Wow! Stunning items, so beautifully made and engagingly presented. That Bette bra is stupendous! Well done! I've just started trying out patterns from Madalynne's 'Sew Lingerie' book, but those Thursday/Friday patterns have just been added to my mental wishlist! Thank you for another lovely video installment.
FABULOUS video! Soo interesting and inspiring. Can't wait to try out some of these patterns. Really really struggle to get a good fit on my 34EE boots with the lingere patterns that I've previously tried.❤
Annie and Myra's bra patterns might work really well for you! Those are the proportions Jennie (the designer) caters to, and she is such a thoughtful drafter. I'm actually testing her next design right now, and I'm really liking it. 😊
First of all, I loved both your videos part 1 and 2 and it seems you always find, how should I say this, the most interesting patterns from places that are new to me. How do you do this. I've been toying with making a long line bra for some time now and I've been researching bra patterns. Seems there is an abundant amount of bullet bra patterns out there which I'm really not interested in...Oh well, I'll keep looking. Anyway, beautiful lingerie pieces, and such perfection. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much, Cathleen! I will say I do a lot of pattern hunting on IG, and I save the posts that catch my eye. Sometimes it's weeks or months later that I check that folder and go through the designers' other patterns. There's so many out there, it's hard to keep up, but since I'm not really a 'trend' follower where timing is concerned, I play the long game and assume that the Universe will put the right one in my path at the right time...😉
This was an amazing video. Thank you sharing. I’m so scared to make a bra, I have all the supplies but have not tried any. Do you recommend a bra to start with?
Lots of people get very nervous about making a bra! It's helpful to zoom out and know that no one will get hurt if it doesn't fit. In fact, first bras almost never fit. If you've never made any kind of bra, it might be good to start out with a bralette, just to get used to working with small pieces and narrow seam allowances. For a wired bra, it's hard to recommend a pattern, as your shape and size is unique to you. The first bra I ever made that fit well was the Marlborough Bra from Orange Lingerie, and for awhile, lots of bra making classes were using that pattern to start. There are way more bra pattern companies now, so there are lots more patterns to choose from. What demystified bra making for me was watching Beverly Johnson's (founder of Pin Up Girls patterns) basic bra construction class on Craftsy. It's easily 10+ years old, but it's a very good class that's still up on their platform. The Liz Sews (actually, she may have changed it to Liz Makes...) youtube channel is also full of great videos...I think she even has a Bra Making 101 playlist. The one thing I always do with any pattern is make a muslin out of cheaper fabric (sheer cup lining is good, but a tightly woven lightweight cotton can also work), and use water-soluble thread in the bobbin (available through Wawak or Amazon) so that if the fit isn't way off, I can reuse some of the elastics and sometimes even the fabric. Hope that helps! 🤗
Thank you! And yes! Bras and underwear are made entirely on my regular machine, using straight, zig-zag, and 3-step zigzag stitches. And for the straight stitches, because the seam allowances are always 1/4", I use my 1/4" foot a lot, but only because I have one; it's not necessary. For some fabrics, I find a walking foot can be helpful as well. 😊
Any chance you have seen any options for natural Fibers for making lingerie? I react to plastic Fibers, itching, breaking out in a rash, etc. Would love to make a corset, but my skills aren't there yet, but it also seems like to get most of them to work you have to have elastic and super stretchy fabrics.
Oooh...good question. I can't really think of a bra pattern that doesn't use some kind of elastic or stretchy fabric for some element(s). For bra-like support, I'd definitely say a corset style would be the best option, as the fabrics can be all cotton (the super-strong coutil that is the base is 100% cotton) and it doesn't require any elastic...it might be worth it for you to invest the time to get a good fit on a basic corset and then play with the length and style lines. You could also try a bustier-style top or dress pattern, get a good fit on that, and use it as a bra. Lots of people use tightly-woven cotton lawn for the outer shell of their bras...you cold try it on the inside as well; it might just wear out a little quicker. Straps can also be non-stretch, it may just take a bit of finessing to find the length that's best for you. For other things like camisoles, slips, etc., patterns that are bias cut work really well, and can be make out of silk, lightweight cotton, viscose, etc, and don't require elastic. Certainly most laces are not out of natural fibres, but there are some pretty cotton ones that could be dyed with natural or fibre-reactive dyes, which could be fun!
Ruhee purchases a license from a designer if she uses their design. I think this happens more in the bra making world than in garment making, as I know other bespoke bra makers do the same. She doesn’t mass produce or pre-make anything - each bra usually requires a fair amount of modification, so being able to show clients style examples helps give a starting point to work from.
@joonmade I'm glad they have figured out how to work with the designer so they can all get paid for their work! And by you guys having different patterns they also don't have to figure out what will work well with the mash ups! Everybody wins!
Indeed! I find the businesses in the bra/lingerie community to be pretty supportive of each other on the whole, and Ruhee is a big advocate of supporting small, women-owned companies. ☺️
I'm always blown away by your lingerie sewing skills! All of these are beautiful, Paula Jean!
Aww...thank you so much, Casey! It's definitely a skill-building, slow-down-and-focus endeavour! 😄
Thanks for allowing us to see your beautiful handmade lingerie. Nothing but gorgeous !
Thank you, Deborah! ☺️
Wow, so many pretties.
Beautiful
LOVE!! 😍
😘 Merci, Danette! 💜
Wow! Stunning items, so beautifully made and engagingly presented. That Bette bra is stupendous! Well done! I've just started trying out patterns from Madalynne's 'Sew Lingerie' book, but those Thursday/Friday patterns have just been added to my mental wishlist! Thank you for another lovely video installment.
Thank YOU for watching! ☺️ I have the Madalynne book, but haven’t had a chance to try the patterns. Looking forward to it though!
I have been admiring all your pieces on instagram. Lingerie making seems like a complete new sewing adventure and skill! It for sure seems worth it 💖
It definitely is! Lots of elements and detail, and I'm still learning. It definitely keeps me in the moment! 🤗
FABULOUS video! Soo interesting and inspiring. Can't wait to try out some of these patterns. Really really struggle to get a good fit on my 34EE boots with the lingere patterns that I've previously tried.❤
Annie and Myra's bra patterns might work really well for you! Those are the proportions Jennie (the designer) caters to, and she is such a thoughtful drafter. I'm actually testing her next design right now, and I'm really liking it. 😊
Wow. You create beautiful lingerie.
Thank you, Zelda. It’s fun to make!
First of all, I loved both your videos part 1 and 2 and it seems you always find, how should I say this, the most interesting patterns from places that are new to me. How do you do this. I've been toying with making a long line bra for some time now and I've been researching bra patterns. Seems there is an abundant amount of bullet bra patterns out there which I'm really not interested in...Oh well, I'll keep looking. Anyway, beautiful lingerie pieces, and such perfection. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much, Cathleen! I will say I do a lot of pattern hunting on IG, and I save the posts that catch my eye. Sometimes it's weeks or months later that I check that folder and go through the designers' other patterns. There's so many out there, it's hard to keep up, but since I'm not really a 'trend' follower where timing is concerned, I play the long game and assume that the Universe will put the right one in my path at the right time...😉
This was an amazing video. Thank you sharing. I’m so scared to make a bra, I have all the supplies but have not tried any. Do you recommend a bra to start with?
I'm interested too!
Lots of people get very nervous about making a bra! It's helpful to zoom out and know that no one will get hurt if it doesn't fit. In fact, first bras almost never fit. If you've never made any kind of bra, it might be good to start out with a bralette, just to get used to working with small pieces and narrow seam allowances. For a wired bra, it's hard to recommend a pattern, as your shape and size is unique to you. The first bra I ever made that fit well was the Marlborough Bra from Orange Lingerie, and for awhile, lots of bra making classes were using that pattern to start. There are way more bra pattern companies now, so there are lots more patterns to choose from. What demystified bra making for me was watching Beverly Johnson's (founder of Pin Up Girls patterns) basic bra construction class on Craftsy. It's easily 10+ years old, but it's a very good class that's still up on their platform. The Liz Sews (actually, she may have changed it to Liz Makes...) youtube channel is also full of great videos...I think she even has a Bra Making 101 playlist. The one thing I always do with any pattern is make a muslin out of cheaper fabric (sheer cup lining is good, but a tightly woven lightweight cotton can also work), and use water-soluble thread in the bobbin (available through Wawak or Amazon) so that if the fit isn't way off, I can reuse some of the elastics and sometimes even the fabric. Hope that helps! 🤗
@ thank you so much.
The non-wired Sahaara bra from Rubies is also a great first bra to try (featured in another video by the wonderful Paula Jean here). Good luck!
Absolutely stunning makes, as usual! Do you use mostly a regular sewing machine with zigzag capabilities for your lingerie makes?
Thank you! And yes! Bras and underwear are made entirely on my regular machine, using straight, zig-zag, and 3-step zigzag stitches. And for the straight stitches, because the seam allowances are always 1/4", I use my 1/4" foot a lot, but only because I have one; it's not necessary. For some fabrics, I find a walking foot can be helpful as well. 😊
@@joonmade Thank you, Paula Jean!
Any chance you have seen any options for natural Fibers for making lingerie? I react to plastic Fibers, itching, breaking out in a rash, etc. Would love to make a corset, but my skills aren't there yet, but it also seems like to get most of them to work you have to have elastic and super stretchy fabrics.
Oooh...good question. I can't really think of a bra pattern that doesn't use some kind of elastic or stretchy fabric for some element(s). For bra-like support, I'd definitely say a corset style would be the best option, as the fabrics can be all cotton (the super-strong coutil that is the base is 100% cotton) and it doesn't require any elastic...it might be worth it for you to invest the time to get a good fit on a basic corset and then play with the length and style lines. You could also try a bustier-style top or dress pattern, get a good fit on that, and use it as a bra. Lots of people use tightly-woven cotton lawn for the outer shell of their bras...you cold try it on the inside as well; it might just wear out a little quicker. Straps can also be non-stretch, it may just take a bit of finessing to find the length that's best for you. For other things like camisoles, slips, etc., patterns that are bias cut work really well, and can be make out of silk, lightweight cotton, viscose, etc, and don't require elastic. Certainly most laces are not out of natural fibres, but there are some pretty cotton ones that could be dyed with natural or fibre-reactive dyes, which could be fun!
@joonmade ohhhh, these are some great ideas! Thanks!
I'm a little confused. How are they going into her collection if you are using other people's patterns?
Ruhee purchases a license from a designer if she uses their design. I think this happens more in the bra making world than in garment making, as I know other bespoke bra makers do the same. She doesn’t mass produce or pre-make anything - each bra usually requires a fair amount of modification, so being able to show clients style examples helps give a starting point to work from.
@joonmade I'm glad they have figured out how to work with the designer so they can all get paid for their work! And by you guys having different patterns they also don't have to figure out what will work well with the mash ups! Everybody wins!
Indeed! I find the businesses in the bra/lingerie community to be pretty supportive of each other on the whole, and Ruhee is a big advocate of supporting small, women-owned companies. ☺️