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After my last attempt to play around with Pin Ups Girls Classic Bra pattern and not reaching the results that I wanted, I needed a quick and satisfying make. I also needed a basic beige bra. I had enough materials leftover from my last attempt at bra making and without thinking too much about it, I decided to make one of my tried and true patterns - Boylston Bra by Orange Lingerie. I swear it is not the only bra pattern that I use. I have also made quite a few Malbourough bras too... which is also a great pattern. As I've mentioned in my previous post all my materials cape from Bra Makers Supply . I used beige duoplex, matching mirrored beige lace and beige power mesh. I wanted this bra to be as basic as possible. The bra itself is unlined. With duoplex you really don't need to line the bra. Just topstitch the seams and trim the extra fabric. It will look great! I have only lined upper cup lace and the bridge with nude sheer lining. I prefer to line lace just in case it is even slightly itchy on my skin. And the bridge is lined so that the top part is finished nicely. I ran out of matching beige channeling and I was too impatient to order some extra and wait for it to arrive. The supplies for bra making in Calgary are pretty much non-existent. So I opted out for an off-white colored channeling, which does not quite match but at the same time does not stand out really badly. Since I've made quite a few of Boylston bras, this one came together really quickly. The pattern is so familiar to me, I barely have to think about the process and can just enjoy it. I am really happy with how this bra turned out! This was exactly what I was looking for the first time around. The bra is also super comfortable. I have already worn it twice this past week and I am very happy with the fit and comfort levels. Now I think I have enough sewing mojo tackle the pattern alterations on the Classic Bra! Love, Anya

This was a heartbreaking fail. It doesn't look like it in the pictures at all! But believe me, when I put it on, it just looked bad. I had very high hopes for it and I was really looking forward to a basic beige bra I can wear with almost anything, but it wasn't meant to be, which was completely my bad. I never realized how many bras I actually need until I started sewing lingerie myself. Even though a bra is more or less a fast make, after I've put all that effort into it I want to take really good care of it. So gone are the days when I wear my bras for weeks on end (yikes!) and throw them into my washing machine. Now I try to rotate my bras and wash them by hand after a couple wears, soaking them in water first. It's actually not as labor intensive as it sounds! Soaking does all the work for you. All of this extra care lead me to realize that I need more every day bras and I decided to quickly whip one up last week. Instead of tried and true Orange Lingerie patterns I decided to use Pin Up Girls Classic Bra pattern, which is also good after the extra "pointiness" in the cup is taken care off! What ended up happening though is I got lazy. And cocky. I wanted to modify my Classic Bra pattern to a more of a demi-cup, so I lowered the bridge height and re-drew my upper cup. Easy, right? I decided I didn't need a muslin. For the bra I used stretch beige lace on the upper cup and beige duoplex together with beige powermesh, all from Bra Makers Supplies. I wanted it to be as basic as I could without being frumpy. I finished the WHOLE bra! Everything, wires, closures and all. I was very happy with the quality of the construction. It turned out really nice. But then I tried it on.... Its a little bit hard to see it on Becky, but it looked pretty hideous on me. Even though the shape of the cups themselves is not that bad, it wasn't what I wanted it to be. I could have lived with the bra if it was the only issue. The strap positioning was all kinds of wrong. Once I changed the upper cup, the straps we really in the middle of my chest and made me look awkward and weird. To top it off, the bridge was too wide. This was strange because when I first made this pattern I thought I needed a wider bridge, but this time I was sure it was too wide... I am going to write it off on freshly gained experience and some knowledge sewing bras in the last little while. In the end the bra looked so majorly off that I just couldn't wear it. I left it for a few days thinking that I should try it on again later and then make up my mind. Still, a few days later I couldn't bring myself to wearing it. Note, that on Becky the cups pool at the bottom, but I didn't have that issue when I had the bra on. Hmmm... After I gave up on this bra, I took my markers and drew all the corrections I thought I needed right on the pretty bra itself. The black line on the lace is where I wanted my upper cup to end. The black line on the lower up is where I think the cup seaming should be for more pleasant look. The red dot on the top lace part of the bra is where the strap should be. It's almost a whole inch to the side! And finally the blue line on the bridge is where my bridge should end. Overall the things were minor, but they added up to a bra that I couldn't wear. I took everything I could salvage off the bra - closures, rings and sliders, straps and wires. I transferred my markings to the pattern pattern and gently put the remainder of the bra into garbage bin. I couldn't just throw it in garbage, it was too sad. The main lesson I learnt here is - muslin, muslin, muslin! Every time there is a change to a pattern or I try a new pattern I can't just assume it will fit. With a bra you can't try it on until it is all finished, and once it is done you can't make major changes and adjustments to it. So muslin is super important. Especially since it takes less than 30 min to quickly put one together! Lesson learnt. Thankfully I have enough supplies leftover to make another one. Love, Anya

I am sure I am not the only one, but every time I get invited to a wedding or an event I feel like I need a new dress. Even though I may have appropriate dresses in my closet, a brand new dress that is specifically made for the event makes me feel good. Having said that, I still prefer my "special occasion" dresses to be wearable outside of those special occasions. May be that is why I am reluctant to wear them to the special events since they are already a part of my daily life...This past week we spent in Mexico where we were celebrating S' friends getting married. Of course I needed a dress for the occasion! I used to really stick to my tried and true fit and flare dresses. I have perfected my pattern and they were so easy to put together. Yet, this year I think I am finally growing out of them. I still like the look of fit and flare dresses, but I have an urge to try a different silhouette of a dress. I am really leaning towards loose and flowy lines these days. I bought Ruby Dress by Tessuti patterns a few weeks ago and I was waiting for the right opportunity to make the dress. Wedding in Mexico was just perfect! The pattern is well drafted and I didn't have to do any modifications to it, except for lengthening the skirt a little since I am quite tall (5'10"). The dress is extremely easy to put together! Since there are no darts and the fit is intended to be quite lose, very minimum fitting is required. I didn't make a muslin and went straight for my fashion fabric. I used a beautiful watercolor print poly (crepe?) from Blackbird Fabrics. This particular fabric is gone now, but Caroline has other drool worthy fabrics in her shop. I think the fabric really shines with this dress! It is really light and airy, and feels almost silky next to my skin. I omitted the facings and instead finished my neckline and armholes with bias binding. The keyhole opening is also finished with bias binding. I really do not like the facings! I always find them a little too bulky for my taste. I am absolutely in love with this dress!! It turned out exactly like I envisioned it. It's flowy yet not frumpy, or as S referred to it "it's a sexy mumu". I'll take it. It was extremely easy to wear and move around in without feeling constricted (well.. of course, it's lose). It also held up on the dance floor. I am very pleased with both the fabric and the pattern, which lead to a great final result. I can not wait till summer to wear the dress again! I am already thinking that I need another one, now I just need to decide on the color. I am thinking this time a solid. I mean just look at how amazing this one looks! See, everyone needs one. Love, Anya

Success is great. It makes you feel accomplished and proud, there is nothing like the euphoria of successfully finishing any endeavor you take on in your life, including sewing. However, I think failing and falling short are just as much and just as important parts of life as success is. Failure and struggles have an incredible lesson to teach if one is open to it. I don't want to create an unrealistic view of myself and my life here, so I think sharing my failures is important. On that note, I will start keeping track of them here with a Fail Friday, whenever I have a photographed failure to show that is! I had a lot of hopes for this blouse. The design is very beautiful and has a lot of potential. The pattern came from BurdaStyle magazine from May, 2009. The link is in Russian, as unfortunately this pattern is not available in English, and I apologize to those who can't read. To make it easier though, here is the technical drawing of the blouse: It is a rather easy make and I've actually already made the same blouse back in 2009 when I first came back to sewing after a break. I loved my first blouse but I didn't pick the right fabric for it. Well, the fabric was right but the color and the shine level of the bright blue stretch satin were all kinds of wrong for me. To top it off, the blouse was a little tight in my shoulders. I still wore it though and I was happy with it for a bit. Fast forward to late 2015, I decided to make another version of the blouse. I picked a colorful polyester blend, which doesn't show the yoke or pleat detail very well, but I think still looks nice. I've made some adjustments to the pattern - I widened the shoulders and slightly shortened the length of the blouse. I didn't make a muslin, seeing that this is my second version of the pattern and I felt I was aware of what needed to be changed. It was an easy make! It came together fast and soon I was able to try it on. Unfortunately, the blouse was off. Even with my widened shoulder, it was still too tight in the shoulder, back and chest. The pleats didn't lie smoothly and were opening up in a rather unflattering way. I also think the length of the blouse ended up being a little short for my liking. You can see that in all the pictures I am sloping my shoulders forward a bit to make sure the blouse hangs well enough for the photos. What went wrong? Well, in hindsight, I think the fabric I used for my first blouse had stretch in it and the adjustment that I thought I needed would have worked for a similar fabric but it didn't translate well into non-stretch fabric. If I am to make the blouse again, I probably should go up in size and muslin it fist to make sure the pleats and shoulder are where they should be. I think the length is important too. I made my blouse long enough for the wear, but the final length does not seem to sit well with the proportions of my body. I prefer when the length of my top stops right around my widest hip. It seems to be more pleasing on the eye and elongates my body into a slimmer shape. All in all, this blouse is made well, but I have only worn it once. After having it sit in my closet for a few months I have finally given it to my slimmer and smaller friend. I am sure she will give it much needed wear. Love, Anya

I think I have made enough Ella Tanks to last me a while. I have also managed to mess up a couple tanks, which I am blaming on fabric, and they came out smaller than intended. So I have unintentionally made enough Ella Tanks for my smaller friend as well. It's safe to say that Ella Tank is a clear win across the board. It's so simple and comfy! It is a looser fit tank, with almost a racer back and a cool pleat in the back. There are so many ways to make this tank awesome! Just look at all the great examples on here. My apologies for the quality of pictures. I took them in the morning before heading to work and even with all the lights and lamps on they still turned out blurry and dark. Nothing beats natural light! This particular version of Ella tank I made on a whim. I didn't plan it and one night I was sitting starting at a piece of beautiful lace I had leftover from a grad dress project I worked on for someone else. The lace was so pretty and it made me sad that the piece that was left was big enough to think you can do something yet small enough to figure out what it is you can work it into. I pulled out my Ella tank pattern and with some creative cutting I was able to fit the back yoke into my lace! I was ecstatic. Within minutes the idea of the tank was born. I used a very pretty cream and black print I had in my stash as the rest of my tank. The main fabric was quite sheer on its own so I decided to line it with a plan cream fabric I had in my stash. All the fabrics are some kind of poly blend and I do have an unusual amount of cream / off white fabric in my stash. I love my creams! They make great basics and are very good for lining sheer fabrics. When I am only down to one cream fabric in my stash I start to feel uncomfortable... It may be an addiction. Since I was lining the tank top I eliminated the need to finish my neckline and armholes with bias binding. I sandwiched my lace yoke in between two pieces of fabric and sewed all my armhole, neckline, yoke and shoulder seams. My tank top ended up having a very clean finish on the inside as well. The lace did not have a scalloped edge on its own and I wanted it to have a very delicate feel to it. I had a piece of lace trim in my stash that had these tiny scallops on it and was very close in color and texture to my lace. Bingo! I sewed my trim onto neckline and armhole edges of my lace in tiny zig-zag and it provided beautifully finished edges with a scalloped lace look I wanted. Pardon my bra straps hanging out in the picture above! I would normally wear the tank with a racer back or a black bra so that the straps at least match the color of the lace. I love the way this tank came out. It turned out to be one of those basic pieces with something extra that takes it above the basics without bringing it into a special occasion category.The fit is perfect and I think the pattern is very well drafted. There are so many possibilities with it! It can be a great stash buster as well. Just from looking at the pictures and writing about the tank, I am already wanting to make a few more. Love, Anya

I really should come up with a different tag for my No Buying Clothes for a Year Challenge, or a cool abbreviation… It’s just too wordy and seems bulky and takes forever to type. I toyed with Shopping Free Year, but it’s not truly reflective of the reality, because I will still buy shoes, accessories and fabric. It is also not quite Ready To Wear Free Year, because I am still wearing my RTW clothes I already have, I am just not buying more. So after thinking about it I am going to go with NBC Challenge as in Not Buying Clothes Challenge. As you can see, I am very creative when it comes to naming things . It’s been a month after I’ve officially announced NBC Challenge on my blog (truly thinking that no one would notice it!), and I think an update is in order. The great news is that I haven’t bought any clothes!!! I think it is fair to say that so far I am succeeding. I bought some socks and tights because mine seemed to wear out, and some shoes, because… shoes! Other than that, here are a few things I discovered this month: I started to really consider my sewing projects before jumping into them. My sewing time is limited, and since I don't have the liberty of buying an item just because I want it (if I can afford it), I really need to reflect on all the details of a potential make before I devote my time to it. That involves thinking about things like style, shapes, details, colors, fabric choices and how it overall fits into my life and closet. All of those considerations help me decide if it is something that I will wear and is worth spending my time on. On the same note, since my sewing time is precious, I noticed that I started to slow down in my sewing process. Weighing in on the decisions about a garment lead me to treat that garment with more care and hence with more intention when I am making it. I try to slow down and make sure that my item comes out the best it can. I still make mistakes of course, and I am sure I always will, but I do enjoy this aspect of slowing down to intentionally create the best quality item I can create at that particular time. All of that lead me to really consider what it is that I truly do wear and ultimately start thinking about my core style. I have always been interested in going through Wardrobe Architect project developed by Sarai from Colette, but I have been quite lazy and in the past I skimmed through it and did some minimal reflection which was enough to have a general idea of what I liked to wear. I am really considering following it along with Christine Haynes who has been doing the challenge and posting results on her blog. I've also been interested in trying out The Workbook from Into Mind blog. Anuschka has a plethora of ideas and tips on building a functioning wardrobe that is reflective of who you are on her blog and I can easily get lost for hours reading her blog. Those three things have been occupying my mind this month and I have to say that so far I am enjoying the NBC Challenge a lot more than I expected. I don't miss shopping yet, but I am sure there will be a weak moment in the year to come where I will. I will most definitely be sharing it! Love, Anya

Full disclaimer - this dress is a total knock off! Ever since I saw Ami's from Little Tailorless Peony Dress I was obsessed with it. It just looked so perfect. And she looks so adorable in it. It was a combination of the beautiful dress and wanting to look just as cute as Ami that I decided that I needed to have a white lace Peony Dress. The pattern is Colette's Peony Dress. I think the name is perfect for this dress. It is so delicate and beautiful, yet understated, just like a blooming peony. Also, peonies are my favorite flowers. So may be I am a little biased on the name. Reading Amy's and other dressmakers reviews, as well as having my own experience with Colette Patterns I knew that some modifications to the pattern were in order. Thankfully, the dress didn't require more than my usual alterations - lengthen the bodice, redraft the armcycle, move the darts and take in at the sides. It really sounds like a lot of work, but may be because I've done it so many times it doesn't seem that way to me anymore. I was confident with the fit after my first muslin. I followed the construction process as per the pattern instructions, but the only thing I did differently is I didn't use a neckline facing. Instead I used a self made bias tape to finish the neckline. I cut my lace pieces and fabric pieces and laid them on top of each other and treated them as one piece. It did involve some basting at the seams and darts, but it wasn't as hard as I expected it to be. For the sleeves, I used the lace on it's own. I decided to hem the dress as one piece as well. The lace and the underlining are attached at the hem, and I used a regular straight stitch on my machine. I know there was a better way to do it, but at this point my lace was starting to become quite finicky and was stretching with pressing. I don't know what it is about me and stretchy fabrics... So I decided it was for the best to attach the fabric and the lace together in a very concrete manner, hence a simple straight stitch hem. The fabric came from my local FabricLand. The underlining is a simple poly blend fabric, that is very light and not transparent at all, and the lace is a mystery blend. As it turned out it does stretch with pressing and it stretched a lot. But it also shinks immensely with wash!! I was very surprised and scared by it but thankfully I learnt it when I pre-washed the lace. It came out super shrunk and crinkly, but turned back into beautiful lace with ironing! So strange... I wonder if anyone else has seen something like that. Do share! Despite funky lace fabric, I am very happy with how this dress turned out. I've always wanted a delicate white lace dress! It's so easy to dress it up or down. I simply can not wait to don it in warmer weather with my black biker jacket and boots. Oh, to feel edgy and cool! Love, Anya

I have been making my own bras for a few months now and I have to say it is super addicting! I started off being very skeptical about the whole thing. Although I have always had trouble finding a bra that fits, I did not think that I would even attempt to wear a soft cup bra in public. No way! I have always been a foam cup, preferably with some padding, type of girl. Yet, I found most of my ready to wear bras rarely fit me in the cup and the band at the same time, and overall were uncomfortable. Even with those challenges I was still convinced I would never wear a me-made bra. Was I ever wrong... pretty much after completing my third bra (my first two ended up being true trial runs) and trying it on I was mesmerized by how well it fit. The bra itself wasn't perfect! But everything seemed to fit so well that I didn't even need the foam or push up cups to make me look different. For the first time in my life I was truly happy with my natural form and shape! That experience was liberating on so many levels! Fast forward a few months and now I only wear me made bras and I could not be happier with the fit, support, look, feel ... everything! It is safe to say that my lingerie drawer never looked better, sexier and more empowering. This particular set is inspired by Amy's from Cloth Habit Peaches and Lace Bra. I fell so hard for the peach and gray color combo that I could not stop thinking about it and I knew I had to get my hands onto something that would resemble it. I tried to find a suitable lace, online and in stores, but I couldn't find quite what I needed. I stumbled upon Bra Maker's Supply Let Us Chose the Lace Kit (second from the top) and I decided, why not? If it doesn't work out, I will use it for something else! I picked gray duoplex for my set and in the comments for my order I asked for peach or warm pink lace if possible. I think the team at Bra Maker's Supply did exceptionally well! The lace I got in my set was exactly what I envisioned! I used Orange Lingerie Boylston Pattern for the bra. This is my favorite bra pattern so far! Most of my bras are made using this pattern. I simply can not say enough good things about it! I made minor fit modification to the cup by pinching out the excess across the horizontal seam. It seems like it is a common adjustment for me as I've had to do it with all my bra patterns, yet size smaller was too small (this explains why ready to wear didn't fit well). I've also opted not to use the fabric strap and instead I added a tiny strap extension to the upper cup which ended up being folded over onto the cup when I attached the ring. I've used gray duoplex as my main fabric, but I tend not to like how shiny it is. So I actually ended up using the "wrong", less shiny, side of the fabric as my main side. The bra itself is not lined, as duoplex doesn't fray and I wanted to try my bra out without lining. I have to say, so far it hasn't been bad! I do prefer the clean look of the lined bra, and I line most of my bras, but I don't really miss it in this bra. It is always nice to have a full matching set of a bra and underwear, but I find that I prefer making bras to making undies. Somehow bras are slightly more challenging and hence more exciting. So I made sure that I made a full set this time. I had enough leftover lace to squeeze out two Kingston Thongs. Kingston Thong has a really cool design where you use folded power mesh on the side and it ends up giving you a perfect seamless look. I loved it! Although I altered the original design quite a bit because I prefer a narrower side on my underwear and I love to use the lace in the back. I am very pleased with how the set turned out! My only issue is that this beauty is hidden under clothes. Not that I would ever have the courage to go sans sweater in public, even if it was acceptable, but part of me does want to tell everyone "you won't believe what I made and how good it looks!!!" I guess I'll have to stick showing my underwear off, sans the model, on the blog and Instagram. Love, Anya P.S. I am leaving on vacation for a week tomorrow, but I have so many makes and updates to share so rather than taking a break I decided to schedule posts for the coming week :) I will likely be quiet on my instagram, but it will seem like I have never gone away here.

Pants… I think know nothing about pant fitting and it scares the hell out of me. Dresses, skirts, coats, lingerie, I am good with those, but pants terrify me. The fabric needs to hang just right and have just enough ease to look good. To top it off, the fabric is pulled, bent and stretched in directions that fabric in a dress or a skirt would rarely be. In all of my sewing time I’ve made a handful of pants, and I’ve recently spent some time working on my pant muslin. I am not done, but from what I’ve learnt is that reducing the length of front inseam is an adjustment I need to make on virtually every pant pattern. So why not share? This may be a very straight forward tutorial for most people, but for someone new to pant sewing what I’ve learned may be very insightful. I apologize ahead of time for my photos and if they are not super clear. I tried to take most tasteful pant front pictures that hopefully wouldn’t end up somewhere in the abyss of internets in places I don’t want the pictures of my front crotch to be. Also, I’ve used my blue Virginia Leggings I made over the weekend as an example for this adjustment. I understand that it is not the best item to show the issue on since the fabric is stretchy and pattern is already drafted with negative ease. Normally the wrinkles would be more prominent and there will be more fabric pooling, but I am hoping it will still get the idea across. So let’s begin! So to start off, how would one know that the adjustment to the front inseam length is necessary? Here is my before picture. I have quite a few lose horizontal wrinkles right in the front and they are on both sides and in the middle. They come from excess fabric at the front crotch that you can actually grab and pull away. The other pointer is plain comfort. My pants don’t feel very comfortable because the front inseam keeps, or even seems like it is coming up too high on my waist and the fabric pools in that area. Why not just shorten the whole inseam by folding the pattern? Well, that would change the length of your side seam and the front side seam will not match the side seam of the back pattern. Unless of course you also need to shorten the back inseam, then go ahead and takeout the extra length all across. But if the length of the back inseam is good, then you need to keep your side length on the pant front intact. Another idea would be to just take off the extra length off the top of the front inseam and re-draw the top waistband seam to the side seam. But that would change the curve and the length of the waistband seam and you would need to make adjustments to the waistband pattern. So here is how you do it without making adjustments to other seams. First thing to do, is to put on your pant muslin and pin out the excess fabric at the front horizontally, pinning it out to nothing at the side seam, just like a dart. If you find that you need to pin out at the side seam, then there is a different adjustment that needs to be made and this one likely won’t help much. I am not extremely familiar with the other adjustment yet, so I won’t even try to explain it. Now that you have the excess pinned out and you like the fit, here is what it should look like. Note that the horizontal wrinkles are gone! The next thing to do it to measure how much you pinned out in the widest part and divide that number by 2. I pinned out a total of ½” so my number was ¼”. Now you need to transfer that adjustment to the paper pattern. Here I have a tiny paper pattern of Virginia leggings. It is very small for the ease of photographing the steps. Also, this particular pattern has front and back leg together in one pattern piece, but this adjustment works for any pant pattern. Unless you have a seamed front leg, then I would think that the two front patterns would need to be merged into one for this adjustment and then separated again. Take out your front leg pattern, or in my case THE leg pattern, and draw a horizontal line, the one in red in the picture, perpendicular to the grain line at the vertical part of the front inseam. You want to leave the curve part of the inseam alone and not make any changes to it, especially if it fits. From there mark up and down half of the pinned out amount. Mine was ¼”. In the picture the marks are in green, but they actually look black… They are the horizontal dashes above and below the red line. Draw a straight line from the back inseam to the top mark, and to the bottom mark. The lines are in green in the picture. You will have a triangular shape, which looks like a dart, which it is! Now cut you pattern piece along the top line to, but not through the back inseam line and cut the paper on the other side of the pattern to but not through the back inseam. You will have a hinge and will be able to move the top of the pattern up and down without separating it. Take the top part of the pattern and overlap the top green line to the bottom green line. My piece looks so weird because it is small and my½" adjustment is not to scale. In real life you will not have such a drastic angle. The last step is to true the front inseam back into the straight line. I did that in red below. I’ve also straightened my grainline since it bent a little with all my pattern manipulation. Voila! The pattern piece was adjusted and you’ve successfully gotten rid of that excess fabric at the front without altering your side seam (or back inseam in my case) or waistband seam. I should also mention that if you are on the other side of this issue and need to add length to the front inseam without adjusting the other two seams, you can do the exact opposite and instead of overlapping the pattern, spread it and add the required amount. If anyone is struggling with the same issue as me, I hope this helped and clarified the steps. In the meantime I will continue to learn the magic of fitting pants and sharing what I’ve learnt. There is still a long way to go, but it’s starting to get more fascinating and less stressful. Love, Anya P.S. If you are struggling with pant fitting like me, I will leave you with this picture. No, I am not drunk in it. It is me after I finished fitting my numerous pant muslins. Yes, I am on the floor, with a fresh glass of wine and crazy hair. Up until the moments prior to S snapping picture I was comfort cuddling my cat. I am pretty sure I was complaining to my friend about struggles of pant fitting too… So if you are struggling, you are not alone :)

I will never get tired of this song… Especially when I am doing absolutely nothing in my activewear. Although, I think it should also include a line about “doing some sewing in my activewear”, that would definitely move this song to the best ever status in my eyes. So I guess it is pretty obvious that I did some activewear sewing, of course, while wearing my activewear… I gave Virginia Leggings and Resolution Tank a good try this weekend. Two patterns! And I would have to say that unfortunately only one was a success for me. I’ll start with the one that didn’t work out. I had high hopes for the Resolution Tank by 5 out of 4 Patterns. It seemed to be everything I was looking for in a tank. It is a loose fitting tank with many options, you can have panels, straight hem or curved hem, as well as 2 neckline depths! I think that’s pretty great. I also loved the way actual racerback looked. I cut the pattern out, checked it against my measurements and lengthened it. I did expect it to fit quite loose and that’s okay with me. What I should have noticed in the construction process was how small the neckline and armhole binding was… I know that binding should be smaller than the length of the opening, armhole or neckline, so I pushed forward. I also did check the stretch of my fabric to make sure my fabric has the appropriate stretch factor, and I did cut the binding according to the directions for the low neckline. Yet, when the tank was finished my armholes and neckline looked too gathered. I’ve tried to steam them, wet them and let it hang, but it just didn’t work and they are still looking almost ruched. I also prefer my tanks to be slightly more fitted, which would not be an issue at all, it is easy to take the tank it. Yet, this all left a sour taste in my mouth and I don’t know if I will attempt to fix the tank, but I will certainly not wear it the way it is right now. I am really wondering if it was something I did wrong… Here is the back view: And here is the close up of the tank itself: Just to compare, here is a tank that I made a while back using a pattern I drafted (ahem, ripped off lululemon tank I own). It is a very similar racerback look but it is more fitted and I find it hangs a little bit nicer on me and the neckline is flat. As I’ve said, looseness is definitely a personal preference and something that can be easily adjusted. Same with length. I think for my future tanks I will use my self-drafted pattern but I will change my racerback to match that of Resolution Tank. Also to make it clear, I still think that Resolution Tank is a great pattern, but I would recommend double checking the binding length against the tank as you sew. Or measuring the length of the opening and taking only 80%-85% of the length as the length of your binding. I am still going to try making a sports bra pattern that comes with the tank so not all hope is lost for me. Now onto what I think was a success. Virginia leggings!! The pattern is by Megan Nielsen and it truly is a super fast and easy sew. I like a thicker waistband on my leggings, so I cut a maternity rise option and increased the length of my waistband to fit 2.5” elastic. I sewed the leggings using my serger and the whole process barely took any time. The best part is that the fit was very decent right away. I hemmed my leggings to cropped length as I intend to wear them to the gym and that is my preferred length for workout pants. In the end I realized that I could have taken out 0.5” out of my front crotch length and I also ended up deepening the front curve a little bit because I had some excess fabric there. I seems to be a very common adjustment for me. Every single pair of pants I try to make requires it. I will do a separate post explaining how I did it, as it will involve lots of pictures. Just to confuse everyone in the picture above I am wearing a tank made out of my self-drafted pattern but same fabric as Resolution Tank. The fabrics I used came from local fabric stores. I used an activewear blend I got from Peak Fabrics (a local store in Calgary) for the tank top. I don’t remember what is in the blend, but I know it has sweat whicking properties and it feels amazing. It is super soft and silky. The fabric for leggings came from Marshall Fabrics in Edmonton. I picked it up when we went there in early February and I am not sure what is in it. The fabrics in Marshall do not always have content displayed, but the fabric felt good and I decided to give it a try. Of course the true test comes while wearing the leggings to workout… I had to give them a trial run, but I was too lazy to actually go to the gym. So instead I opted for an interval workout at home. I did some fake rope skipping, jumping, running (on the spot), sit ups, squats and lunges. I am happy to report they held up and overall were comfortable! I did not need to constantly pull them up or pull them out of places, if you know what I mean. Although the extra fabric in the front inseam bothered me, but it was purely aesthetical and only because I knew what to pay attention to. Next step is taking them to the gym and hoping that they do not split open while doing an actual weight workout! Love, Anya P.S. I am not smiling in a single picture! It is either my workout game face or just tank related disappointment face...

My saga with fitting pants continued over the weekend. I was very tired of making muslins, trying to fit them and failing… yet, I refused to give up. I would like to say I still refuse to give up, but I need to take a break as pant fitting was killing my sewing mojo. In the end of it all, I finished with 6 muslins and a decent fit in one pair of pants! At the end of the last blog post I ordered the Sewing Pants that Fit book which has yet to arrive, but I am sure it will be here any day now! I can’t wait to get the book and read it, look through it and see what I can learn from it. But in the meantime I was too impatient not to go forward on my own and with the help of the internet. When I went back to my sewing dungeon, I decided to start with my second muslin. It was a size smaller than the third, but the fit issues were similar. Since I was looking for a tight-er fitting pair of pants, I decided muslin 2 was the one I should start off with again. I tired it on and as I remembered it wasn’t great. The front looked good with no issues, but the back… I apologize ahead of time for the bum shots, but I think they are important here since I am trying to show the issues and my journey onto how I resolved them (hopefully eventually I will!). Muslin 2 The upper back fits me well, it’s my upper thigh and lower back areas that were not looking great. I mean I think some wrincklage (I am sure that’s a technical term) should be there since I am planning to move and sit in those pants but not like what I was seeing. I tried letting the pants out on the side but it didn’t resolve my issue. As I’ve mentioned in my previous post, I have a big bum, so I knew I would need to extend and slightly deepen my back seat curve to fit over it . For my next muslin I did just that. You can’t see it in the pictures, but at this point I started to fear that I will run out of my 10 meters of muslin fabric I bought a while back, so I only cut my pants # 4 down to slightly below the knee. Muslin 4 This pair started to fit better! The wrinkles were still there though but the pants weren't digging into my bum as much. For my muslin #5, I actually slashed my pattern at the deepest part of my back inseam curve and spread it by ¾”. It definitely started to fit better and I was happy that I was getting somewhere, yet I was still getting wrinkles under my bum. I must say that this was a Friday night and the he pants were driving me to drink. I do not know how it occurred to me exactly, I must have been staring at my back from the side thinking what should I do to fix the problem and I noticed that I have pretty prominent butt cheeks that kinda stick out there. As I found out days later, there is a term for that – dropped seat. It sounds like something that would occur to a toddler who’s diaper is full and dropping… definitely not the way I want to think or refer to my backside. So to summarize, my seat is full AND dropping. Bam! Muslin 6 Anyways, in the end I ended up scooping my back seat curve to almost straight angle. I drew a very rough illustration of what the pattern for the back leg ended up looking for me, just so it is clearer. The black line is what a normal pattern would look like, and by normal I mean what it looks like out of the package, because likely that curve will have to change in some way for everyone. The red line is what I ended up doing to it to make it look okay on me. Yeah! Full dropped seat! My final, for now, muslin # 6 still is not perfect, but I think it is as close to perfect as I can get it right now. As a matter of fact I was so happy with it that I proceeded to make a pair of pants! They turned out beautifully! I apologize for not taking a back shot, I got too excited and forgot about it. However, my learning did not stop here. I wish it did! I was so ready to graduate from pant making. What I learned next was that fashion fabric behaves very differently than muslin. I am sure most people know it, but I somehow managed to ignore it until the pants situation. My pants fit great once I finished them! The fabric was a suiting blend, granted I didn’t know what exactly was in that blend since I bought it years ago, but I knew it wasn’t a stretch kind. I pulled it on all directions to test. Yet, as the day went on my pants grew looser on me. Not badly! But still at the end of the day I could easily take off at least ¼” from each side to make them fit the way I want them too. I still may do just that, but for now I will leave my pants alone. So far, I’ve come out of this experience with a decent looking muslin and a decent pattern for pants. As well as realization that every single pair of pants I make will have to be fabric fitted prior to finishing just because I imagine every fabric type would behave differently. I wouldn’t say it is an astonishing success, but I still think of this experience as success and I am happy with how it turned out. Here are some close ups of the pant pockets and fly, just cause I'm so proud of them! I think I may move the back pockets out a little bit more since they seem like they are a tad too close to each other. Other than that, I am almost ready for another pair of pants, but I think I will take a break from them for a few days... Love, Anya

In line with my No Buying Clothes for a Year commitment I knew there would be a point where I would need to start making my own undergarments. In fact, I have been following amazing bloggers and seamstresses who are making their own lingerie for a while. I've watched them come up with beautiful undergarments wondering if I could ever even bring myself to attempt it. In late 2015 I decided this was it and I needed to give it a try. I was committed to trying and I was sure I would fail! Still, my desire to work with beautiful lace and learn the skills was more overpowering that my absolute conviction that I would never wear a bra I made in public. Of course it would be under my clothes and no one would see it, but still... First thing I did was purchase a Watson Bra pattern. It is a super basic, beginner friendly, soft-cup bra pattern designed by Amy from Cloth Habit. I read the instructions through and through a couple times. I've read the Watson Sew Along a number of times. I've read reviews and looked at a number of finished Watsons. Still, I wasn't ready to commit and try giving it a go. This is when I decided that what I really needed is to actually see someone do it, explain things to me and show me things. I decided to give a Bra Making Craftsy Class by Beverly Johnson a go. I've promptly purchased it and watched it in a couple sittings. Sorry, random dudes at the gym who were on a bike next to mine! I am sure it was entertaining glancing over to my iPhone. But in all honestly, I've never enjoyed riding a bike this much and barely noticed the time pass as I did when I was watching that Bra Making class. I have to say I really enjoyed the class. Beverly has a very dry sense of humor which I love and she is really good at explaining things. The class took me step by step through the bra construction process and explained things that I would have had trouble figuring out on my own. I had an opportunity to have a close up look at Beverly actually sewing a bra, as if I was peaking over from behind her shoulder, which is exactly what I needed to gain the confidence to do it on my own. She explained the importance of fabrics, stretch direction, and layout of patterns. She also explained the materials that were needed and proper techniques. To someone who had no clue what even comes in a bra kit and how it is to be used, this was invaluable. The class recommends using a simple two piece cup bra pattern, and provides suggestions for the pattern choices. I was a little worried using my Watson and ended up buying Bra Makers Pin Up Girl Classic Bra Pattern. Unfortunately it doesn't come in PDF format and I had to wait for it to come in the mail. It didn't take long though! Having a pattern that was used in the class allowed me to practice on the same bra Beverly was sewing without thinking what adjustments I needed to make to practice the techniques on a different pattern. Was it necessary in the end? I really doubt it was. The pattern did allow me to practice making a wired bra, so that was good. I also ended up with an extra bra pattern I could use. However, I would say that it wasn't necessary for me to have that specific pattern. A side note on the pattern itself, the Classic Bra pattern ended up requiring some work since it came out very pointy. I will talk about that in a separate post, but with some work it is definitely a good basic bra pattern. Overall, my experience with the online Bra Making Class was very pleasant and fulfilling. I learnt everything I wanted to learn, I actually watched someone make a bra in front of me (although on a computer screen), and most importantly in the end I felt confident when trying making bras myself. It also helped me understand Watson Sew Along a lot better and gain more knowledge from it. If someone is considering trying their hand in making their own bras and is extremely unsure about the whole process, I would definitely recommend taking a Craftsy class. After finishing the class and giving a variety of bra patterns a try I am growing more confident in my bra making skills. I am also happy to report that I've pretty much stopped wearing all my store bought bras! I find the ones that I make are very supportive, way more comfortable and better looking. I can't wait to share some of my makes and pattern reviews here! Love, Anya P.S. All opinions of Bra Making Craftsy Class are my own. I was not paid to review or asked to provide any comments. I bought the class myself, although I did score a good deal by buying it on sale. P.P.S All of the bras pictures are actually made using Orange Lingerie Boylston Bra pattern. It is my favorite pattern by far, and I also simply didn't have any other pictures on my phone :)