Closet Core Patterns recently released a lingerie pattern collection featuring F O U R gorgeous patterns! I couldn’t help but swipe up the Celine Bralette and Anais Panties on the day they were released. I’ve made one set so far and it is true love for me!
The promotional photos for these patterns featured a lot of simple, basic black mesh, which inspired me to turn to my all-time favorite soft stretch mesh. I used the new Ultraviolet elastics and I’m obsessed with the color combination. I made a few decisions about the designs and a few changes (based on my materials) that I’ll tell you more about.
The Celine Bralette is described as “for everyday wear and casual lounging,” so I went ahead and cut the whole dang thing from soft black stretch mesh. Based on my measurements, I cut a size 8 with A/B cups (my underbust is about 80cm and my full bust is about 90cm). I made View A with the darted cup and extra stripey bit at the neckline, but I used the straight back bands from View B. (I can’t wait to make more of these and experiment with fabrics and different textures for this piece.)
Really wanting to use my 11mm scalloped underband elastic in Ultraviolet, I skipped the fabric-covered underband and ended up with more narrow bands, leading me to use a 30mm hook and eye, instead of the suggested 38mm one. I could’ve altered the pattern going into it, and I may do that on a future one, but luckily this did work fine for me. Your results may vary, of course! I made sure to measure and check the size of the back bands before attaching the underband and foldover elastics to make sure that my hook and eye closures would fit.
I do have to be honest that I did not read the instructions that closely! I’m sure they’re wonderful. I have other Closet Core patterns, and the clarity of the instructions is great for things like the Ginger Jeans or Kalle Shirtdress, but for me personally, I felt like I could zip through a simple bralette and panty set on my own. The only thing I didn’t look at closely is that the cup piece should’ve been doubled; mine ended up being a single layer. Oops!
For the Anais panties, I made the low-rise version of View A with foldover elastic. I am a BIG FAN of low-rise panties. It’s mind-boggling to be on the wrong side of a trend, but I do *not* enjoy high-waist or high-cut legs, so the option for low-rise made me so happy! Hey, we’ve all got our own preferences. For my all-mesh version, the panels felt a bit unnecessary, but I’m already planning more versions with jersey and color-blocking, and having side panels will be great for contrast. I made a size 12 (my waist is 77cm and hips are 102cm) and it fit well.
What to say about panty construction? Everything came together perfectly! If you’ve ever made panties, then these are nothing new.
The fit is great. For me personally, with my, *ahem*, small bobbins, an all-mesh bralette works for everyday wear. These gals don’t require much! If I wanted to increase the level of support, I would make a few fabric decisions. Since the back bands and cups consist of two layers, I could cut the mesh in opposing directions, or *not* in the direction of greatest stretch, for additional support. Or, one layer could be replaced with a firmer mesh, powermesh, powernet, etc.
Here’s a list of materials I used:
- 1/4m black stretch mesh
- 1 piece bamboo jersey gusset lining, black
- 5m foldover elastic, ultraviolet
- 1m 11mm scalloped underband elastic, ultraviolet
- 1m 12mm satin strap elastic, ultraviolet
- 1 set 12mm rings and sliders, black nylon-coated
- 1 30mm (2×3) hook and eye closure, black
I already mentioned some ideas for future Celine and Anais sets, but I’ll also likely use my 30mm wide band elastics on the underband to see if that offers a bit more support. Playing around with transparency and colors too, textures like bamboo jersey and lace; there are so many possibilities!