I paid for a pre-publication order for this last year. I read about it on the website Madalynne.
I used to follow Madalynne's blog for years and years when I first began sewing and even before I ever sewed a single stitch myself. At least this time round in my sewing journey anyway. I had a previous incarnation back in the 80s when I sewed everything but I stopped abruptly one day when first my sewing machine broke and then I was illegally evicted by my landlord. Becoming a homeless person precludes things like sewing because its hard enough just surviving let alone having any hobbies. It was nearly 3 years before I got a flat and then a long time after that to afford a new machine. If you become homeless you pretty much lose all your possessions.
In fact I suspect thats why I am such a terrible hoarder - in particular of stashed fabrics!
In effect it means beggining all over again. Well I did begin again.
Now back to this book:
About a year ago in fact I bought the pre-release edition of this. It was due last October but never came out. No explanation from Amazon but I carried on waiting.
And yes I can say it was worth waiting for this book.
So the book :
There are sections for panty projects and bra projects and sections on swim projects and body suits..
There is a small section on maternity/ nursing and mastectomy bras which personally I think should perhaps have been a little larger. There is not much there and I remember searching for maternity stuff and finding very little so this I think is a bit lacking but then if you were needing nursing bras this would help you make them and you could of course make loads similar but in different fabrics so it would work. Nursing is also for most women only a small section of life. Mastectomy though would mean a greater need for patterns but there is again information on adapting patterns and I suppose that would allow for experimentation here as well. At least both are included!
Its quite infomative on for example types of bras and types of knickers:
I personally want the swim section so will be using that at some point.
Sorry all the photos I took of these pages came out rubbish! I need a new camera or better phone!
Well I have yet to make anything from the book because it only arrived a few days ago, but I have previously made several of Maddie Kulig's free patterns. If you know them, these new patterns are very similar, and yes maybe if I was good at pattern cutting ( and had the hours to spend!!!) then I could take her freebies and make something similar to these but its not just about the 11 patterns included with the book. Notably the Noelle pattern has two variants here so if you are a fan ( I am) then you would probably like the Ryanne which is on the cover and the Kennedy sports bra both of which are similar to the Noelle. I intend to make both. I love the Noelle!
The Ryane is a segmented version of the Noelle hence if you are ok with pattern cutting you could make it from that pattern. The Kennedy is also very similar. Both could be nice as cropped tops as well if thats what you like. Its the way I like my undies - more like cropped tops than bras. We all have preferences and generally mine are for comfy tops rather than underwired corset types of "bra's" as such. And I have been this way since the day I left home and no longer had my Mother controlling what I wear. Mind you I still intend at some point to get round to making a corset. A proper old fashioned "nasty" heavy corset.
Anyway this book is crammed with info on things like different fabrics and notions and I have already learned things I never knew just from flipping through it. Its going to be a valuable resource for me I think.
One thing I think is particularly important its very inclusive and has all sizes. Nowadays thats becoming more common but for me personally I used to find it quite upsetting when the likes of companies like Unilever went on about "Real Women" and yes they showed photos of lots of average women but they missed out people like me. I feel the larger world is now very included but what about those of us that are very skinny as am I?
Its not that I diet. I have never ever controlled what I eat. I am just skinny and thats the way I am. I use to find it impossible to buy clothes that fit because I needed childrens clothing but most kids are not 5 feet 7 inches tall ( about 170cm). I often ended up buying boys aged 14 jeans which were too big round the waist but they were long enough and smaller than a size 10 uk womens. Nowadays size 8 is easy to buy and even many shops stock smaller than that so I am no longer considered too small and basically excluded from the RTW sizing ranges. Sad all of my younth was spent in too big RTW clothing really. But thats why I like sewing. Its also easy when you make your own to make things that not only fit but make you look proportionally ok. Everyone wants to look good after all. But I did find Unilever's Real women campaigns very upsetting.
So anyway, I reckon this book is well worth reading/ buying if you want to make undies. It has loads and I mean loads of info on fabrics, construction, techniques etc etc. Far more than you would get in a paper pattern or even on most websites. I am really happy with my purchase.
Though I will read this, from cover to cover, before I even attempt making any of these patterns. Its taken me a few days just to download them, though its really easy to do. Its just my life is very busy and I could not find free time to do this. Today I am at home and have finally got my patterns. I will probably go ahead and print them because I do not trust digitals much having had lots recently get corrupted. I usually though have multiple hard drives with them saved so not totally bad news but it was a pain trying to locate things - my rubbish filing system!
Anyway have a great week and see you next week, Thanks for popping by my blog
Bracken
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