Sweet Nothings

by Adrianna

It’s almost that time of year, when lovey things and, most importantly, chocolate (!) flows abundant. Similar to other giving holidays, most people find themselves overwhelmed with what to get others. In this post, I will be reviewing the darling book, Sweet Nothings, which we carry at Bolt. This book, although maybe not suitable for all Valentine’s gifts, can give you ladies some ideas to simply treat yourself, and a honey if you have one. Sweet Nothings is a very appropriate title for this gem of a book. Featured are the most comfy, charming, classy, and feminine lingerie and lounge patterns that will have you day-dreaming of staying in bed all day; a Parisian garden bedroom with lots of breezy curtains and endless cups of tea and a book that is. 

All of these patterns are fairly simple and quick to sew up, and you can experiment with materials you may have never worked with before! As is traditional with most lingerie, there are many patterns that involve lace and sheer fabrics. Don’t be frightened! This book has great tips and tricks on how to easily work with these materials. Also, since most lingerie and lounge garments don’t require much fabric, you can easily sew one of these babes up in an hour or less. Great for a last minute Valentine’s project!

The sample that I sewed up for the shop was a cami and trunks combo. These patterns are extremely easy to sew up and require very little supplies. The most important ingredient is wide stretch lace, which we currently have plenty of at the shop, in various beautiful colors. 

With the wide stretch lace, you simply need to cut out a few pattern pieces, seam them together, and voila! Done! The book’s patterns and tutorials explain how you can use the wide lace to its full advantage by using the lace edges to provide a clean finish. No hemming or finishing necessary with this lingerie set.

The hardest part about the cami, which isn’t difficult at all, is attaching the straps. We also have you covered with colored stretch elastic and strap adjusters at the shop. Simply lay the cami flat, pin on the back where the straps would line up with the center seams of the front, and sew on the straps! There is a great step by step in the book on how to set up the strap adjusters, and here’s a picture for a peak at how easy it is:

For even more simplicity, the trunks are the zippiest thing to sew up, possibly ever. With just three pattern pieces, you’ll find yourself making a ton of these in no time. 

Although you can sew this set up with a regular straight stich sewing machine, using a serger is also ideal for this fabric. Since there is no additional finishing with the seams, I have a trick for you that I learned from tailoring to help seal off those serged edges. Unlike a simple backstitch which you can do with a straight stitch sewing machine, with a sergered seam, you have two options. One, if using a polyester thread, you can burn the string left over from serging. Personally, taking a flame to any delicate fabric piece I have just sewn up scares me a bit, so another option is tying off the ends.

To do this, trim the remainding string about an inch to where the fabric edge is. Then, gently pull on the threads until they start coming apart. Whether using a three thread or four thread serger you will find there will be two strands of thread that are easier to pull apart from the others. Tie these two threads together in a few knots to secure the edge of the seam, and that’s it! 

Although I have never really been much of a lingerie gal myself, with how easy and cheap it is to make these sweet delicacies I have discovered I can’t stop sewing these up! With all the classy and gorgeous lace and trims we have at the store, you may also find yourself developing a new favorite sewing item. This book is also a great reference to have, with tips on hand and machine sewing delicate and sheer fabrics, and comes with paper patterns and templates for all the items. Treat yourself to this book, or get it as a gift for someone special! This book will definitely be a gift that keeps on giving.

Happy sewing, see you soon!