Circle Skirt Sew-along and Fall Palette Challenge

Casey, of Casey's Elegant Musings, is hosting a circle skirt sew-along on her beautiful blog (not sure how I feel about that alliteration...it's almost too much!), and I've decided to join in. So excited!

I also saw that Colette Patterns is doing a 10-week Fall Palette Challenge on their blog, and I'm really interested in doing that as well. I totally missed the Spring Palette Challenge. I wasn't really reading sewing blogs yet. But now...so excited!!

I'm thinking navy, gray, pink, white, and red.

I have a lot of gray in my wardrobe already (especially gray skirts!), but I'm putting it in here because I want everything I stitch up to go with all that gray. I'm thining two navy skirts, one the circle skirt from Casey's sew-along and one pencil skirt or maybe the Colette Ginger. A pretty white blouse, a pink blouse, and a red dress. I want everything to be wearable throughout the winter as well, so I'll probably look for some lightweight wool for the dress and/or one of the skirts. So excited!

If you're wondering, no, I haven't forgotten about the sheet dress. I ripped out all the seams of the bodice, cut all the new pieces, and started stitching them back together again. I should have it ready for the zipper tonight, and hopefully finished by the end of the week, so I can wear it this weekend. *crosses fingers*

How to Tell if Your Bra is the Wrong Size

After my last post, I started thinking that other women might be having trouble with even telling if they are wearing the wrong bra size. I certainly didn't realize it for quite a while! So...a mini how-to!

How to Tell if Your Bra is the Wrong Size

1. Stand sideways in front of your mirror and lift your arm (mirror-side) up. If your bra band is perpendicular to the floor, it's good. If it's diagonal, rising from lower in front to higher in the back, you need a smaller band size.


2. Look straight down. If your bra doesn't isn't snug against your breastbone (the skin between your breasts), you need a smaller band size. This also goes for if your bra doesn't meet the skin beneath your breasts.


3. If your breasts are spilling out of the sides or tops of your bra cups (I call this four-boob syndrome, and I definitely have it going on in some of my old bras), you need a larger cup size.


4. If you can't comfortably get two fingers underneath your bra band, you need a larger band size.


5. If your shoulder straps are digging in, you should probably go down a band size.


6. If there is wrinkling in the cup or the top of the cup stands away from your breast, try a smaller cup size.


7. If you don't have any of the problems above, you're wearing the right bra size. Yay!

I hope this helps!

From a 32D to a 30G in 1 Hour: the relief of the correct bra size

Yesterday, I finally got myself to a high-quality lingerie store (Hush, in Brighton, MI) and had myself fitted for the correct size bra. I've been wearing a 32D since a sales woman at Victoria's secret informed me that that was my size a few years ago (before adding that they didn't carry that size. They do now, however). Before that, I crammed myself awkwardly into a 34C. But even going down a band size and up a cup size wasn't enough. I can't tell you how many times a day I shake my boobs back into the cups or hike up a strapless bra if I'm wearing one. After some digging online, I decided that this was one thing the Internet probably couldn't help me with. I was not going to be able to get sized remotely, buy bras I've never tried on, etc.

I walked into Hush a 32D, and I walked out a 30G (or F, if you're still counting DD as a cup size and not just going straight from D to E). I wore one of my two new bras today, and it was a dream. I realized how much I adjust myself on a regular basis when I found my hands straying to my bra and then dropping, having found nothing out of place. Makes me wonder whether strangers have noticed me jiggling my boobs back into place!

The woman who helped me out at Hush was amazing; she made me feel like she was really focused on getting the best bra for me, regardless of sales (when they didn't have a white strapless bra that fit me, she actually mentioned another store in another city that sells unusal sizes like mine, so that I might be able to find the perfect bra before my wedding...I ended up deciding on a nude strapless instead, and I don't think I'll ever go to another store for bras), and she offered to order bras in my size if they didn't have them in my size.

Anyway, if you've never been fitted for a bra at a small store (not Victoria's Secret...they're not actually allowed to touch you, so they can't really do an accurate fitting), you should. You might find yourself in a cup size that's 3 sizes different from what you're wearing!

The Sheet Dress, Take 2

After my total fail on my first version of this dress, I decided to start the bodice from scratch and change it to Version E (maybe more modest?). I traced and cut the pattern and referred to Fit for Real People to do the tissue fitting. The FBA added a full inch to the width and another inch to the the length of the front bodice piece. I also added another 1/2" to the top of the bodice piece for a bit more modesty.


I cut the pieces from the fabric last night, and I'm hoping to pin-fit it and stitch it together on Friday night. Then the zipper and finally the hem. Maybe I'll actually finish it before the summer is gone!

Cute Pepperberry Dress

I recently found a gorgeous lingerie website called Bravissimo, and their clothing site, Pepperberry. They cater to us busty girls, and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate that. I'll definitely be ordering some bras from them soon. My favorite outfit so far is this one, but I looked today and it's gone. Sad day. I guess I'll just have to make it. :) I love the bag and the shoes too. Must get some nude shoes!

Pause

So, I put a pause on sewing and blogging for a while, because life has been a little crazy lately. My grandfather died the week before last. It's been expected for a while (he's had heart problems forever and was diagnosed with liver cancer earlier this year), bt that doesn't make it any easier.

Over the weekend, my partner moved to Illinois for a job for one year (only one - I definitely don't want to do a long-distance marriage for longer than that!), so I was spending every spare second with her before she left. I honestly didn't even set foot in my workroom for at least a week and a half.

Tomorrow, I have a new roommate moving in, so I've been busy making space for her and getting the house in order (we neglected cleaning as well in order to spend time together).

It's been a very strange mix of sad and exciting the last few weeks. Hopefully my life will calm down soon and I'll be able to settle into a rhythm of sewing and bookbinding, Skyping my partner, and playing with my dogs.