Bamboo Knit Lingerie Set

I made a new lingerie set from some bamboo knit scraps I had in my stash. The set comprises a bra, two panties and two camisoles.

The Bra:

For the bra I used the pattern that I drafted in a bra pattern making workshop I participated in last July. The 3-day workshop was packed with pattern drafting and sewing. It was a lot of information and I am not sure if I am able to draft a bra pattern from scratch again. But I now have a pattern that fits me really well and that is all I wanted.

I made foam cups as these are my favorite bras to wear. As you can see the lower cup is quite big in comparison to the upper cup. Now the cup seam hits the bust point perfectly. I tried to achieve this with my last bra but it did not work out.  Also, my bra pattern now has a back band that is curved downwards. This was a result of my obviously broad back. I gave the neckline a subtle curve and I really like how it turned out. Only thing I will change in the future is the angle of the strap extension. You do not see it in the pictures very clearly, but they are pointing outside.

I lined the cups with the bamboo knit as described here.

I made the bra already some weeks ago and it immediately became my favorite one. It feels really soft and cozy which I like for the colder season. And, much more important, the fit is perfect, neither restrictive nor too loose and everything is just in the right place.

The Panties:

There is not much to say about the panties. Again, I used my TNT pattern, the Watson bikini from Cloth Habit. I just do not see the need of trying a different pattern when I am so happy with this one. I applied some lace scraps for more interest. Due to the stretchiness of the fabric I cut off 1cm at each side seam. Usually, I make the elastics 15-20% shorter than the circumference. This time I made the waist elastic 15% shorter and the leg elastic 10% shorter. I did this to avoid that the elastic cuts into the skin. The leg openings are perfect. The waist is a bit snug but still ok.

The Camisole:

For the camisole I used my other TNT pattern, Butterick 6031 that I have already sewn a few times (here and here). I had ordered some lace to go with the fabric, but I did not check how much I would need and orderd only 1 m. It was just enough to use a strip below the bust. On the other hand the lace would have been too wide to use along the neckline and the hem. I like how the camisole turned out, simple, but still elegant.

Conclusion:

I reach to this set as soon as it is back from the laundry. So it is a winner. However, I have to admit that I do not like sewing lingerie. I know a lot of people who, once started with lingerie sewing, they could not stop anymore. Not me. I just hate applying the elastics and still struggle to get it on without wrinkles (and as you clearly can see I still loose this fight). Don’t get me wrong, I love the finished product, but not the way to it in contrast to sewing with wovens. There I love evey single seam.

Also, I now have enough bras and panties and camisoles in my drawer so that I will declare my bra project finished. I did not sew a bra every month, at least not in the end. But that is OK. From now on I will probably sew a bra only when I am in need and some old ones are worn out.

What about you? Do you love or hate applying elastics? And do you have some tricks to share?