Watson Bra Archives

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!

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?

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

Black Lace Watson Bra

Another Watson Bra

Me-Made Lingerie: The Watson Bra

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