Christine, clothing and nipples and sparkling, oh my

Ah Kit...you are a delightful being!!

This is such a fun subject - and certainly the part of prolapse recovery that helped put everything back together for me. No matter what happens, we are infinitely creative beings who are able to respond to life in artful and soul-satisfying ways. Is there a woman out there who doesn't enjoy dressing herself?

I would love to spend hours writing back, but have a day of projects ahead of me. I will noodle on your questions, though, and see if I can get back here later this evening.

xC.

or something. I have this shirt I LOVE. It is dressy. but a tank top style- it has a band under the breasts and is V neck- but in the bathing suit way- where it sort of outlines the cups criss cross- then right under the band A lines so it flows- oh but not in a maternity way- anyway I can totally relax my belly (which makes me look like the early stages of pregnancy) and you can tell at all- plus the criss cross is so supportive I only wear a bra when I want to create clevage.
oh and one more thing- did you know women actually purchase fake nipples to put under their shirts for that "stand up" look. If you got it flaunt it. Erect nipples are sexy.

Alemama, did you know it's possible to make a pattern from a finished piece of clothing without taking the garment apart? Then you can make as many as you like in as many colors and fabrics as you like. It's also possible then to easily make a shirt pattern into a dress, or a dress pattern into a shirt, by just lengthening or shortening the pattern.

Your shirt sounds interesting.

Ellen

alemama, I have the same (sexy?) nipple problem. found these things, forgot what they're called (now that I'm bf and constantly wearing nursing pads I'm ok) but they are meant to keep the nipples from showing when going bra-less. they stick on to your areola. got mine in target for something like $6 for 2 prs. you can reuse them a few times too. expensive for everyday wear but good for special (non sexy) occasions.

was thinking about crossover tops or something with ruching down the front or an empire seam when you asked about the top.

ellinala - HOW do you copy a garment without taking it apart????
would LOVE to know how to do that

Hi All

Yeah, you knew I would raise my eroto-centric head over this one eventually. Sorry Kit but I think you just have particularly well-trained nipples and a particularly well-trained husband. If you think it is bad having nipples that stand up all the time when they are not supposed to, ask some fourteen year old boy about how to tame an erection on the school bus, and you will be happy to just put up with your nipples. ;-)

The only advice I can give you is to wear tops that are loose around the boobs and let them bob away to their heart's content, or to learn to enjoy those nipples that God gave you. You could also try a couple of layers in that part of the garment, but keep the lining fabric very soft so it doesn't scratch the end of the nipples or stimulate them more. I am sure that your nipples will eventually get used to more stimulation and tone down their act a bit, in the same way as the boy with the erection on the school bus. I think it is called desensitisation.

There are so many nerve endings in the nipples, but particularly the areolae. They are designed to delight and attract both babies and men, and can do neat tricks like standing on their toes when touched in the right way. Babies need this, particularly as newborns, when some are faced with an areola about the same size as their whole face when they have only been on this earth for 2 days. If the nipple didn't stand up they would have no target for those sensitive little lips to find the handle to draw much of that areola and nipple deep into the back of their throat and reach the sinuses below the nipple so they can squeeze their gums together and squirt the milk down their throat. Mmmmm, delicious!

Men probably need little handles for very much the same reason, going into caveman mode at the sight of a breast, as they do. It is all instinctive, I am sure.

Re dressmaking, you could also look at my post which I think is entitled "body clone" in the clothing forum. I have made a stuffed model of myself out of duct tape, using my body to make the cast and can now make tops that fit e-x-a-c-t-l-y. It has absolutely identical measurements as me in all places, and even has one higher shoulder, one lower boob, and uneven hips. I made a fitted camisole top with narrowish straps to go with an evening skirt and the shoulder straps don't even fall off, even when I am dancing.

Cheers

Louise

Alemama --

I found a book in the library some years ago, and then bought a copy, called Making Patterns from Finished Clothes, by Rusty Bensussen. There are a number of them available right now on half.com for a dollar-something.

She walks you through it step by step, and I've done shirts, jackets and pants that way. There is a degree of trial and error in copying some patterns but it isn't really difficult, and the first time you sew your pattern you can make any necessary tweaks. I've found it pretty easy and extremely useful.

Ellen

You are all so creative! I wish I could turn my hand to the sewing machine and produce something. So many things I have wanted to make for the kids but I am hopeless and think I would need a course in using a sewing machine first!

One day when the kids are older and I am no longer needed as a full-time mum I will need to do something to bring extra cash into the house and I would love to make and sell things from home. Maybe when my youngest is a bit older I will have more time to dedicate to that.

A

Hi Anita

I really couldn't live happily without my sewing machine and associated stuff. They go into life's essentials basket for me, along with shelter, food, pliers, fencing wire, a stove, a sharp knife, scissors, a pencil, my swiss army knife, a torch and duct tape.

I've been sewing my own clothes since I was 12, and was taught to sew on a treadle Singer by my grandmother who earned her keep as a widow, as a seamstress and housekeeper, before she could be talked into getting a widow's pension. My sewing is very practical rather than fashion conscious. I think I used to drive Grandma nuts when I went to stay with her, so she figured I should have something constructive to do with my time there. I am eternally grateful to her, as it opened up a whole new world for me of resilience, can-do attitude, and seeing existing, but redundant things made out of fabric as just fabric available for another use. Grandma used to recycle clothing into dolls clothes, linin tablecloths into serviettes and stuff like that, and I guess I have inherited that bit of creativity from her.

Learning to use a sewing machine is not difficult, but having a good quality, basic machine that is easy to adjust is very important. Don't get pulled into the trap of buying a cheap brand that will be off the market tomorrow, and will not keep its tension properly. Also I would suggest that buying a secondhand machine that you have not had for a trial period is not a really good idea because you can easily be buying somebody else's nightmare. To this day I still use a basic portable Bernina that I purchased 30 years ago. It has basic straight stitch, basic zigzag, blind hemming stitch, a variable zigzag for sewing seams that need a lot of stretch, an edge finishing stitch and a couple of stitches for sewing extremely stretchy materials like spandex (eg used in foundation garments). I rarely use the last two, and can do all but the most fiddly handsewing on my machine. I have never needed any more features, but I don't do craft type sewing that needs computer-generated embroidery etc. I did purchase an overlocker about ten years ago; it has been very useful but if I had to get rid of one, it would be the overlocker.

My sewing machine allows me to make anything of any size and alter anything in anyway, as long as it is made from fabric, or up to medium weight vinyl or leather. I have added 18 inches to the length of duvets for my tall sons. I have made cheap and glamorous simple ballgowns that fit perfectly for my daughter. I made my own simple wedding dress for $38. And everything in between, including carry bags for fishing rods and school production costumes.

I don't think you need any more lessons than the intro to the specific machine you buy, and that class is usually part of the price of the machine. After that it is only a machine that can join together pieces of fabric and you can use it however you want to.
I figure that I paid for my machine by making an after five outfit that would have cost several hundred dollars to buy, so it has been a very good investment, and has enabled me to produce things that only exist in my imagination, things you cannot buy.

You can use it as an outlet for your creativity; a productive way of spending time with other women, eg quilting; save money by constructing things that are expensive to purchase or altering bargain purchases that don't fit well; fix shoddy workmanship and repair bought garments so you don't have to purchase more; give your time and sewing skill to others as an act of love. You probably could make money out of it too if you plan it carefully.

Cheers

Louise

Oh Kit...I'm so busy sewing for Christmas that I haven't found my way back to this thread...but you've sparked a lively discussion and received some good ideas.

I agree with the others about the nipples...let 'em shine! However, if you want to build in a bit of support and camouflage, you might try sewing together a couple of layers of flannel into a half-moon shape and carefully hand stitching them into place at your bustline on the inside of your blouse. This will not work with sheers, but is not unsightly in heavier and darker fabrics. If they are noticeable at all they kind of look like inside pockets. Then, if you create darts or some other technique to make the blouse a bit more fitted, the inside "cups" will snug up against your breasts and give both support and concealment.

I also make padded outside pockets in my casual house dresses right over my bustline, which serves the same purposes.

Christine