She's back!

Last weekend, I decided I needed a nice little project to get back to sewing after all that knitting. You know, something not too complicated, usable and above all, fun to make.
I was all set to dig out the fabric for the already drafted caraco (the short jacket which was such a craze in 1957, not the late 17th century garment which is better known by that name) when it suddenly dawned on me: "Let's make a bra!"

I used the pattern I drafted for my black lace bra back in May but planned ahead to make this a balconet rather than a strapless number.

The cups are made for (flat, cut and sewn) thin foam in black, covered with cream coloured lace. The rest of the bra is made from black lycra and finished with black lingerie elastics. 

Like in the strapless bra, I put bits of poly boning covered by velvet ribbon in the lower cups and at the sides. And this time, I also added loops for the straps which I 'anchored' to the sturdier bits of the with pieces of (ordinary, non-stretch) ribbon. This is a detail I've seen in RTW balconet bras and it makes a lot of sense: It prevents the cups and the back of the band from stretching out of shape.

And of course, with a new bra, one needs panties. Preferably more than one pair. This time, neither of those was self-drafted. I made another one using Melissa's Lacey Thong pattern and tried out Sew Fast's Lace Tanga Panties. Those last ones, I altered so they don't have a seam in the crotch. It's a pretty good 'no panty-lines' design and I'm curious to find out how it will stand up to normal wear.

I really enjoyed making this bra and I think all the pieces will be quite comfortable. Yes, it's time I'm back to sewing!

P.S. I started some general posts about bras and bra making last year. I know I haven't posted about that in a while but I still intend to explore and share more about that this year.