The Giraffe Print Bra I’ve received several emails about the “Craftsy bras”, or more specifically, the bras that were made for and featured on my Craftsy classes. I guess people want to see them close up and in more detail than was shown in the filming of the classes. So I am doing a series […]
New Band Elastics We made a commitment over a year ago to have all the same style of band elastic available in our 14 stock colours. We chose these new band elastics because we knew their firmness would be good for all body types and for all sizes. That goal has now been realised with […]
Shamrock and Black Lace It is St. Patrick’s Day and what better way to say Top o’ the mornin’ to ya than with a beautiful Shamrock and Black lace bra! This is an unusual and vibrant colour but what the heck…after a long winter, we all want to see something green! And shamrock green and black it is! A balconette bra made of […]
Today we spent a day touring Barcelona, and what a spirited day it was! Not one but two basilicas were on our list of must-see places here and they did not disappoint. First was the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia in the Gothic Quarter. The pictures do not do it justice at all. What gorgeous stained […]
Our first day in beautiful Barcelona with our group of bra-makers. We joined some of the people from the quilting group to go on a tapas tour. Can you spot Rebecca, Margaret, Yolande and Denise in this picture? What’s that, you ask? Tapas is the Spanish word for bite size appetizers that you find in […]
Today, on Leap Day 2016, my newest Craftsy class Sewing Swimwear: the Supportive One-piece has launched! You can watch the trailer here… What will you find in this Sewing Swimwear class? how to choose a swimsuit pattern and appropriate spandex fabric. Sometimes the fabric choices seem to be overwhelming but with some guidelines, you’ll fear the […]
Kwantlen Polytechnic I’ve spent the week here at Kwantlen Polytechnic University teaching the next generation of designers hoping to work in the intimate apparel industry after graduation. And while I can’t complain about the winter we’ve had in southern Ontario up til now, February in Vancouver just has to be better than February in Hamilton! Here’s the […]
Bra-maker teaches how to create a perfect fit I don’t know how I missed this interview by the Canadian Press on You Tube entitled “Bra-maker teaches how to create a perfect fit”! But there may be some students (and staff!) you may recognize!
A second video made by the Canadian Press, called “on the job with a bra-making instructor” and again, I totally missed it on You Tube! Students Holly, Sophie, Julia, Jessie and Adrienne to name just a few, and our own staff member, Rebecca. You guys are stars!
Continuous Bias Strips This is not a technique that is strictly bra-related however every now and then you might have a use for making miles of continuous bias strips (think decorative bias trim on corsets, perhaps or in home dec such as upholstery, slipcovers, valances or cushions) You “could” cut the strips then sew them together […]
Make your Bra a Longline Bra I get asked all the time about when a longline pattern is going to come out in the Pin-up Girls line. It isn’t likely to be anytime soon as I have lots of “other” bra patterns in my brain struggling to spring forth! But the truth is, you already […]
Sewing Bras: Foam, Lace & Beyond Banish boring bras from your wardrobe! Elevate your skills as you learn techniques for adding style and support with lovely lace, flattering foam cups and more in Sewing Bras: Foam, Lace & Beyond, the latest in the series on Bra-making by Beverly Johnson Discover how to make a lace bra […]
Horizontal Hocus Pocus As promised in this last post, I am sharing with you how to convert your Classic Bra to a horizontal seamed cup. If you want to do that, stay with me for background theory. It’s not magic or horizontal Hocus Pocus, just good solid bra theory! There are hundreds of thousands of […]
Heather in Red and Black With the launch of the most recent online class through Craftsy, I decided to do a regular blog post on the bras created for the lessons. But you may not recognize some of them…as I will be featuring them in a different colourway than was used in the filming! This one for […]
For bra-makers the world over, one day is associated with a gift of lingerie, and that is Valentine’s Day. But hold on…if your bra drawer looks like this, do you really have room for more? If they all fit well, and you wear them, yes, there is always room! But what about the bras that don’t […]
After my last post about Cloning Ulla, I wondered how the pattern of the cloned bra compared to my Pin-up Girls Classic Bra pattern. As you know, the Ulla bra company is known for their large cup sizes so it would be interesting to see what makes them tick. Besides, when it comes to bra […]
Recently a student brought me an interesting challenge. She purchased a ready-to-wear bra and wanted one just like it, but not necessarily the same fabrics. I call this… wanting something the same, only different! Her bra was a European sized at 34K and it certainly did fit her nicely. But could cloning Ulla in a 34K […]
The class schedule for the very first American Bra-making Convention has been finalized and I am proud to share it with you! The convention will be held in beautiful Salt Lake City! I am thrilled to be going there with our American distributor, Camille from Sweet Cups Bra Supply! For more information as to location, […]
Now available on the Silver Screen nearest you (that means your monitor!) Your Fairy Bra Mother has “officially” launched her very own You Tube Channel! Talk about someone who has come kicking and screaming into the world of Social Media…for those of you that know me…this is a HUGE step for me. So far, I have 7 videos – […]
Two days of making swimwear started today at the Saskatchewan Stitches Conference. The students were told that there were several ways of supporting the bust in a swimsuit; shelf bras, pre-formed cups and free-floating bras. let’s look at each of these. 1. Shelf bras, which are a piece of fabric in the front of the suit with […]
Well, here I am in Denver! I just finished filming TWO new classes for Craftsy, plus I stayed over the weekend for the first ever Instructor Summit. There is so much going on here, but first, let me tell you how I got both Lost and Found in Denver! The Lost part is – I […]
I am in Denver this week filming two new Classes for Craftsy, and during a break, much to my surprise, someone recognized my name as having written articles for Threads magazine. Wow, what a memory! It should come as no surprise that this was none other than the editor of Threads Magazine, Sarah McFarland! Sarah […]
How to remove a serged seam I’ve been sewing for over 50 years (gasp!) and I have ripped out more, I dare say, than my fair share of sewn seams. Particularly vexing to sewists of all ages is the thought of ripping out a seam made with a serger. One of the ways I have […]
As bra-makers, we put a high value on our skills to make supportive, yet comfortable undergarments. Isn’t it time you use those same skills to make supportive, comfortable underwear for the man in your life? Wait, what’s that? Supportive Underwear for men and a pattern for men only? Yes, we are announcing our newest Pin-up Girls pattern […]
Christmas in the Village We have a weird little corner in our store – it’s under the stairs leading to the apartments upstairs. That corner is usually the catch-all corner for remnants, left-overs and sale items. Not an attractive corner by any means. Some time ago, one of our students offered us a deal to take […]
Bikini Time Just in time for sewing for the upcoming resort season – announcing the newest pattern in the Pin-up Girls line – the Triangles and Tangas Bikini pattern! Yes, it’s Bikini Time! Pin-up Girls is proud to present this collection of triangle tops and tanga bottoms for beachwear, swimwear or posing suits for fitness […]
Great news! We were written up by Paola Lorrigio of the Canadian Press and featured in the Hamilton Spectator, City News and others today! So we are in the news! You can see three of our students here – Julia in the back left, Adrienne up front and Jessie with me on the right! It’s […]
Here at the Saskatchewan Stitches Conference, we were lucky to have a student in our class who found a new way of cloning garments. When we combined that method with some bra-making ingenuity, the results were nothing less than spectacular! This post is how to Press and Peel a New Bra! Traditional cloning is done with the bra […]
I am back at St. Peter’s Abbey for the 13th annual Saskatchewan Stitches Conference, a wonderful retreat for those whose live to knit, sew and quilt. This is my room again this year…I see they redecorated my room with new textiles! Our daily routine here is scheduled by the bells in the tower. Bells for […]
As I prepare to go once again to beautiful Stockholm to the 3rd Annual European Bra Summit, I have some news about a Bra Summit Give-away! If you book your classes before June 6, your name will automatically be entered in the Early Bird Bra Summit Give-away. Prizes are gift certificates worth 500 SEK each! […]
We just finished up Swim Week and Master Swim class here in Hamilton. That means it’s time for the Digital fashion Show! What a great bunch of swimsuit makers we had this time! In Swim Week, they started with the basics, a tank or princess seamed suit with a set of bra cups inside attached to the […]
It’s our Corset Week Digital Fashion Show once again. Corset Week ended yesterday and you know what that means – you get to see what the students achieved in their exciting week of sewing. We had an unusually small group, but such enthusiasm for corset making! The started off Corset week by learning the theory of corset building […]
Hello Everyone! Great news! My second class in the Sewing Bras series on Craftsy has launched! Sewing Bras: Designer techniques is the one to watch if you have wanted to know all the tricks to make your bra a designer original! You’ll be able to make dozens of designer bras from all the techniques (over 30 in all!) […]
