Bra making Archives

More Harriet Bras!

22 September 2017 by Heather Lou 11 Comments

I was going through my photo library this week and realized I totally forgot to blog about some of the Harriet bras I made in a bra-making spree this spring. Since these get worn at least once a week I figured it was appropriate to talk about how much I love them.

The Harriet Bra from Cloth Habit is hands down my favourite bra pattern ever. I talked about my fitting process in this post, and now that I have that taken care of, I know I can bang a few of these out anytime the fancy strikes me. One of my favourite things about bra-making is how fast it is; once you get the techniques down you can easily make a few in an afternoon. I spent a lot of time this year sourcing beautiful laces and notions, so I'm set for a good long while (or until the next time Tailor Made Shop releases new kits).

This pretty lady is one of my favourites. Since it's fleshy coloured, it works well under white shirts, which is a nice alternative to the gross beige "tshirt" bra I was often wearing before this one entered the rotation. The lace and strap elastic are from Bra Maker's Supply, but most of the other notions have been picked up here and there over the years. I buy blush pink elastics whenever I find them since they look beautiful in coordinating and contrasting configurations. I never knew I was a lace bra girl, but Harriet has me hooked. They're just so darned pretty, and even a basic outfit feels a little elevated when I know I've got one on underneath.

I also wanted to experiment with making Harriet using other fabrics since the texture of lace often shows up under thin fabric. The most common bra cup fabric is duoplex, and while I think it can often look cheap, it has the perfect amount of stability and doesn't require any special treatment. I got a half yard of black duoplex from Bramaker's and used some of it for my third attempt at this pattern.

To jazz this bra up a little, I used a lined stretch lace for the cradle in addition to the duoplex cups. I like the break in texture and it makes the bra seem a little higher end. The notions and powernet are from BraMakers as well, but I dyed them a rich paprika using acid dyes from Dharma Trading. The colour came out a little more vivid than I intended and I worried that the combined effect was a little too Moulin Rouge, but this bra has grown on me and is a great choice when I need something smooth to wear under dark shirts. My biggest regret is not switching to a matching thread for the band; I think the black contrast zig zag looks a little too homemade. I also wish I had dyed a hook and eye set to match. Lesson learned.

These two ladies along with my white lace Harriet are the bras I wear the most. Because the fit is so perfect on me (hard to tell on my dressmakers form but it's true!) they are truly comfortable. I never have that digging in feeling, or feel the need to whip my bra off as soon as I get home (par for the source with rtw bras). Making bras is truly an investment in your own happiness.

What's your favourite bra pattern? And any suggestions for cup fabrics I could use that aren't lace or duoplex?

A White Lace Harriet Bra

4 May 2017 by Heather Lou 6 Comments

Holy grail, attained. Stick a fork in me Jerry, I AM DONE. I found my perfect everyday underwire bra pattern and all I want to do is make approximately eleventy squillion so I have one for every day for the rest of my life.

Naturally, this revelation was brought to me by Amy at Cloth Habit. She released the Harriet pattern this year and I knew it would be brilliant before I even made my first muslin. I know Amy personally, and she is one of the most obsessively methodical people I've ever met (kind of necessary when it comes to the complicated architecture that is boob rigging). My previous go-to bra pattern was her soft cup bra Watson, one I made many, many, many times, to the point where most of them just need to be harvested for parts and thrown in the garbage since I sucked the life right out all of their elastic. I've been on a soft bra kick since I'm in front of a computer all day, and I simply found them more comfortable than most of the underwired bras in my underwear drawer, even if they didn't have as much support as I probably need. But something magical and alchemical is happening with Harriet, because after a little tinkering, it is hands down the most comfortable underwired bra I've made. It hardly feels like I'm wearing anything at all. And the ladies have never. looked. better.

As I've documented this year, my breasts have grown a lot and I've been struggling with sizing. I first made Harriet in my traditional size, finding it much too small (much like my experiments with the also lovely Boylston). I then went up a cup size to 36D. The new underwire and width of the cups was much better, but I needed to remove some of the volume from the lower cups. I also widened the bridge about a quarter inch, since I prefer a slightly wider cradle. Once I did that, I had a total Goldiboobs moment; finding that in between size that was just right.

After nailing the fit, I went on a Harriet sewing tear; this is one of my favourites. It's made from white stretch lace and notions from Bramaker's Supply, the elastics hand dyed using acid dye from Dharma Trading Company (the colour is "Brilliant Yellow"). I am so smitten with the contrast between yellow and white- this is one of those bras that just makes you smile all day long. While i'm generally not a bra straps exposed kinda gal, I would be perfectly happy to have these peaking out during cami season.

I really cannot say enough about the fit. The shaping is truly spectacular; the tissue is thrust out and to the center from the sides, creating a very lovely, soft, rounded fit. It basically makes my boobs look their natural best, and I love it under clothing. And did I mention the comfort? I realized I've been cutting my bands too short, and now that they are perfectly snug it honestly feels like I'm wearing nothing at all. One of you also kindly pointed out I've been installing my channelling upside down, so I'm curious to see if it's even more comfortable and amazing with the plush side up (don't ask me how this escaped my attention).

I also love the subtle contrast of the nude bra lining I used on the insides; pretty guts at work here y'all.

I've since made three, with many more on the horizon, especially after my lace buying spree at Tailor Made Shop. I've never really worn or made lace bras before, but they are so pretty and delicate that I'm completely hooked; every time I finished one I couldn't help but run to Guillaume for an old fashioned flashing. I also plan on revisiting my Bolyston fitting; now that I've got my underwire sorted I think I can get similarly rhapsodic results with that pattern, which I love for its gorgeous fabric strap and pretty proportions.

I highly recommend this pattern if you'd like to dip your toe in underwire bras; Amy offers amazing resources on her site, and her bra-making sewalong is super helpful. If you need even more incentive, 100% of the proceeds from this pattern go to Syrian refugees, which I think is an a amazing gesture on Amy's part.

Have you made Harriet yet? Are you as in love as I am?

Turning the Sophie Bikini Top into a Foam Cupped Bra

4 April 2017 by Heather Lou 11 Comments

One of the most common questions we get about our patterns is whether or not it is possible to use our Sophie Swimsuit to make a bra. The answer is 100% yes, and I have a very pretty example here to prove it. If you have the pattern, you are only a very few simple modifications away from making your own Sophie bra.

I've had plans for this hack for a while and have been slowly collecting notions for it. I wanted to make a romantic tone-on-tone light blush number using some of the leftover yardage from our original swim kits (I also used this fabric for the sample of the bustier style one piece sample). This stuff is seriously amazing; it has a super hefty, satisfying weight, and I love the print in a contrasting matte/satin brocade floral.

I've had the strap and band elastics for a while, and managed to eke out the powernet band with a tiny scrap from my bra making fabric box (I can't remember where it came from... the beauty of being a full-on bra-making hoarder). I also chose some gold hardware to offset the warmth of the blush fabric. Unfortunately I only had nude bra closures in my kit - it doesn't quite match but I ordered some matching ones form Bramaker's Supply if I ever decide to unpick it and reinstall.

As much as I love this fabric, it can be challenging to sew since it shows every single tiny mistake, and it's a real jerk to unpick. But this is the beauty of making under-garments, amiright?

For the inside I went nude for the cups, lining, seam tape and channelling.

The only sad thing is that this bra is currently too small for me! I used the same pattern pieces for all the personal Sophie swimsuits I made last year but as I've mentioned in my recent bra-making post here, I've gone up an entire cup and underwire size this year. Right now this is hanging up on our sample rack giving me baleful eyes... hopefully one day I can actually wear it without totally spilling out.

HOW TO MAKE A SOPHIE BRA

You only need to make a few subtle changes to the bridge and band to turn your bikini top into a bra. The pieces affected are the cradle and the band; here is how they appear in the pattern as drafted.

You'll want to modify your pieces more or less like I explain below:

CRADLE: Adding a little curved scoop under the bottom cradle seam is flattering and a classic bra drafting detail. The bottom of the new line should be about 1/2" higher than the existing and should softly curve into the side seams.

BAND: Unless you are sewing the bra straps straight down along the width of the band, you'll want to scoop out the top narrow edge of the band to accommodate a bra strap. You can see in the image below how the strap is integrated into the back band construction. You can shorten the band a bit since it won't be as long with the added width of the hook and eye tape. I eyeballed this (also adding a bit of a curve to the bottom seam), but you can trace off an existing pattern or copy a well fitting bra. I don't think it's really necessary to muslin this as long as you leave the band a tiny bit longer than you think you need; you can baste on the hook and eye and see if it needs to be trimmed or not. The final width of the seam along center back should be the width of your hook and eye tape once the elastic has been installed.

CHANGES TO SEWING CONSTRUCTION

A lot of the construction stays the same, the biggest change being the way the elastic is inserted. In the swimsuit, it is enclosed in the fabric. With a bra, it is sewn to the right side first, folded over and topstitched into place so you can see the decorative edge of the elastic. Once the channelling was sewn closed, I folded the elastic as neatly as possible over the channelling before zig zagging it down into place to secure.

I also enclosed the foam cup seams with bra lining seam tape; it's a much finer finish than leaving the zig zagging stitches in place. To do this I folded strips of bra lining into thirds, and then topstitched them on either side of the zigzagged seam to enclose it (this could be a very pretty detail in a contrasting lining). For the bra straps, I folded over a little bit of elastic with a ring and then topstitched it the cup, but I also like this tutorial from Orange Lingerie to create a completely invisible strap hook.

Hopefully this all makes sense! It's not a difficult modification and it's a simple way to take a well fitting pattern and create another application for it.

If you're intimidated by sewing an underwired garment, you might want to sign up for my Sophie Swimsuit class this spring. I walk you through the entire construction of an underwired swimsuit from start to finish, and most of the skills taught easily apply to bra-making.

Have you made a Sophie bra yet? Any other questions about constructing this lady?

A Liberty Print Boylston Bra

20 January 2017 by Heather Lou 24 Comments

I have piles and piles of new handmade things to show you, but the light and weather have confounded me at every turn (no shivering for me out in 2 feet of snow, thank you). Thankfully bras are easy to throw on the dress form, even if it is overcast out and you're starting to actually worry about Vitamin D deficiency. Apparently this is a real thing I need to get myself checked for, since the only bit of skin exposed to the sun lately is whatever is not concealed by my big parka hood (are you tired of hearing me complain about winter in Montreal yet? Well don't worry, it's only going to last for four more months.)

Whining aside: on to my New Year Boobolutions! This here is another addition to my sad and neglected lingerie drawer: the Boylston Bra from Orange Lingerie.

This pattern has been on my hit list for a while. I absolutely love the cut and style lines (it's got a vintage vibe, but with soft round shaping instead of dreaded 50s cone boobs), and I was very keen to try using a non-traditional bra-making fabric since I've seen many versions in lightweight wovens. I also thought it was a good excuse to dip my toe in the Liberty pond; in general their prints are not for me, but I think this small scale floral is perfect for this application (nabbed at Gather Here in Boston last year).

Everything they say about Tana lawn is true; it's dreamy stuff and works surprisingly well for a bra. It's a little more crisp and structured than traditional bra knits, which means it doesn't glide over the body as smoothly. You really need to make sure the fit is spot on before playing around with a woven. Cue sad trombone.

So... my secret size shame. Did I get a quick fitting with Norma herself? Yes. Did I listen to her and make the size she recommended? Why no, no I didn't. For some reason, even though we decided that I was decidedly a 36D in the Marlborough, I stubbornly stuck to my traditional bra size for this make and it shows. I widened the bridge slightly (my ladies are very far apart), but unfortunately I get some major under armpit fat spillage (enticing!) since I don't have enough room for my breast tissue and it's basically trying to make a run for it in every other direction. Alas, the cup is a little too small, and the band a little too tight.

Now, I would have just assumed that Norma's sizing is a little different than what I'm used to, but wouldn't you know, Amy at Cloth Habit sent me her beautiful soon to be released underwired bra pattern and I have the exact same cup issue! I think I have to acknowledge that the ten or so pounds I've put on since figuring out my bra size a few years ago is having a real effect on fit for me. I absolutely adore this style so I will be resolutely making another in the size Norma suggested from the beginning.

Minor nitpicking about not-quite-perfect-fit aside, this bra makes me happy. It's just so pretty, especially with the straps and rose gold sliders salvaged from a previous Tailor Made kit. I love how it looks inside and out, and I know what to tweak for my next crack at it. It's definitely wearable, but I'm excited to give the girls a little more room the next go round. I'm also very curious to compare the shape between the Bolyston and the Sophie Swimsuit bra I've been working on. Sophie has a different neckline and a rounder shape; it might be fun to do some side by side fit comparisons since they are both 3 piece balconette styles, albeit with different design intents and purposes.

In the meantime, I'm on the hunt for stretch poly charmeuse; my favourite colour way sold out in the recent Tailor Made sale, so please let me know if you know a good source for prints! I love how romantic this pattern is in satin charmeuse.

Has anyone else sewn a Bolyston, or experimented with using a woven like Tana lawn? Please tell me how it went!

New Year, New Bra // A Red Lace Watson Bra

10 January 2017 by Heather Lou 38 Comments

Few things bum me out as much as the current state of my bra drawer; it's more depressing (and only slightly less painful) than a trip to the dentist. I'm not sure what happened, but basically all of my me-made lingerie gave up the ghost at the exact same time, and as a result, I've been wearing a lot of stretched out, limp, unappealing specimens that really just need to be thrown out (after harvesting for parts, natch).

This red lace print Watson bra was part of my News Years Boobolutions. My goal is to make and add a new one into the rotation once a month or so; I think I will be able to extend the lifespan of my bras if I am not wearing the same handful over and over again, day in and day out.

I've made this pattern so many times (you can see the ones I've posted here) but I'm not tired of it yet. It's really the perfect day-to-day bra for my lifestyle; it has enough support to keep things in place, but is much easier to wear all day long than an underwired one. They have their place, of course, but soft bras are definitely my go-to when I'm not aiming for any kind of structured shape.

The fabric is leftover from our Sophie swimsuit kits from the summer; it's a printed swim lycra with a romantic black and red lace print. I used some pretty satin piping elastic along the cups and I love how clean and neat it looks. I recently stocked up on the motherload of lingerie fixins, and I'm glad I bought this piping in dyeable white, since I also have a growing stash of acid dyes for all my notions. I've been scheming some fun colour combinations.

Construction wise, the only change I made was to substitute my typical zig zag stitch for the triple zig zag. I've avoided it in the past because it's such a wide and "obvious" stitch, but you can barely see it with the busyness of the print. I'm curious to see if it holds up better over time.

I shortened the band a little, since the longline as drafted is just a wee bit too long for me. I also tried inserting some flexible boning into channelling along the side seams, to help prevent the band elastic from riding up. It helped along the sides, but the front still has a tendency to push up towards the bridge. I think you just have to accept that as a feature of longline bras, unless you sew boning into the center of the bridge to stabilize it all the way around. Frankly I'm not sure that would be particularly comfortable.

Naturally I am already breaking my Boobolutions by wearing this a little too much without rotating, but she already has some new friends, and I have a few more bras in various degrees of completion. I feel confidant I am going to give my girls their best year yet!

Otherwise, any suggestions for alternative soft bra patterns? I think it it might be time to give something else a shot!

Fitting a Balconette Bra Cup for the Sophie Swimsuit// with Amy of Cloth Habit

12 July 2016 by Heather Lou 6 Comments

Today I have a super special bra guru to share some fitting wisdom with you; Amy Chapman of Cloth Habit, the exceptional bra-making blog, is here! Amy and I have been friends for a long time and I asked her to share some tips on fitting a balconette style bra cup like the one in the Sophie Swimsuit pattern. Amy is a bra-making and bra-fitting expert so I hope you find her advice helpful if you're trying to fit this pattern (or any balconette!) to your breasts. Here's Amy.....

Call me insane, but fitting bras has to be my favorite thing to do in all of sewing-dom. (Fitting pants comes next.) It breaks out the problem-solver, and I looove solving problems.

Bras are unique in that it is hard to get a decent picture of fit without assembling most of an entire bra. So I like to make a "bra muslin" whenever trying a new underwired style. Here's an example of a muslin for a strapless bra which has has a very similar cup as the Sophie. For my test bras, I cut and loosely sew together an entire bra from similar or the same materials. I sew the cups from foam (if foam is being used) and nothing else. I sew all seams with a very long straight stitch or zig-zag, sew the elastic to one side only, and loosely stitch in the hooks and closures so I can easily take them out for reuse. I topstitch the channeling in very loosely, leaving the ends open. It's all very ugly but it does the job. If you decide to "muslin", have fun making it ugly!

Now let's get on with some fitting. Here are some of my favorite bra-fitting tips and alterations for the bra portion of the Sophie swimsuit.

[Note: Before getting started on any alteration, I recommend tracing in the seamlines. Afterward, walk your pattern pieces along these lines to make sure things still match up. I always double-check by walking the cup pieces into the cradle right before before cutting. Measure twice, cut once!]

EXPERIMENT WITH UNDERWIRES

Underwires make a huge difference in how a bra fits and shapes. We've all worn wires that were uncomfortable for some reason or another. Give yourself permission to try various sizes, even if the one you like doesn’t seem "correct" for your size.

CUSTOMIZE THE BRIDGE

Before even cutting a bra pattern, I like to adjust the bridge shape and width to match the body's natural contours. To create a personalized shape of your own, trace the bridge area of the pattern onto a stiff piece of paper like card stock. Draw in the seam allowances and cut the shape out on the seamlines.

Slide this pattern between your nekkid breasts and take a look at the shape. Is it too wide? Too narrow? Do you need less width on top and more width on bottom? Cut a line up through the center and readjust the shape or width, using a piece of tape to hold the new shape in place. Repeat until you are happy with the shape, then trace this new shape on top of the pattern.

ADDING OR REMOVING CUP VOLUME

If you notice that your cups spilleth over no matter how you readjust the bra, you'll need more volume. You can add or remove volume along the width (from bottom of breast to top of breast) or along depth (from side to side of depth). Sometimes a pattern needs just a little tweak in this area.

Signs that cups may be too small (need to add volume):

the bridge pushes away from your breasts (see the bottom of this post for more on this)
your breast tissue is spilling or squeezing out of the cup
the bottom of the cup has a flat spot under the breasts

Signs that cups may be too big (need to remove volume):

cups seem to sag or wrinkle
cup is floating away along the neckline or the inner cup,

Tip: Often a cup is too big if the apex--the point where the horizontal seam meets the vertical seam-- is over 1/4" above the nipple. This will be especially easy to see in foam-lined bras.

For this pattern, I would recommend first making width adjustments if you need more room. Most women have breasts that are wider than they are deep.

ADD OR REMOVE WIDTH

On left: Add depth by splitting lower cup along top edge and smoothing out modified curve. You will also need to add depth to the upper cup piece as indicated.
On right: Remove depth by splitting cup, overlapping pieces and truing curve. You will also need to remove depth from the upper cup piece as indicated.

ADD OR REMOVE DEPTH

On left: Add width/volume by splitting cup open desired amount and smoothing out modified curve
On right: Remove width/volume by splitting cup, overlapping pieces and truing curve
** Please note you must make same change to both lower cup pieces

I recommend making no more than 1/4” in each area of adjustment. If you need more than that, it will be easier to go up or down a cup size.

ADJUSTING THE NECKLINE

Some of us have more breast tissue on top while others have more fullness on bottom. And almost all women have one breast that is slightly bigger than the other (no, you are not a unicorn). As a result, one neckline is often a little too tight or loose. If your cups seems to fit overall, but the neckline still feels a little tight or gaps a bit, these adjustments may help create a nice, contoured fit.

Fitting a balconette style bra cup // Sophie Swimsuit Pattern // Closet Core Patterns — Illustration #1 - adjustment for too tight cup (add length along top)
Illustration #2 - adjustment for gaping cup (remove length along top)

WIRE LENGTH ADJUSTMENTS

Remember how I said it's okay to try different wires? If you find a wire that you love, but it's a different size or length than the one used for your cups, you'll need to alter your cup pieces to fit that new wire.

To avoid making changes to the cradle (the wire seam on the body of the swimsuit), I recommend cutting out the body size that corresponds with your chosen wire. It's perfectly fine to use a different size cup, as long as you lengthen or shorten the wire seam on the cup to fit that new cradle.

After making one of these adjustments, don't forget to walk the cup pieces into the seam of the cradle and mark in the new notch placements!

A WORD ABOUT THE BRIDGE

One of the BIGGEST questions I get about bra fitting is, "Why can't I get the bridge to lay flat between my breasts?"

Often this area does not lay flat simply because there is not enough volume in the cups. As a result, the breasts push away the bridge to find that extra room they want. But there are other reasons this happens. You can add all the volume you want, go up multiple cup sizes and still not get that bridge to lay flat. Why?

Two words: Underwires and band.

The heavier the breasts, the stronger those two need to be to counteract the weight. If a bra has no wires or wires that are too light for your breasts, that area is going to have a hard time laying flat. If a band is light and stretchy, too loose or the cups are only supported by a lycra body like the one-piece Sophie, there’s less strength in back to counteract the weight in front and the bridge may not lay flat.

Does that mean it doesn't fit? No.

I’m of the personal opinion that while a flat bridge is one of those goals us bra makers like to obsess on, many times it's not worth obsessing over, or even possible with certain materials. There are diverse styles of bras and along with them are varied styles of fit--i.e., don't expect a flat bridge from a soft cup bra. Sometimes comfortable IS the best fit!

Have fun fitting!

Black Lace Watson Bra

16 March 2016 by Heather Lou 52 Comments

My bra game is depressing and tired right now. While I basically only wear me-made lingerie (with the exception of a few soft tank bras I bought for being loose and free around the house), almost everything is on its last legs, stretched out and decomposing in one way or another. The sad truth is that even the most carefully constructed handmade garments will fall apart on you if you wear them often enough.

I knew it was time for an update when G. saw my galaxy print number for the 10000th time, scrunched up his face and said "Is that the only bra you wear anymore?" (French honesty is an actual quantifiable thing with its own mass and volume; it should be a periodic element). It's true that my poor Watson bras have seen better days, and have probably been in rotation a little too frequently. The fabric is not snapping back like it used to, the elastic is worn and beleaguered, and as a result, the support is just not what it once was. Nothing is sadder than sad boobs in a sad, stretched out bra. It was time to get to work.

For this version I modified the pattern and shortened the band slightly, perhaps a half inch; I prefer it to end a little higher on my rib cage since it often ends up there anyway after a full day of wear. I haven't bought any new bra making supplies in a good long while, so I dug through my lingerie box to see what I could come up with and settled on this 2-way stretch lace. Most stretch laces I've encountered are complete garbage and start spitting out elastic threads pretty quickly, but this stuff felt stable and well made. I also settled on using a coordinating set of purple elastic from my stash, plastic purple sliders I had salvaged from an older bra, and some standard black strap elastic. The back band is the same power mesh I've used in almost every bra I've ever made. If the palette looks familiar it's because it's the direct inverse from this purple mesh and black trim version I made as an informal tester for the pattern. I've also made a purple and black bra here. I'm only noticing this trend now and I have no logical explanation; apparently the ladies love purple even if I don't wear it anywhere else.

This was the first time I experimented with the 3-step zig zag stitch on my machine and I will admit, I am a complete convert. I love how stretchy and stable it is! Otherwise, construction was pretty typical; I lined the cradle with my typical lining and assembled it within a few hours.

The joys of making your own clothes: of course, this bra is MUCH too small. Because the lace only stretches in one direction, it has absolutely no give along the cradle horizontally, which means the first time I put it on I was practically in tears an hour later; the pattern clearly calls for 4-way stretch fabric for a reason. In hindsight, lengthening the band by a few centimeters would have fixed the problem, but i've made so many of these I just assumed it would be fine (how many times must I learn to baste fit, I will never know!) I actually LOVE the fit in the cups though - the 2 way stretch gives a lot more support, and despite the too tight band I think this is the most supportive Watson I've ever made.

Even though it's a little too small, I've been stubbornly wearing it anyway because I think it's flattering and sexy without being like, a super plunging push up bra (I kind of can't believe how often I use to wear those... total natural shape convert over here. Let's start a hashtag revolution: #thisistherealshapeofmyboobs). Unfortunately, my ribcage has taken its toll; the zig zag stitch I used on my first pass of band elastic has started to break and come undone, although that wonderful triple zig zag stitch is holding strong.

And a confession: if you're wondering why I don't make cute matching undies to go with any of my bras it's because... I hate sewing underwear. Seriously. Probably my least favourite thing to make ever, for a few reasons. One: I cannot have anything resembling elastic on my cheek area or my bountiful bottom will create VPL so intense it will show through solid steel. Two: VPL from hell means I can only do stretch lace elastic finishes around the bum, which is quite possibly the most annoying, fiddly thing I've ever tried to sew. Every pair of handmade lace trimmed knickers I've ever made has completely fallen apart. It's incredibly dispiriting. So, I basically just stick to tried and true lady part friendly modal undies from Soma, which never match my handmade bras but are comfy as hell. Hot tip: if you have a big butt, Embraceable undies from Soma are the absolute best. PSA out.

Underwear aside, I've definitely caught the lingerie bug again and have been keeping my eyes peeled for fun new bra fabrics, along with over-populating my Pinterest lingerie board with daily doses of underneath-it-all-goodness. Have you been making bras lately? Anyone else hate sewing underwear? Any advice to get me back on the horse?

Another Watson Bra

6 January 2015 by Heather Lou 72 Comments

HAPPY NEW YEAR LOVERS! I hope you had a magnificent holiday and managed to sidestep the terrible plague that took over my soul, lungs and sinuses these last few weeks. I'm back in the saddle and raring to ride 2015 like a magical flying pony across the sky. Right after I deal with the end of year accounting I am writing this post to avoid doing (my bookkeeper doesn't start until February and until then I will be fabricating all manner of "urgent" tasks to avoid the loathed spreadsheet).

I have a few backlogged projects to talk about this month. First up are my second and third Watson bras (I made my first version in sheer purple mesh). I am growing pretty obsessed with this pattern. It can be a struggle to get properly dressed every morning, and putting on a structured under-wired bra just to sit at my computer all day makes me feel like this:

65a41970-a099-0131-3f8f-1ed7432c1d0e — (Thank you Paul Rudd in Wet Hot American Summer. For everything.)

So yes, Watson is verrry comfortable, especially after I realized I was sewing my bust elastic in way too tight. It really only needs the very lightest stretch, so be mindful of that if you make it, lest you want permanent elastic indentations under your boobs. I actually ripped out the elastic from my first make to give myself a little more room and have been wearing that one so much I decided it was time to make another. This longline version was made from a crazy floral/galaxy swimsuit lycra I've had in my stash forever.

I used lovely plum elastic I found at one of my local notion stores, along with some black strap elastic and gold metal sliders, with black powermesh for the band. I also lengthened the back band by about 1cm for maximum comfort. As you can see, I ran into some issues with the cradle lining. The lycra is VERY stretchy and slippery, and sewing it to a more stable bra lining created the excess fabric you're seeing under the cups. After sewing the bust elastic in the first time, I ripped it all out so I could cut the lycra a little shorter but it didn't make much of a difference. I've run into this problem before when trying to line lycras - any advice for how to avoid it?

I followed the construction method Amy detailed exactly, but I am curious to try playing with some of the interior cup finishes a little more. Tasia and Caroline have done some interesting tweaks to their bras over on Sewaholic. I haven't seen too many people post their Watson bras actually on, so in the name of science I'll share that with you here so you can get a sense of how it looks while you're wearing it. I am crossing my fingers I don't see a bunch of creepy web traffic in my google search terms a month from now. Best to avoid words like "nipple", "busty" or "space boobs". Oh no, now I've done it....

As you can see, there is quite a lot of coverage, at least for me, and the cups sit perfectly under my bust. Since the fit is fairly modest, I think it would be a great choice to wear under loose tanks in the summer.

I also got around to making the shorter bralette version and used this weird silver lame 2-way stretch fabric I had in my stash. I made one of my earliest bras in this stuff but that make had a lot of construction issues, so I was happy to give this fabric another go. The pattern calls for 4-way stretch, but I think it actually worked pretty well. I don't think it has terrific recovery so we'll see how long it holds it's shape.

I used the same cup elastic, this time in black, but switched to silver hardware. Because the cradle is shorter, this bra doesn't have as much support but since I'm not a really busty lady (*cue creepy Google search terms*) it's fine for me to wear this day to day. It's SUPREMELY comfortable. In fact, these are the only bras I brought with me when I went home for the holidays, because no one wants to deal with digging under-wires when one is stuffing one's face with pierogies, turkey and chip dip.

So thank you Amy. I am officially off under-wired bras right now and am dreaming up more versions of the Watson. I think I'd like to make a nude "t-shirt" longline to wear under white teas, since my RTW padded nude bra is gasping it's last breath.

And now I have no excuse not to get back to that accounting. Unless I decide it's suddenly imperative to re-organize my sewing patterns.....

Me-Made Lingerie: The Watson Bra

20 November 2014 by Heather Lou 49 Comments

Let's take a little sewalong break, shall we? Because today I saw that Amy at Cloth Habit finally dropped her new pattern and I couldn't wait to show you my new Watson Bra!

Amy is the reason I started making my own lingerie; her bra sewalong last year was so detailed, thoughtful and smart, and I seriously cannot get enough of her colour sense and design aesthetic. We share a love for 1970's style, in particular the sexy, insouciant glamour of 70's lingerie, so I was super elated when I heard her first pattern was inspired by this period. Full disclosure: Amy and I are pals. We've been there for each other over the last few months, since pattern-making can be a lonely and frustrating business from time to time. It's been lovely having someone to talk about crotch curves with, share information, and in general be an encouraging support system when needed.

I was sort of an informal tester for this pattern. After I launched Ginger, I needed a break from making jeans so I asked to have a sneak peak at Watson to give my hands a denim break. I haven't made any new bras in a while and everything I have is getting a little raggedy; perfect timing to make an easy, breezy bra doncha think?

I have been stockpiling lingerie fabric and notions for the last year, so thankfully I had everything I needed to make Watson in my stash. I chose a purple mesh, a pretty scalloped elastic for the top edge, and some standard bra strap and band elastic, all in black. Since the band needs to be less stretchy, I doubled up the mesh there, but the cups are a single layer and the cradle is lined. I made a 34D in the longline version and didn't bother making a proper muslin with this bra because I trust Amy's grading; I wasn't disappointed. The fit is fantastic. The cups are flawless and the cradle lays perfectly beneath my bust. I've had some issues in the past with bra fit when there wasn't an under-wire present to cradle the girls, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well the cradle worked. Amy doesn't call for adding stretch to the cup elastic, but I think my particular elastic could gave used a touch of stretch at the top; the scalloped trim doesn't lie perfectly flat, especially under my arms. For my next version, I may lengthen the band by about 1cm, but otherwise I'm really happy. If it wasn't so sheer I would have tried to model it for you, but you guys really don't need to see the nips.

While I like the support it gives, it's not a big, pushup-y padded bra that we're probably more used to wearing. It's more of a natural "these are my boobs, but prettier" look and I'm super into it. My explorations in bra making has taught me that I much prefer celebrating what I actually have, rather than trying to make the girls look like something they're not, if that makes any sense. And not to be too TMI or anything, but the fella, who is not normally into lingerie, was pretty delighted when I flashed him.

Construction wise, this is a pretty simple pattern to assemble. The instructions are really thorough and I think it's a perfect introduction to lingerie making because there is no under-wire; in my opinion channeling is the hardest thing to sew but you don't have to worry about it here. I have a bunch more planned since I can whip one up in a few hours - I have this crazy silver spandex that I'd like to use to make a pretty bralette with a regular band to wear under drapey tops. The pattern also includes a pair of bikini undies (I will NOT say the "P" word) but my big booty is really a boy shorts only sort of situation so I didn't bother making a pair. I'd like to make a matching pair of Ladyshorts with some leftover mesh so I'll have a matching set since that pattern really works for my caboose.

Anyway, I really, truly love this pattern. It's a unique design and a great alternative to more traditional bras. What about you? Think you'd like to give the Watson Bra a try?

Nettie Sewalong Pt 7: Adding A Shelf Bra And Foam Cups

29 May 2014 by Heather Lou 11 Comments

This is the stage of construction where we will be:

Basting side seams to test fit
Finding the best spot for your cups
Sewing cups into place
Inserting elastic

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I think it's easier to insert the cups if we take a little time to insert them now rather than waiting till the end as I direct in the instructions.

If you are making the low back variation, you have no choice but to secure your shelf bra in the side seam. This means you will have a little tugging where the elastic is inserted. You can minimize this by using lightweight elastic or by not adding much stretch, but you may sacrifice a teeny bit of support (not that a piece of fabric and elastic really buoy up the lassies all that much, but still). I haven't been able to McGyver a solution to prevent this. If any of you have any suggestions for keeping that side seam secure while it's being pulled in by a piece of under-bust elastic, please chime in.

If you would like to add a shelf bra to the high or medium back variations, you can avoid this seam pullage by making your shelf bra two-sided. Simply trace off or fold your back bodice piece to match the length of the side seam of your front lining piece. Insert the elastic all the way around the edge of the bra/lining so the elastic is not attached to the side seams at all. Similar to what I did for my Fehr Trade XYT dress:

I also came across this interesting tutorial for inserting a sort of makeshift bra with straps into tight fighting tops by Daughter Fish on Burdastyle. I haven't had a chance to try this method, but it seems like it would give a little more support than just zigzagging cups to your lining. If anyone has any success with this method, please let me know!!

BASTING SEAMS TO TEST FIT

Now that your neckline is finished, we can baste the side and crotch seams closed. Use a long basting stitch so it's easier to remove later. Now we can try on our Nettie and find the best place for the cups.

PINNING CUPS INTO PLACE

I put my suit on inside out since my cups can flip in on themselves, but if you are using thickly padded cups this may not be an option for you. Now that you've got it on, mark the lining where you would like to attach the elastic. I left the bra lining on the long side to be careful (or to be used as a guide for a bikini or crop top) so chances are you'll want to take a little off the length.

Tuck the cups in between the bra lining and the bodice and pin them into place once you've found the right location.

Carefully take your Nettie off and unpick your basting stitches on the side and crotch seams. If you are going to remove some length from the lining, draw a horizontal line where you would like your elastic to go. You want to cut off about a half inch below that line so you have room to flip the elastic up once it's sewn down.

We want to sew the cups down on the wrong side of the lining, so you will have to move your pins over to the other side of the fabric. Carefully hold your cup in place and move the pins. You also want to make sure the fabric is slightly scooping into the cup. You can do this by flattening the cup down and repinning as necessary. Below is a picture of before and after I moved my pins to the other side of the lining.

SEWING CUPS TO THE LINING

Once you've got your cups pinned well, go to your sewing machine and start sewing with a wide zigzag stitch around the circumference of the cup. When you get to a corner, put your needle down, raise your pressure foot up, and pivot the cup. Move the pressure foot down again and continue sewing.

You will have to gently stretch the fabric as you go to make sure you don't get any weird folds. Take your time and stay close to the edge. Once you're done you will have something that looks like this on the wrong side of your lining:

INSERTING SHELF BRA ELASTIC

Now that our cups are sewn down, we can insert our elastic. The tightness of your elastic is really up to you. Hold a piece under your ribcage and try stretching it to find something that feels comfortable. I like a ratio of 85-90% of the length of the shelf bra seam but it really depends on the weight and stretchiness of your elastic. The one I am using here is quite stiff, so I used a little less stretch than usual.

Once you've cut your elastic, stretch it to match the length of the shelf bra and pin it into place. At your sewing machine, sew a few stitches using a wide zigzag stitch to anchor the elastic to the wrong side of the fabric. Gently stretch your elastic to match the length of your lining and continue to sew till you get to the end.

Turn your elastic under and zigzag again, taking time to gently stretch your fabric so you don't sew over any ripples.

When you're all done, it will look something like this:

And that's it for the shelf bra. This weekend I'll be back with a post on inserting your sleeves and closing your side seams. Until then, my friends!

Brassiere Fever

8 April 2013 by Heather Lou 36 Comments

I caught it. BAD. The bra fever. Once it gets in your bloodstream, you're finished.

How could I not? Have you seen some of the magic that our friends are making? Novita's CAT BRA? Kazz's VINTAGE DOILY NUMBER? Madalynne's floral longline? Everything Amy has ever breathed on?

How else to explain the fact that I've made FIVE in the past 2 weeks? A brief (actually, not really) timeline:

Spend few days tweaking the Elan 645 pattern. Technically 34D but after much tweaking and pinching and darting go down to C cup on D underwire.

Make simple black bra using Fabric Depot kit using simplex cups and powernet band. It fits. Perfectly. A little more conservatively cut than I normally wear but it's SO FREAKING COMFORTABLE. And boobs? Never better. Like being 17 again. MY BRA BEAT GRAVITY'S ASS.

Exhibit A:

Start on second bra, another kit from Fabric Depot, this time using nude lycra. Here things get gnarly. I never tell people who are interested in this hobby that sewing is hard. Because it isn't. It's so accessible I don't know why everyone doesn't do it. But bra-making.... bra making is hard. It's a lot of fiddly pattern adjustments, and then a lot of fiddly sewing with fiddly elastics, and then trying to get nice straight topstitching on fiddly underwire channel.... It's a fiddle fest. Not impossible, but challenging, at least at the beginning when learning the ropes. This bra was victim to that learning curve. So much seam ripping, hair-pulling, frustrated tears. And blood. Actual blood. I bled on this bra, and when I tried it on I had an ill fitting, too small, over worked nightmare with blood on it. Boobs? Not impressed.

Exhibit B (I took the underwires out... it wasn't QUITE this bad):

But I'm tough. From a blue collar town straight out of a Bruce Springsteen song. Women like me, we put our hair up with old bandannas, crack our knuckles and figure it out. Realize we need to make the band a little longer. Find a little stretch black lace and try again........ We fail. Again. We fail again so hard. We fail to properly underline the stretchy cup fabric so that when we try it on, we have saggy sad cups. We cry again. Another bra bites dust.

Exhibit C (hard to tell lying flat, but the cups were a disaster):

Okay. Debate throwing in the towel. Have mild existential crisis where I question my ability to make anything ever again. Pity party. Self loathing is a 7 on a scale of 0 to WORTHLESS SACK OF BONES. Then.... watch 10th episode of The Good Wife and realize Julianna Margulies would never give up after a few bad cases. Take deep breath. Crack knuckles. Tighten bandanna. Modify pattern to make a longer line cradle/band with a demi cup. Cross fingers. Give purple polka dot mesh scored at sample sale a kiss for luck. Apply lessons learned in 2 epic bra fails (longer bands, properly lined cups, magic touch that comes with sewing in a few underwires) and.... OH MY GOD IT FITS. And it looks good. Amazing, actually. And boobs? Dancing perfectly supported jig of joy. (Described fit as almost as good as a pair of loving hands). Speaking of... a crying shame single right now. Don't think cats appreciate how good I look in underwear these days.

Exhibit D:

And while we're at it (winning), may as well throw in a pair of matching Rosy Ladyshorts (which are the perfect pair of knickers, btw):

Whew. Bra fail streak broken. But now have a new problem. Now all I think, breathe and eat is bras. Salivate over Pinterest inspiration. Infiltrate expensive lingerie shop and take sneaky spy photos of construction photos in dressing room. Realize the only way I'm going to win this war is by reinforcing my supplies. Trawl a few local notions shops and score a variety of elastics and other necessary doodads. Make a road trip to weird stretch fabric store down in the trade only rag district. After deliberating for 1 hour over various meshes and stretch laces, doing mental math to figure out how much ramen I will have to eat to feed the more important gaping bra hunger, discover huge crate of various pieces of stretch lace, mesh and lycra sold by the pound. Lose mind. Spend $20 and get enough material to make 100 bras. Restrain self from embracing lycra salesmen.

Exhibit E (officially crossed the edge to Glen Close in Fatal Attraction compulsion):

Please note silver lamé.... expect crazy space woman bra very soon.....

Buy dye at drug store. Spend afternoon experimenting with dilution and dye ratios to come up with all the fixings needed to make a clean kelly green and light mint number.

Spend rest of weekend in bra rabbit hole. Phone is on silent. Forget to look at it. Forget to return Mum's urgent phone call Saturday regarding booking our flights to San Francisco in May. Mum has uncharacteristic freakout Sunday, convinced I am dead in ditch. Have to explain to her when I finally check phone and see many missed calls that I fell into a bra fugue zen state so intensely concentrated I laughed that it was like what the 50's housewives must have experienced when high on amphetamines manically cleaning all day. Mom is relieved, annoyed, excited to see bras.
Sunday force myself to take a bra break. How many bras does a woman need? A woman must wear other clothes after all. Start work on By Hand London Skirt. Love. But still have bras on back of brain. Will probably make silver lame space bra this week.
Sleep.
Want to tell anyone interested in learning to make bras that a) Is challenging. At first. But has steep learning curve. Gets easier. Then gets addictive. b) Takes almost no fabric to make bras. Good for stash busting. c) Your boobs never knew they could have it so good. All those lying foam bras that make us all look like we have bubble boobs need to go. Bra-making celebrates natural shape of body. This = good. d) Having your breasts look natural and beautiful in something you made and sweated over and customized is one of the most thrilling things I've ever experienced as a sewist. Been happily flashing anyone (uh, minus straight guys) curious about said bras. Including boss. Neighboring office building was probably really confused. e) If interested in pursuing bra-making, get thee to Amy's Bra Sewalong. Insanely helpful. Keep referring to it. Not sure I would have persevered without her Bra Buddha wisdom. Also to her lovely and thoughtful replies to my emails when I wrote her in near tears. Amy is the best.
Terse point form-ness of this blog post inspired by a short story in the best book I have read in years, maybe ever. Go get Tenth of December by George Saunders. So funny, smart, wise, empathetic, prescient. Makes one grateful for all of it.
Bye.