Bra Bee 2022 Sew Along- Willowdale Bra Sponsored by Cashmerette

Those who've been garment sewing know the name Cashmerette! Specializing in sewing for curves, Cashmerette has now expanded their sewing line of patterns to include a wider ranges of sizes and most recently, LINGERIE! Their newest pattern, the Willowdale, will be a sew along, and we couldn't be more excited! 

The Willowdale bra pattern is sized from a 28C to a 54J, so there are lots of size options! We've created 2 kit sizes, a Smaller and a Larger. The Smaller works for up to about a size 14 wire, and the larger goes up to the size 54J. The pattern has options which vary based upon a number of different factors including bra band size (for hook and eye), the band/cup intersection (for lower band size) and wire size (for strap). If you're new to bra sewing this might be a bit tricky, so we're offering a couple of helpful things. If you provide your underbust and full bust measurements we'll take our best guess at what you need. If you know what you need then you can just order it exactly like you need it. We're even offering an option for us to include both options if you're near the cutoffs and you want to make sure that you have the correct materials.

This is a summary of what the pattern is recommending:

For your reference, the bra in blue is a 40G and is the largest size for the Smaller kit. It uses a 4 hook and eye, a 5/8" lower band elastic and a 3/4" strap.

We have 2 different colors available for your Willowdale bra, Sea and Canary, and they both go along with all our other sew alongs! There are pretty flower bra charms to make them special, and a summery stretch lace to go with the summery palette. There are 2 base fabric choices, Super Simplex and Tricot. We are expecting to get our luxurious 50 denier tricot back in stock any day now, and this is a wonderful fabric for this bra. If you order the Tricot we'll fill your order once the fabric arrives. Our other option for fabric is our Super Simplex, which is a delightful fabric. I find that the Super Simplex is a bit more substantial, so this is my preference. It's easy to sew and has a lovely hand feeling. 

One of the benefits of the Tricot is that the fabric is 104" wide! When you get your kit in Tricot, you automatically have enough fabric to line your bra with the Tricot without needing to add a lining fabric. Or for a little bit more you can add a Sheer Cup Lining for a little extra stability. For the Super Simplex, you will need to add a lining fabric. You can add Sheer Cup Lining for more support or Tricot for a smoother feeling inside the bra. The trade off is in ease of fit. Because there is more give in the Tricot, you don't have to be as precise in the fit. I find the Sheer Cup Lining a bit easier to sew. The standard offering with Super Simplex is Sheer Cup Lining -- the Tricot is available as an option for a bit more cost.

The Willowdale Pattern is available here from the Cashmerette website.  The size chart is here, and the fitting guide is here. 

The Willowdale Sew Along Kit contains: