Back in the Saddle

I dropped my in laws off at the airport this morning on my way to work.  As much as I struggle while they are visiting, it is again proof that about the time I adjust to having people in the house is when it is time for them to go.  In some ways I wish they stayed longer so that the time that they are here doesn't feel so precious I can't go off and do my own thing when I need a break and I can have time to adjust and just enjoy having dinner made.  I have a great time while we're playing cards or out and about.  Well, maybe less so at Bass Pro, Toronto Sportsman's Show or Canada Computers.  Not much that really appeals to me at any of those places.  Particularly the TSS, it was too big to hang out by the live fish tanks or falcon exhibit and find them again because they didn't know what was going to catch their eye next and none of us really knew the layout. 

The queen bed arrived on Monday afternoon, some trading was done to max out the guest room bed.  We have kept the frame and box spring from that room but moved our mattress over.  I didn't sleep all that well the first night on our new bed.  I guess because it has independent support or whatever the term is (like the bowling ball commercial) there is a little ridge down the middle.  I woke up a few times in the night not sure where Mr. Lina was and feeling an uphill battle to find him.  Last night was a more solid sleep.  I will say that bed is super quiet.  This also helps in ah, dealing with um, various forms of stress while having guests in the house.  ;)

The weather has been absolutely beautiful the past week.  However... my Tues/Wed client has horrible air circulation.  In fact their air conditioner is broken and so old that a part has to be made for them because no one makes air conditioners like theirs anymore.  That won't be fixed until mid-April apparently.  Yesterday was 22C outside, 28C in someones office (not that hot at my cubicle, but hot enough).  They set up 6' fans all over our area so it's like working with a plane taking off in the cubicle beside me.  I saw this coming from past summers here so I dressed accordingly.  Yesterday I wore Kwik Sew 1595.  I don't wear it with this tie belt, I have an elastic belt I made but I don't have a picture of the outfit together.  Anyhoo, I like that although this dress is polyester knit (similar in weight to my Renfrews), there is no sleeve (the cap is just a wide shoulder, there is  no under arm seam).  With air flow at the arm pits and a loose fit, it works well in summer without hose and winter with tights/boots.

And today it's Lekala 5432 in a really light rayon if I remember right.  That sweater will be coming off this afternoon.

Jeez, that reminds me how long it's been since I got my hair cut, it's in a pony tail today.  I really should do something about that.

Warm weather has me digging out summer shoes.  Those cute red flats above?  I can only find one.  I'm sure I had a pair of open toed black heels for work, can't find them.  I wanted to wear some super casual sandals to bowling, I could only find one.  Is our hall closet like the dryer with socks?  Eating one shoe at a time?

I think purchasing a dress form will be put on hold for a bit.  My car has a whine when moving that I have been trying to pretend is not there but it's past ignoring now.  Add oil change, tire rotation and I found out Monday the A/C doesn't work.  This will not be a small bill.  Also, the FET will likely run about $1,000 depending on how the clinic discounts or prices have changed, how much medication is covered and added transportation costs.  We can cope with both bills, but I don't want a dress form enough to shoulder debt for it so we'll see how those bills go first.  I suspect my savings will go to one of those two and I'll start setting aside money again.  I've managed just fine so far and if I really want it, there is always the duct/paper tape options.

Tonight, I get to enjoy some Shepard's Pie my MIL made for dinner and a quiet house.  A former coworker is going to call me up.  She's leaving a place I'd like to work so I'm getting the inside scoop as to what is going on over there and if I really would like to go there.  Location isn't everything if the environment has changed from what it was.  Lots of movement creates positions I could move to but it also may change what I liked about it. 

Perhaps I can move some of the crap we hid in my sewing room and start planning my next projects.  It was mom's birthday on March 10th and while I had a long talk with her on her birthday, I didn't have a gift ready.  I think Renfrew would suit her well so I offered to make one and let her pick from a few suitable fabrics I had in stash.  That will be the next project.  Then a summer weight Renfrew for me because that polyester 3/4 sleeve will not work as summer approaches.  Then a return to pants.  Or the Tanit-Isis blogiversary top.  I have some lovely plumb bamboo that would work well.  Or the Blank Canvas Tee.  Or I did buy Pendrell when I bought Renfew and silk was in the fabric order from my parents earmarked for Pendrell.  So many plans, so little time...

These are the bras I know I know

I did get to sew this weekend, not as much as I hoped, but it was good.  I've made lots of bras and I thought it was time to try again.  I went to take a picture of the work in progress and thought I'd post a few other bras I've made that have not worked out for one reason or another.  Then I started singing in my head "These are the bras (Daves) I know I know" courtesy of The Kids in the Hall.

Before I get into my bra history, I have to give a shout out to K-Line.  She has been doing a fantastic little series on bras.  Pretty sure this is part of what gave me the push to make another.  Sadly I haven't been in the right mental state to comment on it much, but it's a good read.  Go over, I'll wait. 

Most of my supplies come from Sew Sassy.  Even with duty etc at the boarder, it seems worth it based on what is available at Fabricland (although most of the lace is from Fabricland).  The under wire are heavy, I love the channeling (922 - not 909), the stretch satin has a nice amount of stretch to it and washes well.  My parents go to Florida for the month of February, to save the crazy shipping I stock up once a year.  My other recommendation if you are going to make bras is the Beverly Johnson book The Bra-makers Manual.  This has saved my sanity and inspired me that I could make bras and it was okay to make a few to get it right.

To answer the first bra post from K-Line, I am not comfortable taking pictures of me in ill fitting bras.  I'm sorry these are not so great pictures because my 38D/DD bras do not look so pretty flat, but I still don't have a dummy to model them for me.  Maybe if I can get this looking good and no nipple showing, but for now, you get flat pictures.  If I do work up that courage, it sure as hell won't be sexy "oh look at me" bra-porn pictures.

So first up is the bra I am working on.  Elan 645.  I'm making it in purple stretch satin, lots of support with tricot in the cup, powerknit underlining the back.  So far so good, except...  I put the black lace in on the wrong cup so it is inside out.  I realized this after I had topstitched and cut the seam allowances so I'm sucking it up knowing it's not perfect.  Right now one cup is inserted, the other is not.  It will have under wire, I think that is optional with this full band bra but I like underwire if it's fitting properly.

I have made this bra before, but the cup is much too large.  K-Line asked if people like a snug band.  I am sad to say all the bras I'm wearing at the moment are loose from being too old and stretched out.  The one thing I loved about this bra was the feeling of the band.  It's snug, you aren't fitting much between my skin and that bra, but not uncomfortably so.  It is quite sad just how much retrofitting would be required for those cups to hold my breasts because the band truly is perfect.  My breasts get bigger when pregnant, maybe one day my band will stay the same and I'll fill those cups.  Doubt it.  So realizing a lost cause, there are no straps on this bra.

Bah, this is right side up in Photobucket.

 The first bra I was really pleased with was this one.  Elan 510.  Keep in mind, this isn't the first bra I made, there were a few white ones with the bra kits from Sew Sassy first.  As directed, most of these bras would be disappointing.  I don't think they give enough support as directed with the supplies in the kit.  I figured that out quickly.  510 appealed to me as a front closing bra.  I'm on the cusp of not being able to find front closing bras.  Either they cut off at a 36 and are too tight, or they only go up to a C cup and there are spillage issues.  I thought making my own would be nice.  I did love this bra.  It didn't lift them all that much, but I had a nice shape and I could wear a deep V neck shirt well.  I would wash that out in the tub, hang it to dry and wear it all over again.  The lace cup was starting to get a little stretched out when the front clasp broke. 

So I tried to make another one.  Not nearly as successful.  This one ended up too small if I remember right.   I think the satin shrank from the steam in the iron.  So frustrating.  Adding to that, I screwed up the straps, something is twisted.  I should revisit this one to see if the magic closet has helped. 

Ever try on a bra and you just know it's not designed for your breasts?  The shape is wrong, it is just... wrong.  That's Kwik Sew 2101.

All that lovely pink top stitching, black & pink lace...  Sigh.  Love the look, but it would take more engineering to make that fit than I'm willing to do.  That said, it actually fits my mother in law well.  At some point I'll finish the straps etc and give it to her.  Someone may as well wear it.

I'd say the consistent fit issue comes down to a few points:

• Too much space in the upper cup, I'm a D/DD depending on the band, but it's not in my upper chest. 
• My breasts do not push together, again, they just aren't spaced quite like other D cups I think
• Fabric - a small change in the degree of stretch has left some bras (not pictures) just making me look flat and spilling.  Ick.
• Fabric - shrinking.  One of them must have shrunk because by the time I went to sew it up, the band was smaller than the power net.  It wasn't that way when I cut it.

Even with all these failures, that one success haunts me.  I LOVED that bra.  When this works, it will be perfect.  Until I get it right, I'm not so interested in buying more. 

Oh and to answer another question K-Line asked, I have been for a proper bra fitting.  The first time was to get a strapless bra for a wedding I was a bridesmaid for.  A couple of years later I dragged a friend to get fitted.  I was wearing the right size and was pleased to hear that.  My friend, however, did have one of those life altering fittings that drastically shrunk her band and increased the cup size.  Go figure, the bruising from the under wire stopped with the right size bra.

Kwik Sew, what were you thinking?

Any one else fans of Pattern Junkie?  I find her writing style hilarious.  I've had tears streaming down my cheeks from some of her entries.  I have sent links to Mr. Lina because I couldn't keep it to myself.  I bow to her on what to say about this pattern.

I know Rooibos is the next project on my mind, but I am tired tonight, not up to working on the muslin etc.  I figured I'd go through my fabric and maybe sort it into some order rather than just which box had the most space when I bought it.  I also looked through my patterns, there are a few gaps in my closet, I thought a flip through would be helpful.

Two years ago I bought a cute little top/dress pattern and made it up for a couple of close friends when they had babies.  Based on that, Mom figured she could download a lot of her patterns for kids on me.  I hate saying no, but I try to pretend these aren't in my collection most of the time, I don't really want to sew for other peoples kids.  Which would be why I never noticed this:

Who on earth thought it was appropriate to pose a little girl in her slip like a playboy centre fold?!?  I get that you end up with some weird poses to hide their chest with the half slips (although how tiny is that kitten?  is it a toy? and where did everyones feet go?), but then you drape the little girl with that creepy pose.  Kwik Sew must have been the pedophile equivalent of the lingerie section of Sears catalogue for pre-teen boys.  I looked to see if Pattern Junkie already had this and I don't see 238, but I do see Kwik Sew Shenanigans. 

I can't believe I have had this pattern for 2 years and only noticed it now.