La Vie en Rose

Guys, I am so in love. And it’s not just that I’ve been listening to too much Édith Piaf (there’s no such thing, anyway), and yes, maybe it’s with a sewing pattern and not a person, but allow me to introduce my new paramour: the Boylston bra pattern. I may actually never make another bra pattern again (unless it’s more Watsons. You always need more Watsons). Because this bra is so phenomenal, I can’t imagine WANTING to.

Isn’t is pretty?! 🙂 The fabric is some kind of floral polyester (?) print from Lincraft, and yes, you guessed it, it was a remnant (I am going to fall into a remnant bin one day and never be seen again, but damn, it was $2.50!). The rest of the materials (strappings, elastics, lining etc.) were from my stash, with the exception of the foam, as this is the first time I’ve used it; that came from Booby Traps.

I decided to cut a straight 32DD in this one, the same as my starting point size for the Marlborough. I did compare the band pieces, and found the Boylston 32DD band piece to be bigger than the Marlborough one, so I didn’t bother altering it at this point; I wanted to check the out-of-the-box fit, as it were. I’d also heard that the Boylston cups were less shallow and that fellow full-busted ladies had found them much more accommodating, so I left the cups as-is too. I’d never made a fabric strap for a bra before, and I wasn’t sure how I’d like it, but thought I may as well try it too. Pattern printed, fabric and foam cut, and I was ready to be off!

I was a little wary of the foam; although everything I’d read had described it as being fairly straightforward to use, you never really know until you try. But it worked out just fine! I was super grateful for Erin’s recent tutorial on sewing with foam; her satin stitch tip was absolutely brilliant and I loved the result it gave 🙂 I was also glad of her advice for me to go with 2mm foam as opposed to 5mm – 2mm was just right (thanks Erin!). I did have to go over each join twice to make sure I caught everything, but I think this was mostly because my zig-zag stitches are off centre and it was hard to line up. In no time at all, I had me two pro-looking foam cups! The rest of construction proceeded pretty much as usual, following the order indicated in the instructions – which were perfectly detailed and accompanied by clear line drawings. In a mere four hours, I had my very first me-made bra with cut and sew foam!

First things first – the fit is pretty incredible. The cups are spot on, way better for me than the Marlborough. The band is still a smidge tight, so I’ll add a centimetre or two on the next iteration, though this one is still very wearable. Apart from the slight band tightness, the bra is also super comfortable. I’m surprised how much I like the fabric straps too, in terms of feel and look! Finally, I absolutely love the shape. Out of all of the (many) bras I’ve sewn for myself now, this one is definitely the one I like the best, and I really don’t think I could improve upon it; nice and rounded but still not quite the perfectly spherical look of ready-to-wear, which I’m not super keen on – it’s a bit more vintage 🙂

This is one of my favourite bras so far; it fits, it’s comfortable, it has a great shape and it’s stunning to boot! Mum and my sister have also voiced the opinion that they would be beautiful bathers. Well, swimwear IS on the agenda for this summer, and I’m thinking this will be a great base to start from! In any case, I’m already planning a million more versions, including some pretty cool variations which I’m quite excited to try. So look forward to those! And I definitely recommend this pattern to anyone the Marlborough didn’t *quite* work for – you might be pleasantly surprised.

And of course, as always: matching underwear! Another pair of my beloved Grace panties by Ohhh Lulu. I just love how easy it is to colour block with this pattern, and the combination of stretch and woven makes it so easy to pair with bras. It’s basically the same as my last version, a straight XS with elasticated legs, but they’re not quite finished: these will, in fact, be suspender panties – once I get the loops and detachable straps on. I could have made them myself, but when I found a set of four pre-made on eBay for $5, I thought I’d save myself the trouble. I do wear garter belts and proper stockings not infrequently, and I am planning to make my own at some point – but for this set I really like the idea of just having the suspenders on the underwear. So we’ll see how that works out!

Okay, so I said I’m never trying another bra pattern again, and that’s probably going to prove to be a big fat lie – I’d get way too bored! So you’ll have to wait and see what I come up with next 😛 Also, don’t forget, the giveaway is still open until next week so keep on entering.

Until next time,

Miss Maddy x