REVIEW: Kwik Sew Beautiful Lingerie, Slip

My finished garment and alterations can be seen here.
I used the Kwik Sew Beautiful Lingerie Master Pattern to create the pattern for the slip.  The master pattern is the same for the body of almost all the garments--the slip, teddy, chemise,and camisole all use the same FRONT and BACK pieces.  The only additional piece for the slip is the shoulder strap.
The book says to simply lengthen the pattern on tracing paper to create the slip from the chemise master pattern pieces.  I lengthened mine by about 8 inches, but found the angle provided for the lengthening to be too narrow--my slip was quite tight in the thighs.  I would have doubled this angle if I had it to do over.
As far as tailoring, caveat seamstress!--this pattern has no darts and very little shape to it!  It will definitely need alteration if you have any curves and want any sort of fitted look.
All in all, a very simple, quick pattern.  The fact that it is a total blank slate makes it a great building block for anything.  It's ready for trim and beautiful, luxurious fabrics, but don't expect it to fit well right off the machine.  Definitely expect to use your alterations skills to work out a flattering fit around your bust and waist.

Slipped

Well. Vanessa's slip has spent the last two months in a crunchy little ball at the back of a cabinet.  I'm sure many of you can relate--after hours of drafting, snipping, and pinning, the initial garment looked like an enormous, filmy sack.

Yikes.

Slips

via: Etsy Store Childhood Memories

This pattern is more or less the first project from our book.  The simple "hopefully this takes about 1/2 an hour" slip pattern.  It is not as dated as some of the others, so we figured it would be the least daunting to work around  Vanessa is sewing the full-slip version, while Margaret sews the half slip.

    So we sat down on our respective giant plaid couches and had a talk, deciding if we were going to do this, we wanted to do it right.  We want lingerie we will actually wear and love, not just things that we happened to sew that either end up in a ball half completed or shamefully worn on laundry day.

    That is where this book came in.  Kwik Sew's Beautiful Lingerie.  It comes with 7 basic patterns for  slips, camisoles, briefs, panties, teddies, nightgowns and robes.  We figured we might as well master the basics together (finishing techniques and fabric types, not to mention the patterns themselves) and have those under our respective belts before we tackle individual projects and more complex patterns.  Admittedly, the book is a little 90's in style, but we imagine the basic concepts are the same.  Our tastes seem to lie heavily in the sultry-but-fitted retro aspect of lingerie these days, but who knows, we are perfectly capable of developing a soft spot for flannel.  Plus, the simple designs as a project that takes less than a week to complete is a very appealing concept.

Goals, Ideas, and Upcoming Projects

The Pink Ladies in Grease.  Pretty much all the inspiration you need.

Colette Madeleine Mini Bloomers i.e. First Actual Post!

Remember the time we decided we were going to make a blog?  So do we.  Ahh.  Those were the days.  Anyway... Here is our first project: The Colette Madeleine Mini Bloomers.

Welcome to Adventure!

     Welcome to our new blog!  We have both been lifelong sewists?sewers?seamstresses?  Anyway, we have been around the sewing block.  We are also dedicated lingerie enthusiasts, believing that what you wear inside your clothes is just as important as what people see on the outside.  In our sewing careers, we have noticed a lack of patterns and information dedicated to the art of sewing lingerie, so we decided to change that!  Our goal is to cover as many patterns as possible, creating for ourselves a slightly-less-expensive-than-store-bought lingerie wardrobe while also compiling what we learn into a handy database for ourselves and whoever else wants it.  We imagine it's a pretty small group (hi, Ellis), but we are always willing to share.

     We figure sewing lingerie will allow us to use a lot of the more luxurious fabrics we haven't gotten to use in apparel, due to weight, stretch, general price, etc.  You may see some stash-shrinking projects as well, since the Halloween ghost fabric Margaret loves so much isn't likely to see the light of day as outerwear anytime soon.  We're looking forward to trying some new fine finishing techniques and practicing our applique skills, as well as eventually mastering sewing our own bras.  We have very different taste in many things, including undergarments, so there will likely be a little something for everyone.

     Hope whoever reads this enjoys coming along for the ride as we explore the world of less-is-more.  As RuPaul says, if you can't love yourself, how the hell you gonna love someone else?