at the top of the cup.
Writing my notes and annotations directly onto the pattern I cut out this pink lace. It’s lined with cream non stretch mesh and for construction I followed the very excellent instructions though in a moment of “what was I thinking?” I managed to sew the wide picot at the base of the band on incorrectly. Something I didn’t notice till I had also sewn in the underwire casing so I just left it. The pretty underarm edge (shown below) made up for my mistake.
Once done I was really happy with how it looked and fit but I wanted to wear it a few times before I decided if it was good enough? After a few wears I’ve noticed
Pattern: Harriet Bra by Cloth Habit
There had been a merino wool version that I was really wanting but it had already sold out. In the end I said the wonderful sales girl over the phone give me 2 metres of whatever you have left in pinks or purples. She asked if I wanted photos and I said no let’s just go for it.
For the skirt I wanted maximum amount of useage so I cut the length I wear across the width of the fabric twice. Then pleated them up to fit the bodice. I didn’t really even measure them just went in by eye and adjust as needed. The centre front is an inverted box pleat and then all the other pleats are just knife pleats. This allows for good amount of swish while still sitting relatively flat around the waist. With a fabric this stiff you were always going to get some bulk. Plus the skirt has pockets!
The bodice has underbust and side bust darts but no back darts (I find for myself I don’t need them enough to be bothered about them).
They aren’t big changes but sometimes it irks me that I know exactly what needs to be done in order to get a really good fit. The other side to that is the whole thing took me about 2 hours to make and I’ve had a tonne of wear out of it. It hangs nicely and looks good so it is my go to dress for teaching in as I just don’t have to worry about it. I just get dressed and go. It’s comfortable as long as I remember not to wear it on really really hot days when I feel the heaviness of the fabric a bit. Plus I get a tonne of compliments while wearing it, which honestly it never gets old hearing someone say lovely things about a dress you’ve made.
