Today I have the second make from my 2017 Make Nine plans. I'm definitely feeling a little smug that if I keep up this one a month pace I’ll be done before the year is out. Today’s make is the Watson Bra and Bikini pattern by Cloth Habit. I hadn't initially planned to make the bikini because I recently made a bunch of panties but seeing as I do not own a single matching lingerie set, I thought I'd give it a go. Plus, it's just so, so pretty!!!
I made a Watson Bra last year but the fit was too tight in the band. It was disappointing but I really wanted to try it again so back on the list it went. The Watson Bra is a great pattern and I felt that if I just got the fabric and size right I’d be able to make a bra that I loved wearing.
I collected a bunch of bra making supplies last year but took a few months off from bra sewing. There are some things I like about lingerie sewing but I also get kind of frustrated with it being so small and fiddly. Partly, I’ve wanted to keep pursuing bra making because it’s really hard to get myself to actually buy clothes anymore. I feel like I can make most anything I want and it will be better than something I could buy. So, I guess I’m saying it’s a bit of stubbornness on my part that I want to make everything myself.
For this bra and panty set, I used a stretch mesh fabric that I found in the downtown LA fashion district. Rather than trying to find elastic that matched the fabric, I used black elastic and findings. I really love the contrast with the magenta fabric. This was my first time using picot edge elastic and it’s so pretty. I lined the cradle with a power mesh that’s a lot sturdier than the magenta. I do wish that I’d had some spray adhesive on hand to baste the cradle to its lining. The magenta is pretty flimsy and I kind of wish that I had made the cups in a double layer of the fabric.
I made the same size as last time, a 34C, but on a tip from Devon of Miss Make, I cut the band a little extra long just in case. Then before I stitched on the hook and eye, I pinned it together and tried it on. This time I made View B (not the longline style). I do want to try the longline, View A, again. I have lot more stretch fabric and elastic. I almost cut out two more right after finishing this one but I do have some other projects in the queue first.
For the bikini panty, I cut a size medium and used the same fabric and picot elastic as the bra. The fit is really perfect, such a classic style. I do love my me-made panties the most of any in my lingerie drawer and really can’t imagine ever buying RTW ones again. Check out some I made last year using the Geneva pattern from Seamwork.
The fit of the bra is really very comfortable and I expect to be wearing it a lot while lounging at home. And maybe even for an occasional grocery store run. There’s enough support that I don’t feel like I’m flopping around (to be rather graphic, haha!). But it’s still a light support and creates a very soft silhouette. I’m afraid I’m too shy to share any photos of myself wearing the underwear but it is quite sheer and I'd really rather not have to do any nipple retouching. I'm considering making a longline bra using a stretch knit which is not sheer at all. Perhaps then I'll share a modeled photo but for now you'll have to take my word for it that this pattern is fantastic. Happy sewing!
