I started with this set already last year, before making the “Confetti” bra. I needed a new nude lingerie set to wear under light-colored blouses. My old one was very worn out. No wonder, it is nearly ten years old. Where has the time gone?
I used two of my goto patterns, the Maya bra and Watson bikini, the Wednesday cheekies and one new to me pattern, the Esme panties by Evie la Luve.
Fabric
I had a nude kit from Studio Costura in my stash, I guess it is already at least 2 years old. The kit contained a beautiful lace only, but I found a matching stretch lycra in my stash. The satin trim for the bow was part of the kit, the little pearl is from some crafting materials I inherited from my mother.
Construction
Maya bra cups:
I tried something new and made foam cups that are only partly covered by the lace. First, I sewed the foam cups as usual and pinned them on my polystyrene ball. Then I started placing the lace and pinned it in place so that it laid smooth on the cup on the top edge. The lower edge was folded into a few pleats. Then I fixed the upper edge with zigzag stitch, the lower edge was basted to the foam cup, and overhanging lace was cut away. The rest of the construction was as usual. For the small embellishment, I folded the satin trim and sewed a small pear at the top edge.
The panties:
I wanted to use as much of the lace as possible, so I started with the Wednesday cheekies. I made them already a few times, so nothing to add here.
Esme panties:
I cut a size S according to my measurements, but unfortunately, they turned out too small. The instruction was very clear, and I like the overall look, so I will probably make them again in a bigger size. When worn, the lace in the front does not show up as much as I have thought, though.
For the rest of the lace, I sewed two watson bikinis and played with a lace overlay. For the first one, I placed the lace right and left from the center.
For the second one, I placed the lace along the top edge. I needed to sew it together in the center front. To do that I marked the seamline while the lace was placed on the front piece, sewed the seam, trimmed the seam allowance, and sewed the lace in place with a zigzag stitch. In hindsight I should have placed the lace, so that there would have been one central scallop. However, I am not sure if I had enough lace left for that.
Conclusion
I love how this set turned out, I learned a lot, and I am happy that I have used up all of the lace. The panties are very light, so perfect for summer, and sometimes I wish, I had not made foam cups. On the other hand, I really like the look of them and I am not sure if/how I could have achieved that look without foam.
