Bra-making Class 3, Part 2, By Pauline from Australia



Start

 Class 1:

 Part 1

 Class 2:

 Part 1

 Class 3:

 Part 1
Find Your Size

 Using a

 Part 2

 Fitting

 Part 2

 Copying one

 Part 2
Pattern List

 pattern

 Part 3

 adjustments

 Part 3

 that fits

 Part 3
Supplies

  

 Part 4

  

 Part 4
 
 Part 4
Powernet

  

 Part 5

  

 Part 5

 Examples


On your old bra, mark the grain lines with a permanent pen where the back of the bra is sewn to the cups. Mark all the places where you will need to match up the pieces later on. These marks help you to reconstruct the bra, even if you don't make one for months after (as memory joggers).

With the underwires still in the bra (if it has them), trace the edges of the T piece (front connector between the cups), curving around where it fits into the cup. When I did my bra the front piece was badly ripped, so I put it back together as best I could. It is only a small block between the cups. Double-check this tracing, both before and after you cut it out, by holding it up to the original bra.

Now take the wires out, and cut carefully around the cup seam of one cup. We are now going to use just this one cup, and we leave the other one intact. Cut along all the seams of the one cup. Be accurate here until you have one side of the bra in pieces. You will probably have an upper cup, a lower cup, a back/frame/T piece or a little block that separates the cup.

Now clip through the elastic of the other half of the bra, to help it lie flat. Just cut to the edge of the elastic (my bra nearly fell apart at this stage!), and cut off the hook and eye piece at the back as well. grain lines, match point for upper/lower cups/strap point on back, where front piece joins the cups. Put the fairly intact half of the bra into a ziploc bag, as you may need it later for reference.

 
Clipping Elastic

 

 Traced Back

Lay all the pieces out as flat as possible and trace around them, right on the edge, marking direction of stretch. All the markings you made on the bra should now be on the pattern. Now add a seam allowance. I use a 1cm seam allowance when I do my own patterns, then trim it back. Just make sure you write down how much seam allowance you are making. In places edged with elastic, the seam allowance should be the same as the width of the elastic. If you have 1'' wide elastic on the bottom of the bra, then add 1'' seam allowance across the bottom. If you have narrow elastic across the top, then the width of the elastic is how much allowance you need to add. Go around all the pieces adding your allowances. The pattern pieces should look like this.

Traced Bra With Seam Allowances on All Pieces
Before you cut your bra out make sure the center cup seams will fit together, and that you have a notch point to match perfectly. Do a check on the pattern pieces. I find the front piece is the one that usually needs equaling up, especially if it is an old bra.

Now cut out and make your bra, looking at how the RTW one was put together. If you have previously made a bra, this will be easier to figure out than if you haven't. You should choose similar fabrics and have the stretch running in the same direction. My gal wanted a smooth bra with no lace this time, so I cut the satin Lycra so it didn't stretch as much. Here's her finished bra:

Finished Bra
You can make a pattern from your favorite knickers/undies using the same technique. Hope you've enjoyed the bra classes!

Bra-making questions Answered Here.

 


 

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