My Elastic Dyeing Adventures

I was looking everywhere in my town for navy stretch lace and bra strapping, and no one had any.  Nothing even close.  I already had navy fold over elastic but I wanted the other two to match.

I know I could have found what I was looking for online but the shipping times and prices combined with the fact I wanted to make it now made that option rather unappealing.

I did of course manage to track down stretch lace and strapping in white and some navy dye (after some hunting!).  So I got stuck in and am quite pleased with the results.

I did a little bit of googling and found this post by Dana Made It about dying elastic so I went for it.

I was recommended to use Idye Poly by the girl in Lincraft, however it didn't come in Navy.  I grabbed a bottle (as per Dana's post) of Rit Dye in navy and took a leap of faith.

I had five metres of lace and a metre of the strapping in 1/2 a bucket of water (about 5 litres) and half a bottle of dye.

The instructions said to stir continuously for 30-60 minutes. As if that was going to happen!  I stirred it every 5 minutes for about a minute each time for about 35-40 minutes before pulling it out.

This was the result as I pulled it out of the dye.  You can see the fold over elastic I was trying to match on the right so I thought I was pretty close. However after running it through the washing machine (as per instructions) the results were a little different.

As you can see the colours did change after they were washed.  They became a little more royal than Navy.  I probably should have kept them in for longer, or just dyed some fold over elastic instead of trying to match it to pre dyed elastic.  The strapping seemed to hold the dye better than the lace did, but they did still turn out quite well for a first attempt.  I'm sure this won't be my last.

Overall I highly recommend Rit liquid dye, even for the price (I think I paid about $19 a bottle at Lincraft).  It was an easy process to follow and had good results even on non cotton materials.  

Ohhh Lulu Jasmine Bra

So I actually used the fabric I blogged about in last weeks Sunday Stash.  Let me preface by saying I am in L.O.V.E with the results.

I was really in the mood to sew the other day.  I knew I had no plans and after a very busy week so I got set up in my sewing room with Gilmore Girls playing on my laptop and got stuck in.

Until recently I had never even considered sewing things like bras, undies and lingerie.  I don't know why, they'd just never been on my radar.  I'd seen a few different things on pinterest and they had caught my eye.  However it wasn't until I stumbled across Ohhh Lulu that I was hooked. So far I've made undies using both her Grace and Betty patterns.

I used the Ohhh Lulu Jasmine Bra pattern and honestly can't believe how easy it was.  There were only three pattern pieces, each on a separate page so no taping required.  Plus if you made it unlined you would only need to sew five seams - talk about crazy easy!

I used this bra kit from Susan at Measure Twice Cut Once.  I can't recommend it enough, the fabrics are wonderful and the colour is amazing!

I fully lined my bra with the tricot from the kit, I wanted to give it a bit more structure than just a plain lace bra.  This was still simple enough as I just followed the instructions in the pattern.  Though next time I would make sure that I took more care to ensure that the lining sat better inside the bra.  I feel that in the one I've made the lining is marginally too large, though not enough to stop me being crazy happy with the results.

The details are some of my favourites.  The elastics are brilliantly feminine yet robust enough to survive wear.  The straps have a delicate detail which I love.  

I've got to say it is amazingly comfortable to wear and I now need to make enough to make to have one to wear every day of the week.  Sarah at Ohhh Lulu also released new patterns this week, I think this could be bad for my budget!

Have you ever thought about making a bra or underwear?

Sunday Stash - Everyone Deserves Pretty Knickers Week

In my quest to make some more knickers and bras I took a trip to Lincraft to get some supplies (and enjoy their 40% off).

I mostly purchased mesh and lace as it comes in very handy for the patterns I'm using.  Plus they help make things look a bit more feminine.

The bottom on the pile is a slub knit.  It feels amazing!  I can't wait to get a pair of knickers in it!

While I was at Lincraft I also took advantage of their selection of lingerie trims and elastics and stocked up (Why weren't these included in the 40% off!)

I think I got a pretty good selection.  Fold Over Elastic in white, black, nude and navy.  Black Rick Rac Elastic trim, matching width elastics, a whole matching set including bra strapping and fluro green bra strapping!  I have no idea what I'm using the green with at the moment but I love it!

I had grabbed some bra hardware, like hooks and strap adjusters and left them all at the counter, thankfully without paying for them!  These kind of things tend to happen to me on a Friday afternoon.

I've already used some of it to have some fun and make some pretty new knickers, I can't wait to get stuck in and make some more!

I'm linking up with Molli Sparkles for Sunday Stash today.