Doctor T Designs

I didn’t feel like I’d sewn a whole lot this year, especially given how little I’ve been in my sewing space the past few months. However, when I look back at this year I made even more than last year! I don’t know if this year’s Top 5 post is going to be quite as in depth as last year’s post, but I do like to do these end of the year reviews just so I have a way to look back at everything I’ve made in a year.

Let’s jump in to my look back at sewing in 2024:

Sewing Output

In 2024 I made:

• 0 Tops
• 0 Pants
• 0 Jumpsuit
• 0 Skirts
• 1 Dress
• 0 Coats/Jackets/Capes
• 0 Sweaters/Cardigans
• 0 Athletic Gear
• 42 Sleepwear/Undergarments
• 0 Costumes/Cosplay
• 0 Accessory
• 0 Home Dec/Crafts
• 0 Refashion/Mending

TOTAL: 1 Garment + 42 Undergarments + 0 Crafts + 0 Mending Projects = 43

This year I made 43 new items, though some were gifts and not everything was specifically for my wardrobe. Like last year the majority were bras and underwear, so relatively small projects that could go together more or less quickly. I am very happy that my bra sewing feels like I’m getting closer and closer to that illusive “perfect” fit, so although it’s been a multi-year journey, I’m very happy I’ve put the time and energy into the process because I almost exclusively wear self-sewn undergarments at this point, and I can’t see myself going back to RTW any time soon.

Here how many times I used each pattern brand in 2024:

• 0 Burda (Non-Magazine)
• 0 BurdaStyle Magazine
• 0 Butterick
• 1 McCall’s
• 0 Vogue
• 0 KwikSew
• 0 Simplicity
• 0 New Look
• 0 My Image Magazine
• 0 Patrones Magazine
• 2 Cashmerette
• 1 Jalie
• 1 AFI Atelier
• 7 Bravo Bella
• 1 B,Wear
• 3 Emerald Erin
• 5 La Bella Coppia
• 3 LilyPADesigns
• 2 Pin-up Girls
• 4 Rubie’s Bras
• 10 Self-Drafted
• 3 Other

The bra sewing frenzy kept going from 2023 into 2024. Most of the new patterns I tried this year were bra patterns from indie designers. I’ve expanded quite a bit beyond the Pin-up Girls line that I started with, and I’ve been quite active in The Bra Bee Hive, which has been so helpful in looking for good starting points and how different patterns are shaped and sized. I will admit that while I thought I would have been sewing more Cashmerette and B,Wear this year, I’ve really been focusing on the La Bella Coppia Josey pattern as well as some of the LilyPADesigns. The AFI Maya was a surprise favorite as well, though I’ve only made one version thus far.

I suppose it’s a bit surprising that of the garment patterns the only one I managed to sew was a McCall’s, especially after raving over the Patrones and Burda patterns this year. I will say I almost made a designer Vogue instead, but fate and time had different plans.

Top 5 Skills Acquisitions

It might sound a bit sad to say, but when I think about skill acquisitions this year is pretty much comes down to fitting, fitting, fitting. There is so much to learn about bra fitting, use of DOGS (degree of greatest stretch) in pattern pieces, and the ways that tiny changes can have a huge impact on fit. So really when I think about where I’ve leveled up, it really all comes down to fitting. Though I will say that using boning on my strapless Marei bra probably gets an honorable mention because that project required some new construction skills.

Top 5 New Tools

I didn’t really get any fancy new tools this year like I did last year. I don’t know that organization boxes count as “tools” but I do think they have helped me be quite a bit more efficient with bra sewing because there are so many small random pieces that need to be kept organized.

Top 3 Sewcializing Events

Another year where I didn’t attend anything in person, but my top picks from last year continue to be my top picks for this year:

(3) Blogging has continued to be the mainstay for me. I have fallen off a bit the past few months in terms of keeping up with my blog reading list, but I hope to get back to it in the new year. I love seeing what everyone makes, and getting the details that long form written content can provide in ways that gets missed on Instagram. I’ve found that I’m not looking at (or finding?) as much sewing content on Instagram anymore, so blogs have kind of become the place where I’m see what everyone else is up to.

(2) Sewing time with my sister has continued to be one of the ways I sewcialize most. Her style and sewing goals are very different from mine, so it has been really fun talking about all of her sewing projects!

(1) International Bra Sewing Bee/The Hive continues to be in my top spot this year. Like blog reading, I’ve been a bit absent the past few months due to the changes in my work situation and the amount of traveling I’ve been doing, but it has been really fun to be(e) a part of the community this year! Everyone is really encouraging and helpful, and I have learned a lot about fitting and construction, as well as having been super inspired by what everyone else is making. I’m super excited to try even more projects and Bee/Hive events next year!

Top 5 Misses

I’ve honestly been quite pleased with most of what I’ve made this year, but I do have a few projects that could have been a bit better in terms of fit, style, or fabrication.

Honorable mention: Cashmerette Loftus. This is a weird one because I honestly wear the pattern a lot. However, I find the neckline itchy and I really don’t love the “lace” in person (I bought a kit online and thought it would look a bit different). On the one hand, I find the shaping of the cups a bit odd and the fit to be imperfect, but, on the other hand, you can’t argue with amount of use this bra has in my wardrobe. I’m tempted to try this pattern in a size down as was recommended in the Hive to see if it creates a better fit/silhouette. This isn’t an easy pattern to test fit because of the amount of materials it needs and the shape of the cups, but I do want to return to it and see if I can manage a comfortable version in a fabrication that I like.

(5) The second version of the Sahaara bra. I wanted to test my fit on the Sahaara so I made a version direct from the pattern. Of all the Sahaara’s I’ve made, this has the worst fit. I still wear it on occasion, but the cups are definitely a bit small.

(4) LilyPADesigns Lusamine. I was at the part of my fitting adventure when I made this where I didn’t really have a “correctly” fitting bra, so my BCD and HH measurements were not very accurate. Plus, I lost a bit of volume between when I started this pattern and when I finished. I ended up taking a lot out of the cups, but I think the fit is still incorrect and it doesn’t offer a lot of support, even though the band fits great. Based on my experience with the Marei strapless bra, I’m going to try this pattern starting from the middle size packet instead of the large size packet and see if it will result in a better fit. Now that I have a few more bras with better fit, I have better measurements, and I think I will have a much better starting point in the LilyPADesigns range. Next year might actually be the Year of LilyPAD for me because I have so many patterns I want to try. And despite the sad fit I still think this might be one of the prettiest bras I made this year!

(3) The first two versions of the Friday French Cuts. The “full coverage” version wasn’t very full coverage on me, and even my second attempt to widen the back wasn’t quite enough. They look cute until I start moving, then they are most decidedly not cute. I’m happy to report that my third version of this pattern was fantastic and it’s one of my favorites underwear styles now, so although it made it on the “fails” list, it eventually became a big win!

(2) The Aries Bra. I put a lot of effort into trying to fit this pattern and I made a really pretty bra, but I’ve never worn it because it doesn’t fit well at all and gives a cursed quad-boob effect on the body. I love the style, but I’m above the size range and it seems like a lot of work to fit. I’ve got some ideas about how to modify other patterns to “get the look” though, because I really want one of these that I can wear – it’s such a pretty pattern!

(1) Daisy Bralette. I was enamored with the style of the pattern and how the lines looked easier to sew than the Sahaara, with some fun options for lace. However, from a fit perspective, this was a huge fail and I don’t really wear it because it doesn’t really fit at all. I basically resorted to using the Mysa Bralette pattern to mimic this style to get the design and fit that I wanted.

Top 5 Hits

I don’t know if what I’ve made this year has been as spectacular as what I made last year in terms of how it looks, but I think that a lot of what I’ve made this year has been much better in terms of fit. I am constantly reaching for my latest self-stitched items and I’m excited to revisit some of my old patterns in the new year. 

Honorable Mention: LilyPADesigns Marei Strapless Bra. Not the most practical of bras, and not a perfect fit on my first version, but overall it’s really good and I love how this turned out. I also learned a lot of skills making it. Plus, I’ve got an actually supportive strapless bra!

(5) Fancy Sahaara. It looks like it would be itchy, but cleaver use of elastics and foam means that I don’t actually touch any of the itchy stuff. I don’t wear this enough, honestly, because it fits even better than the versions I made out of duoplex, and it’s a great wire-free bra option. It just feels too fancy to wear on a random day full of house chores, but there’s not really a reason I couldn’t wear it for that…

(4) Foam Cashmerette Willowdale. This bra is super comfortable and the Willowdale is still one of my favorite patterns, despite only making it once this year. I also loved trying out one of the more advanced techniques from the 2023 Bee to create a “seamless” cover to mimic the look of RTW foam bras, which hasn’t worked for me with other techniques because of the size of my cups. The only thing that’s a bit unfortunate about this is that I can’t wear it under light colored shirts, but that just means I need to make another in a beige color (with my leftover strapless bra satin perhaps?). Overall though, this is one of my most comfortable and favorite things I made this year and I’ve worn it a lot!

(3) McCall’s 8340. The one non-undergarment I made this year was a hit and I love this dress. I want to make a more casual version that I can wear to events that are a bit less formal because it’s such a great style.

(2) Josey Bra. This is a bit of a cheat because I’ve made several Josey’s this year, but I wear all of them a lot! Although I think that I may have a few other patterns that I prefer in terms of shaping, the Josey was much less work to fit and the upper cup is great for a lot of wider laces so I’m sure I’ll be using this pattern a lot in the future! This year I made 5 Josey’s and it’s hard to pick a favorite. I always pull out the black one when I want something that will just look good under clothes, I use the beige ones a lot under light colored clothes, and the cotton one is fun and great for super hot or humid weather. The cherry one is probably the most comfortable because the elastics are super soft, and it’s super fun with the print and the lace. I want to get back to some other patterns, but I think I have at least a few more Josey bras in my upcoming sewing plans because it’s a great pattern.

(1) AFI Maya Bra. I know – I’m shocked too! I didn’t even want to make this pattern because my previous experience trying an AFI pattern did not turn out super well, but I decided to make it because of a fitting challenge in the Hive. Now it’s probably my most worn bra – definitely the one a grab for if I need a proper wired bra but want to be comfy all day. I need to make more with this pattern because it gives me great shaping and is super comfortable. I will admit it took me a fair amount of work to get it to fit, and I recently tweaked it a bit more for an upcoming version, but even the test fit left me super excited. I think it will be a TNT pattern before too long!

Top 5 Reflections

Although I don’t feel like I focused much on new skills this year, I do think I got much better at using the skills I do have. Here are my big takeaways from 2024:

(5) Sometimes you have to work in a big circle before ending back at the beginning. When I made my first bra back in 2022, I measured BCD in my current at the time RTW foam bras (which you aren’t really supposed to do) because they were all I had. Although I was originally very pleased with the fit of my first few bras, the more I’ve gone through this journey, the worse I realized they fit. Anyway, long story short, I’ve been wandering all over the map with my BCD measurement because I’ve tried several different methods. But when I finally got a well fitting non-foam cup, I realized my BDC was actually very close to what I had started with back in 2022! Anyway, I’m glad I’ve tried a lot of different techniques because I’ve been able to figure out what works for me, but it does feel like I’ve taken a long winding road to get back to where I started in terms of fit and measurements.

(4) A lot of planing and testing doesn’t mean a successful garment is guaranteed. I made so many test samples of the Aries bra, and I thought I had all the fit issues worked out, but in the final version the fit was worse than in any of my fit samples.

(3) Don’t consider past work a waste, even if it didn’t result in anything at the time. The McCall’s dress pattern was traced by me several years ago and abandoned due to a fabric shortage. So when I was desperate to get a dress together, having the pattern ready to go and just needing to figure out how to piece the sleeves together completely allowed me to finish the dress in time. All of my past work allowed current me to focus on the issue at hand, and not have to start completely at the beginning.

(2) Be willing to try something new once in a while. I do think there is merit to finding patterns that work and making multiple of them, but I also think there is something to be said about trying something new. I wouldn’t have tried the AFI Maya pattern without the encouragement of others wanting to do a fit experiment in The Hive, but it’s ended up being one of my favorite styles! I’m glad I was willing to try something just for the sake of the experiment because it ended up working for me much better than I would have ever anticipated.

(1) Know when to work to a plan but don’t be afraid to go off on a tangent. I’ve made sewing plans in the past and honestly think that making a wardrobe sewing plan could be helpful for me next year. However, this year nearly all of my favorite makes happened on something of a whim. The McCall’s dress was an emergency pivot when my sewing plans ended up taking too long, the AFI Maya was an unexpected and unplanned sewing challenge, and the cherry Josey I made was mostly due to me deciding to try to squeeze in a few random projects when I thought I had time. Although there was something of a plan to my sewing goals this year, I was very willing to pivot and adjust as something came up and it resulted in some great finished garments.

Top 5 Goals from 2023: How’d I Do?

At the end of 2023 I had a few things I was hoping to get done this year:

(5) Make a sports bra and more athletic wear. I want to try to use some techniques in the various drafting books I’ve acquired to convert one of my patterns into a different style to get a nicely fitting sports bra. I’d also like to make leggings and some more tops to workout in. So, neither of these came to pass, though I did find a few sports bra patterns I want to try next year. I also didn’t make any workout leggings but my mom gifted me some for the holidays and I will say it’s made working out so much better! Lesson learned: sometimes it’s better to suck up the pride and just get the thing you need, even if you’d rather sew it, especially when lacking the thing is getting in the way of doing of other things. Zero points on the goal, but all the points on actually wanting to do workouts again.

(4) I want to make a pattern from Burda or one of the Big4/1 next year. It’s been a while since I’ve used one of these patterns and I sort of want to go back to my roots. Plus, after spending a year making undergarments, I need to add a few more regular garments to my wardrobe. I’ve got several projects that were half-started before I went so deep into bra sewing, so I’d like to finish some of those if I could. I made 1 McCall’s pattern (which is definitely Big 4/1) and it was one of the “half started” projects mentioned here, so I’m giving myself full credit here. Yes, I know it’s just one dress, but it still counts.

(3) The button front shirt is still on my list. I really want to figure the fit out and make something practical to wear! The white whale continues to be white-whalin’. Zero points, but at least one of my goals for next year is ready to go.

(2) Design and create more fun and interesting bras, obviously. I’ve have really enjoyed having a focus on bra fitting this year, and next year I want to focus on creating interesting things from all of the supplies I have accumulated this year. I’m really looking forward to jumping into my Bra Builders BRAdvent box, using a lot of the kits I couldn’t resist, as well as using a lot of the fancy laces I’ve accumulated. I’m also excited to try new bra patterns; I want to explore wire-free bras a bit more. While I like the support of a wired bra, I have enjoyed having alternative options to wear around the house on low-key days. I’m going to give myself this one. I haven’t totally started utilizing my fancy kits yet, but I have used some, as well as tried new pattern, wire-free patterns, and more experiments with fit and lace. I’m quite pleased with the progress I had this year, so I’m giving myself full marks here.

(1) Organize my sewing space. I last did a deep organization in 2020, and it’s become quite chaotic again since then. I need to figure out a better fabric storage method, because a lot of my stash is difficult to access and difficult to find. Having major house issues this year and needing to move a lot of stuff around really didn’t help, but my system has gone bad to worse and I feel like a good bit of organization will also help inspire me to get back to sewing some of my long-term projects and not just the latest shiny thing that shows up. Although my fabric storage situation still is not good, I actually did a lot of work in my sewing space this past month, and the organization is better. I’m going to give myself the point, though this goal isn’t entirely complete. But it is much more organized in my sewing space and I’ve got more room to use critical tools and areas so I’m very happy about this update.

Overall I’ve got a score of 3/5, which is better than my score the past 2 years. I’m probably being a bit more generous with the credit, but I did actually do a lot of things this year that I said I wanted to at the end of last year, so I’ll take that as a win!

Top 5 Goals for 2025

My goals for next year are a bit of an extension of goals from this year, but refined a bit now that I’ve had this year to work things out:

(5) Organize and streamline the fabric stash. I’ve been working on getting the rest of my sewing space in order, but I particularly need to figure out a plan for the fabric stash. It’s chaotic and taking up a lot of space, and I think there’s probably a lot that I could reduce because my idea of what “my style” is has changed a lot over the past decade and a half of sewing.

(4) I want to get back to wardrobe planning and filling out my closet with some garment sewing. In particular I really need some new work trousers, but I’m starting to run low on work tops too, especially now that I seem to be on Zoom every day. I’ve also got a post on style essences that’s been sitting in drafts for literal years at this point that I really want to finally post. I would like to replace a lot of items that are too small/worn/etc. I also want to be a bit more on top of sewing some of the trends I actually like – such as the metallic trousers that were everywhere in the fall and winter inspiration images this year. My goal is to focus on this a bit more next year in the hopes that I can stop having a wardrobe full of nothing to wear and start having a few specific go-to pieces or looks I can pull on the off chance I want to get dressed up.

(3) The white whale! A button front shirt is still on my list, as I fear it may ever be. But who knows… 2025 could be the year where I finally fit a button front shirt?

(2) I would like to sew a suit. Or maybe 2. Perhaps getting one pattern worked out and making 2 versions in different fabric, because I’m sort of over the awful polyester suits available at department stores and want to make something in a nice wool or linen.

(1) Increase my library of bra pattern options. Now that I have a better sense of my size in the LilyPADesigns line, I want to try a bunch of their different styles and pattern options. I also want to re-fit a lot of the B,Wear patterns. I’ve realized my original versions are s bit small, and I didn’t use wire spring in that band draft, which I have realized I prefer. I also want to try a new (to me) brand – Make Bra. I’m curious to see how they fit, and I especially want to try making their sports bra pattern because my current sports bras are starting to get a bit small and have been through the wash a few too many times. I also want to try some of the Porcelynne patterns because there are some interesting styles there as well. So, yes, probably I will still have lots of bra sewing next year, but hopefully with fun and interesting projects!

2024 Final Thoughts

I feel like sewing and the rest of life tend to be somewhat inverted. My sewing corner has been the place I retreat to when other things are not at their best, and this year I didn’t need that emotional crutch as much. I will say I’m honestly surprised at how much I’ve produced this year, especially considering I largely haven’t sewn at all the past 2 months. Overall I’m very happy with what I’ve sewn this year, and the progress I’ve made in fitting and creating custom undergarments for myself, as well as the one dress I managed to complete. I keep saying I want to work on more real clothes, but I think 2025 might be the year to push me back to sewing mainstream garments, though I’m sure I won’t forget about sewing bras. But I definitely need more options in the wardrobe and although buying workout pants filled a hole, I just can’t be bothered to buy work trouser anymore after making a fabulous self-drafted version a few years back. Work pants is definitely high on my list, as well as new tops, because I need a lot of them. There’s a lot of things on my sewing wishlist, and although my next style post is still sitting in drafts, I’m looking forward to going back to some wardrobe planning and hopefully using up some of my wonderful stash fabrics in the next year. But no matter what I make I’m excited to have a new year that is hopefully full of creativity and fun!