Got my big girl pants on

I absolutely love, love, love lingerie. I love looking at it, trying it on, buying it, jumping around the house in it, although not necessarily in that order.

One thing that often irks me is the lack of variety in briefs styles when matching them to a bra. More often than not, bras in my size come with teeny tiny matching undies which are so low cut in the waist, I feel like my stomach is going to just hang out over them.

 Because we all have bodies like this. Not.

I much prefer full briefs. Luckily these days you don't have to buy granny pants to be comfortable. There are lots of styles and pretty colours. The catch is that I can usually only buy them separately, because ironically, they only match teeny tiny bra sizes.

 

I have these undies. I would need both halves of the bra for one boob. And even that wouldn't fit.

Come ON, lingerie designers. Girls with substantial bosoms like substantial bum coverage too, you know.

Anyway, rant over, I decided to try making some to see how easy it was.

First attempt was a disaster and I am not even going to show them to you. The gusset didn't match the front and back seams, the side seams were all over the place.

I went back to my pattern, which I had traced from a favourite pair of undies, and refined it, this time making sure the seams were all the same lengths (kind of helps).

 

Ta-da.

Of course, I had to make them in purple velvet. Duh.

Don't they go splendidly with my zombie pony tshirt?

The waistband is a little baggy still but that is easily fixed by using a shorter piece of elastic for the waist.

For the legs, I just turned up a hem. The material is stretchy and comfy enough.

It's really not easy trying to take photographs of yourself in your underwear without getting a serious case of camel-toe. I can only assume lingerie models wear massive incontinence pads when they're jumping around in front of the camera.

Anyway, pants ahoy. Maybe I'll just make my own to match my bras from now on and save myself some money.

Black tulle

 Jay wears black. A lot. In fact, it's pretty much all she wears. So when she requested a skirt, the colour scheme was easy to choose.

I used a simple circle skirt design with no waistband. 

 The lining is the facing and, for extra swooshiness, a layer of tulle is stitched to the lower edge of the lining.

 

 

 

This is our new courtyard too... the house move is DONE and we're pretty settled in. This means more sewing posts are coming!

McCalls 1958 cocktail dress

Giving Joan a run for her money? Yes, I do think so.

 

I op-shopped this pattern a little while ago. I assumed I'd be taking the seams in quite a bit, given it's a size 16. However, it seems pattern measurements were accurate in 1958. The measurements for a 16 on this pattern are 36-28-38 which are smaller than my measurements. I used tiiiny seams but ended up having to take it in around the bust. (With modern patterns, I use a 12. They always fit and I usually have to take the bust in a bit as well.)

 

I did not make the bolero because I find it ugly.

 The pattern pieces are very shapely. Here you can see the obvious indentations at the waist.

 

I'm a cheater sewist, which means I do things the easy way, as opposed to the correct way, where possible. For this dress, I left out the (rather unnecessary) feather boning in the bodice. I don't need it any tighter. I also took about 5 inches off the length of the hem.

 

And no, I'm not cold. That would be the darts in the bust. Clearly this dress was made for an eye-gougingly pointy bra.

 

 

 

You can see the double darts in the bodice more clearly here. Combined with the shape of the pieces, this makes it one very fitted dress. It's actually very comfortable though. The fabric I made it in has no stretch at all (and creases at the drop of a hat, curses!) and it's not restrictive in the least.

  

 

Everything else:

Shoes: Modcloth

Pearl necklaces (one worn as bracelet) - cheap retail

Vintage black velvet coat - gift from a family friend

Grace Kelly + op-shopping

Yesterday I went to the Bendigo Art Gallery to see the Grace Kelly exhibition. I don't admire Grace Kelly particularly but I wanted to see the fashion. The demure, high-necked, long-sleeved fashion as it turned out.

It's just not my style.

There were some designs from Dior and Chanel and some other designers from the 60's & 50's which were fun to see.

Afterwards, I went op-shopping. Across the road and up the hill from the Bendigo Art Gallery is a little vintage shop called Vonica's Vintage (they have no website). It has pieces from the 50's onwards in all their garish glory as well as the usual op-shop bits and pieces. There is also a large selection of wedding dresses of varying degrees of attractiveness. The prices are incredibly cheap.

Look what I found.


These stockings are hilarious. They don't have much stretch, and they're actually shaped like a leg. I've seen feet-shaped stockings but not leg-shaped stockings. I haven't tried them on yet.



This pink thing will be very comfortable for those days I when I feel the need to swan around the house. I need (NEED) to find a wide headband to wear with it, preferably in horrible contrasting tones, and suitable cocktail glasses.


I don't know what crimplene is exactly but I don't have anything else made of it (a bit worrying slash interesting that my measurements match the size 16 measurements exactly. However, the garment is very wide and would fit a house, so they're more like guidelines).


I do love these negligee things. I always look at them and never buy them because I just don't think I'd wear them. I'll definitely wear this one. The brown is just hideous enough to enjoy and it's nice and long. I'm confident I can find a brown nightie or slip to wear under it. Or maybe orange, or baby blue.



This is my favourite find. Purple, velvet what more do I need to say?