Butterflies.

In October 2011, I bought this pattern, a PDF made from a 1940s Pauline brassiere pattern, intending to participate in the lingerie sew-along then being hosted at A Few Threads Loose. Then my computer died, and when I finally got it back a month or so later, the sew-along was pretty much over and yeah. So I never made the bra, but ever since then, I've been thinking from time to time, you know, I should just make that up already. The sew-along instructions are still available, and it's a tiny thing; how long can it take?

Anyway, I've finally made it up.

I decided a while ago that I want to try sewing more undergarments this year. (I'm not wholly sure why; I could probably pinpoint a lot of reasons.) This is the first. If you recognize the fabric, I used some of the lace left over from Ratty's Christmas dress, because what else was I going to do with it? And also because I thought it would make an amusing muslin. And I could post it on Valentine's day. Cos, you know.

...Even though I also think the whole making-lingerie thing started because I wanted to sew things that were more practical, and ha ha, a sheer lace bra with absolutely no support whatsoever is totally a practical wardrobe item.

As I said, I envisioned this as more of a muslin/show piece, but once I'd actually finished it, I decided that this bra actually fit better than any other bra I own. (Quite possibly this is because my actual band size, which I made this bra to fit, is like four inches smaller than all my store-bought bras. The correct size does exist, but is not available anywhere close to the price range I'm willing/able to pay. (Which is like seven dollars.) Anyway.) It gives me quite a different silhouette than I'm used to, and I'm not sure if that's simply the nature of the bra--it really has almost no structure--or due more to the fact that it's been constructed solely of slightly stretchy lace and bias tape.

My, ahem, endowment is small enough that I can actually wear bras with very little support structure like this, and I like this bra enough that I think I might actually wear it outside the boudoir. I'll certainly make at least another version, in a more practical fabric (maybe even following all the directions! (There aren't many with the pattern at all, though. You really do need the sew-along to figure out what the hell's going on.) The sew-along, at least, suggests that it should be fully lined, which obviously would have defeated the purpose of sheer lace, so I didn't do it. Instead, I used French seams and even more bias tape).

I had some trouble figuring out how to display it. I should think it obvious why I don't want to model a lace brassiere (or, really, any brassiere) for the viewing pleasure of the whole Internet. Annie Laurie and I technically have the same measurements, but as you can see, we're not really the same shape at all. I managed to pin the bra on her, but it doesn't suit her well. It fits a lot better on me; you'll just have to take my word for it.

Project details:
Fabric: Purple lace left over from Ratty's Xmas dress, free
Pattern: Pauline bra from Mrs. Depew Vintage, $4.25
Year: 1940s
Notions: 3 yards blue bias tape, $.65; one button, repurposed from a thing my great aunt made me (it was superfluous there; I kept and still wear the actual thing)
Time to complete: About two hours (a not insignificant part of which was redoing the things that I kept sewing inside-out)
Made before: Nope, first use
Make again: Yes
Sewing soundtrack: Ha. My middle school playlist.
First worn: Not yet
Wear again: Yes
Total cost: $4.90

Okay now I am off to spend Valentine's evening in my incredibly boring litigation class (I guess it's not that boring, really; I just have absolutely no interest in litigation). Happy VD kids.