Dreams about making gorgeous underwear

Now that I have little to do except wait for my pattern and toile kits to arrive, it's good to dream about what I'll make when I've tweaked the pattern, to list the questions I have, and to imagine other possibilities beyond bras.

I want to make well-fitting, gorgeous, unique panties and bras. Made with some lace, and often contrasting findings. Made with impeccable eye to detail, and supportive features. I'll try the support panels presented in the bra-makers manual, try boning the lower cup, boning on the band... I'll make a 'baseball cup' bra, as well as differently cut bra cups to test which shape suits me the best. I will use padding to shape the cups somewhat and to create a more ready-to-wear look.

Questions that I have now:
- embroidery and attaching lace: how to use embroidery needles and the machine in new ways? There is a set of directions for a gorgeous lacy camisole at the Threads site, maybe I would like to make something similar.
- how to cut overall lace? I've got this tangerine number that I would like to use but have no idea how to deal with the edges...
- how to use the bones that I do have? are they long enough? (most likely not since they were 65 and 60mm)
- What kind of yarn to use when making bras?
- do I need a double needle for topstitching? or would it just be a bad idea?
- how much elastics does one need for a pair of knickers? How about a bra? (What amounts do I order in the future?)
- What are the different kinds of fabrics good for? What is lycra, what is spandex, what is jersey? What sewing machine needles to use with each fabric?

Lingerie fabrics really puzzle me. Last night I went through the lists of what I had ordered 3 years prior, and couldn't really figure out how to use each fabric. It would be wonderful to have an experienced lingerie seamstress with me to go through my supplies! As it is, I'll probably have to learn through trial and error. And a note to self: in the future I will match each fabric that comes in the door with the description from the shop I got it from - that way I hope that I can keep track of what I've got and what I can make with it.

I found a new place that sells interesting and well-coordinated bra kits, bracomponents.com. I might order something from them in the future since the shipping costs to Europe are reasonable. First I'll use up the 4 toile kits I ordered, shouldn't take longer than a couple of weeks, though.