I’ve reached what I feel like might be the most hardcore-DIY’er point to date in my me-made journey. I’ve slowed down the impractical makes and gone fullstop into the daily practical wear – tshirts, jeans, coats, pajamas, even workout clothes. The next logical stop on this me-made-merry-go-round?
Undergarments.
Yikes.
I never thought I would be that person who makes their own undergarments. On the surface, it seems unnecessarily fussy – like, why buy undies (or whatever your country calls them) if you can pick up a pair for less than $5? Sure, bras are expensive – but falling down the bra rabbit hole can be even more expensive when you look at the up front cost of sourcing all the materials and patterns, and then dealing with mock-ups (which, unlike other handmades – must be made from the same fabric as whatever you intend on using for the finished product. No cheapo bedsheet muslins here!). For those of us who treat sewing as more of a relaxing hobby and less of a “EVERYTHING I WEAR HAS TO BE MADE BY MY OWN HANDS, ARGH!”, it seems wasteful to spend time sewing something that no one sees.
However, I don’t fall in that category. I’m that weirdo who loves to wear all handmade (and y’all, I am NOT judging you if you don’t fall in this camp! I just tend to go balls to the wall with everything I do), and now I want it to include my undies. Yes! It’s also been driving me crazy as of late that I spend $70-$90 on a single bra that still doesn’t quite fit correctly (the underwires and bands fit, but the cup is not the right cut for the shape of my breasts, to get a little TMI on y’all)(and please don’t tell me to shop online, I fucking hate buying underwear online and dealing with returns. I won’t do it). Might as well make my own, right?
So this will be my bra-making adventure. Hope you like to read about undies! Also, if you were hoping to see some modeled bra shots… don’t hold your breath. That shit’s not happening, at least not in this post. Sorry!
Making bras is pretty weird! As I mentioned before, it’s quite different from making, say, a dress. You have to mock-up the bra pattern, and it has to be done with the same fabric you’ll be making the real deal from. You can get a general idea of fit just by sewing the pieces together without the trims, but you won’t *really* know how that thing fits until you’ve actually completed it – straps and all. If the bra needs a lot of tweaking – too bad. You gotta make another one (hope you bought enough fabric!). This alone has been the biggest drawback to bra making, at least for me. The other big drawback is sourcing all those dang bits and pieces you need to make *one* bra – the fabrics, the lining, all the elastics and channeling and boning and trims, and ugh! Too much! Can’t deal!
Like I said, the thought of putting all that work into something that I may not even be able to wear was very off-putting. However, I have made a couple bikini tops at this point (see one and two), and I didn’t find either of those processes traumatizing at all. So I decided to start with a soft bra – the kind that don’t require a lot of special notions (including underwires) or fabrics, with similar assembly to that of a bikini top. The Bambi Bra pattern from Ohhh Lulu seemed to fit the bill quite nicely, so that’s the one I went with. Fortunately, my boobs have shrunk enough now that I can actually wear one of these (because I don’t really need much support these days), but they’re also good for lounging around the house/sleeping. You know, comfy bra!
I bought the pattern and printed it out. I exchanged quite a few emails with Madalynne, who gave me lots of great tips and encouragement and even offered to phone or Skype if I was having fitting issues. Ultimately, though, I realized that no one was going to come out here and make this bra for me, so I set about making my first one a couple of weekends ago. And here she is! My first bra!
I made this first Bambi using fabrics that were sent to me from Madalynne – a beautiful blue stretch lace with matching white power mesh. The white lace trimming at the top is actually from my own lingerie elastic stash (oh yeah, I totally have a stash of that shit). It turned out REALLY pretty! It also turned out to be a bit too small in some places, and too large in other places, but that’s ok. It’s still wearable and it’s quite a learning experience and both of these things are satisfactory to me.
For this bra, I followed the sizing of the pattern but kind of went my own way with the directions. All of the lace is lined with the power mesh – in retrospect, probably/definitely should have left that upper cup lace and back band lace unlined, as it’s a little too stable right there (see what I mean? Learning experience!). When I put on the bra without the elastics, the upper cup was gaping a bit (this is a problem I have with my RTW bras), so I tried to compensate by pulling the top elastic for a snugger fit. BAD idea! You shouldn’t pull that elastic more than a 1:1 ratio, except in certain areas. I knew that. I did it anyway. Oh well!
By the time I got to the back, I realized that I didn’t have a hook and eye to sew in there. Oops. I just stole one off an nude old bra that doesn’t fit. It doesn’t match at all and looks pretty bad, why is why I didn’t take a photo 😛
Here it is flat – see how much the elastic is pulling? It definitely shouldn’t pull that much. You may also notice that I just literally sewed the strapping elastic to the bra – there’s no adjustable sliders on this guy! By the time I realized this bra wasn’t quite right, I decided not to waste my cute little gold strap slider things (that Madalynne also included) and save those for a bra I’ll actually wear. In case you were wondering – I have more of this lace fabric, and the powermesh, so I can totally make another one once I get my fit down. Again, learning experience!
First bra down means that the second one can only get better though, right?
This one was SO much better! For one, I used a non-stretch woven fabric cut on the bias (leftover from this top, in case you were wondering!), which gave me the stability I wasn’t getting with the stretch lace. I also tweaked the sizing a bit, so it’s better (but it could still use some improvement).
Here’s a close-up. I’m like a sexy lumberjack up in hurr.
So, let’s talk about the sizing. My underbust is 28″, my full bust is 32″, and I typically wear a 28DD in RTW (I know, according to ~bra measurement guides~ that shouldn’t be my size, but any band size higher is way too big and any cup size smaller means I’m busting out of the place. This is the size that *generally* fits my body best, at least with brands like Freya and Panache). The Bambi bra says that the XS will fit a bust of 34″-35″, so I was apprehensive right off the bat.
I started with the XS, and used the straight size for the Blue Lace, just to get an idea of the sizing and what needed to be adjusted. Not surprisingly – the band was too big and the cups were too small. The band can be adjusted by taking out of the center back or side seams – you can even adjust the back right before sewing in the hook and eye at the very end. The cups, unfortunately, just kind of are what they are. They’re definitely not big enough, which is actually kind of awesome because it almost makes me feel like I have huge rack! Woohoo!
For the Lumberjack Lady, I made a few adjustments:
– I sewed the bust curve (that seam that runs vertical right over the nipple) at 1/4″. The seam allowances in this pattern are 1/2″, so I figured that would give me a little more room where I needed it.
– I kept the seam allowance at the center front at 1/2″, although next time I may shave off 1/4″ because it’s still a little wide.
– I also added 1/2″ to the bottom of all the pieces except the little lace piece at the top, so the bra would actually cover my entire breast (Blue Lace has a little bit of underboob action going on). Next time, I will also add 1/2″ to the top of the pieces as well. They just need a liiiiittle more coverage up there.
– I took some length out of the band to make it fit my ribcage, but I honestly couldn’t tell you how much. Sorry!
The end result is a better fitting bra. It’s still not perfect, but we are getting there!
Here’s the back – don’t laugh too much at how bad it looks. I was feeling so clever about this salvaged hook & eye that actually matched, until I realized that it’s not the right width – after I’d already sewn on the elastics! Argh! Lesson learned!
By the time I was sewing on the trims for bra #2, I found that I was much more comfortable and confident in the process – and I think the end result really shows (other than that embarrassing hook and eye! STOP LOOKING AT IT!). The elastic was sewn on at a less tight ratio, which really shows when the bra is laying flat (and makes it fit much more comfortably). Also, dudes – sourcing all the little trimmings and fabric combinations for this thing is fun, at least when it come from a stash raid 🙂 The black lace is from my Georgia Dress, The lace trim is from Pacific Trimming, and the straps were sent to me from Trice. WHAT UP, FREE BRA.
The inside is lined with a soft cotton jersey.
So that’s it! Some things I learned with this new experience:
– Bra Making is really fun and kind of addictive. It uses the tiniest little pieces of fabric (forreal, the amount of blue lace I used was smaller than a sheet of copy paper, ha!), which means you can never throw scraps away. Sorry!
– Adjusting the sizing is not as scary as I thought it would be. Basically finishing a bra before knowing whether or not it’ll work – yeah, that still kind of sucks, but there are worse problems to have, you know?
– You can sew this – start to finish – on a sewing machine! No serger needed. I used a lightning bolt stitch to assemble pretty much everything, and a standard zigzag for sewing the trims.
One big thing I learned is – ok, soft bras are fun, but I’m ready to pull out the big guns! Bring on the real bras with underwires and lots of tiny pieces! I’ve been reading Orange Lingerie‘s Demystifying Bra Fitting and Construction
What about y’all? Would you ever consider making your own lingerie (or… have you?)? Are you a handmade-all-the-time kinda sewer, or would you rather focus your free time on making extravagant and fun things? I think you guys all know my stance, but I want to hear yours!
Hey, and one last thing – last week, I had the pleasure of “meeting” Corinne of The Sewing Affair via phone and chatting her up – and now it’s a podcast that you can listen to! Go have a listen – even if it’s just to decide whether or not I have a southern accent (southerners think I don’t; everyone else thinks I do. Someone sway the vote, my voice is feeling like it doesn’t have an identity haha). ALSO, Corinne has been killing it with these podcasts and they are ALL so good – you should listen to them all! It’s so cool to put a real voice to the blog voices I’ve been reading for the past few years 🙂
LLADYBIRD 
Bra sewing is ADDICTIVE! I have no idea how many I’ve sewn in the last few years now. Seriously, it’s so easy once you get over the hump of being overwhelm by the random fabrics and elastics you need and you get a nice fit. It took me about 3.5 hours total to sew my last bra (a red and black lacey one I posted a couple days ago on my blog). Love how bra sewing is catching fire in the past few weeks with folks! I think the Craftsy class with Beverly is really helping to push it over the edge right now. I felt like there were like only 5 of us posting bras on out blogs. Woo hoo! Bust out more cut bras and undies! I love the lumberjack look!!!!!!!!
I just fell down a Marlborough rabbit hole on my blog. OMG THEY ARE GORGEOUS! I especially love that red and black lace one (and… I’m totally stealing your idea… because I have red bra stuff, and black lace, and ooh la la YES! haha!)
omigod this post really resonates with me. I got to the point quite a while ago that it was wierd when i was wearing something off the rack. I started making knickers a few years back, mainly as a way to use up biggish leftovers of liberty lawn. After my first (bias-cut) pair I fell in love with the luxurious feel – especially in our long hot humid summers in Malta!. Then I got into stretch ones too as a way to use the old tshirts I don’t wear. Recently, I got into the bra idea too, mainly because – well because most of your points so I won’t repeat them! I have been wearing bras that are slightly too small for ages (ahem) out of pure hard headedness….. they’re pretty, they never fitted perfectly anyways, and I want to try making them.
I love the idea of the flannel for a cosy winter bra. Looks cute too:) I have this same pattern plus the Jasmine, and another one for stretch fabrics, and invested in a bunch of supplies from the European branch of bramakingsupplies. And luckily I had been thinking about this for a while so for the last few years I have been keeping the goodbye bras for their notions:)… I do love cannibalising stuff…
I am looking forward to Cloth Habit’s bra pattern which is supposed to be coming out soon – it is apparently going to be a rather more supportive bra than the Oooh lulus but without an underwire, which is music to my ears as I HATE wires. I get rashes there in summer and have even tried taking wires out but then the bras didn’t have wide bands and became totally useless.
Anyway.thanks for yet another informative, interesting and funny as hell post:) I love when your name pops up in my inbox 🙂
Cannibalizing stuff *may* be one of my favorite parts of sewing, or, at least bra-making 🙂 i feel so pleased with myself when I can find little bits and pieces to reuse!
I am super excited to see Cloth Habit’s bra pattern, because I just know that one is going to be amazing. I can’t even wrap my head around a supportive bra without underwire, but I just know it’s gonna be good. So good.
And thank you! ♥
Yay, bra making! I’m really excited to start doing that. I’ll be taking a class at Bra Maker’s Supply next month on my birthday! Woot woot! Sewist’s birthday dream! 😀
I loooove the lumberjack lady. 🙂
OOOH YOU ARE SO LUCKY! I am so jealous! I want to take a bra-making class (I’m crossing my fingers SO hard that I’ll be able to take one of Maddie’s classes, but we’ll see!).
I definitely would like to make my own bra’s, but I am having cold feet. In RTW I have only found one label with sort of a comfortable fit, all the other ones in the same size (28DDD in US sizes, I guess, 70F over here) tend to have the wrong shape for me. (I don’t internet shop either, always visit a local specialist store for it.)
What I was wondering about is the way the Bambi bra looks with a t-shirt topped over it. Isn’t there a bumper effect? That is probably sort of Dutch, I guess, so let me explain: if it was me trying it on, it would look like I had one big bumper instead of two separate breasts.
I guess I will do a lingerie workshop one time, to learn to draw my own bra’s, because I find it hard to believe any of the existing patterns will have a proper fit (I have tried so many RTW’s, that I hate shopping for bra’s, but I do know that hardly any of them fits. Swimwear is even worse to find.) That said, I am really looking forward to your experiences with various patterns. Maybe, just maybe, I might even give one of them a try in the near future… (I love your Lumberjack lady – great way to use leftovers!)
I totally understand ya, I’m not a good shape for most RTW bras either (sizing issues aside, I get gapey upper cups, which is annoying as hell!). With making them, though, you’ll at least be able to tweak the fit until the bra works with YOUR shape (and not a weird standardized average that doesn’t work for everyone). Or you could draft one, I guess! That’s way more hardcore than what I’m willing to do, personally 🙂
The Bambi bra does give a little bit of a bumper effect, since the bridge (or, what kind of is a bridge, since it’s not a ~true proper bra~) doesn’t sit against the body. It’s kind of the same effect you get with a push-up bra, except without the pushing up. That is a good question, though! When I finally make a Bambi that fits well enough to wear out of the house, I’ll take a photo with a shirt over it so you can see 🙂
Thanks 🙂
And you’re right, maybe I should at least give some of the patterns a try, and if it doesn’t work out, I can always turn to drafting my own (not my first choice either, I love sewing better that the whole pattern thing, so I prefer using RTM (ready to make)). I have the opposite problem btw. The upper cups tend to be too full, where the points of the cups themselves are empty, so bubbles on the bust points and an extra pair of breasts on top 😀
Aline, I was really close to your size and I had great results with Rebecca from Sewy. It’s a German company. Merkwidgeth (no idea how to spell) has one bra in your range and she’s in Rotterdam.
Thanks, I might give it a try, I am getting extremely motivated to start with a bra now (thanks Lauren 😉) Did you mean Merckwaerdigh? I know that is a bra pattern company (also weird spelling in Dutch)
LOL. Yes, that’s what I meant 🙂
Aline,In addition to the Sewy Rebecca pattern, the Shelley by Bramakerssupply.com in Canada is an excellent choice. I am about 32H to 34G size and am now working on my 7th bra from that pattern. I can also recommend the Craftsy class taught by Beverly Johnson as a good introduction to bra sewing. I wish such things existed when I started sewing bras once-apon-a-time! Sewy also has a new bra pattern, the Isabell – I ordered it, but have not yet sewn it. Yes, bra sewing is indeed addictive, but it has been so very rewarding to me to persist and conquer fitting issues and come up with beautiful results.
Thank you so much for the extra suggestions! I have a supplier of lingerrie material only 10 minutes cycling away, I think I will pay him a visit some time next week!
Has anyone tried BravoBella products? That’s who I started with and have just completed my first muslin (not made of actual muslin…like others have said, it has to be the same kind of fabric as your final plan). With various adjustments, it turned out fairly well. Monica Bravo has been fantastic at answering my emails and she Skyped me to help with a complicated issue. She has 2 DVDs (a total of nearly 5 hours running time!) which seem pricey but are chock full of fabulous info, including how to choose a pattern based on your breast shape. I’m quite sure my second muslin will be near perfect and most likely #3 will be perfect. It is a challenge, but a fun puzzle to work out. I just keep my eye on the prize…no more uncomfortable-straps-falling-off, broken-pokey-underwired torture devices!
I just made my first “real” bra (i.e. underwires and all) and while it was a major learning experience, it wasn’t all that hard. As a 30DD/E it’s nearly impossible to find things in stores (ain’t nobody in Kentucky carryin’ those sizes) and I hear ya about online bra shopping. I had to when my son was still nursing because my boobs were totally redonkulous, but it’s such a pain, and paying upwards of $70 for a single bra is just not my idea of fun. I may have to check out that Orange pattern. I really like the look of it!
I’m really excited to sew up this Orange pattern, because it’s soo similar to my favorite bra (plus, seeing the finished ones lurking around the web are getting me extra excited!). Paying $70 for a bra that doesn’t even fit right is so sad! Handmade bras for everyone! 🙂
I’ve never made a bra. However, it is on my to-do list for the next year. I too struggle with finding bras that fit, so to be able to make something would be amazing. The Marlborough pattern looks like my absolute favorite bra ever — which means I need to get cracking sooner than later on a new bra.
Yes! And wouldn’t it be great to just have one (or two, or whatever) perfectly-fitting patterns, that you can just make over and over again with different fabrics? That’s the plan for me, anyway. I think the Marlborough is going to be my favorite bra, too 🙂
Bra making is the best seeing I have ever done. I took a class from Bra Makers Supply this past summer and have made five sets of bras and panties. Once you go custom you can’t go back to RTW.
This makes me happy to hear! I don’t ever want to go back to RTW if I can help it 🙂
I’ll be keeping an eye on your bra making adventures as it may inspire my own. 🙂 I’m a 34DD (ish). RTW fits fine enough. And I’m sure I could muddle through sewing it. And I’d love to add another layer to my “why yes I’ve sewn my entire outfit.” What I’m really curious about is any of these style bras under a knit shirt. I wear a lot of knit tops. I rarely wear lace bras because the texture shows through (although I’ve found one that isn’t so bad). I also never wear pieced bras for the same reason. Since the Orange pattern matches one you like, do you have problems with the bra seams showing? (And, truthfully–and perhaps a bit TMI–I don’t wear unlined bras for the very reason you heavily lined your swimsuits; another concern with making my own RTW).
I’m also toying with the idea of sewing my own bras because I’m a dancer (belly dance, pole dance and aerials). So that means costumes. And why would I want to pay a fortune for a costume when I could make an awesome one myself? 😀 I’ve found some great go-to patterns for most of my costume bits but the bra is the last big hole in my arsenal. 😉
Well, I have a very similar RTW bra – with the seams, the lace cups, and the lace of padding. It does show under a knit tshirt – it’s not crazy awful, but you see the lumps of the lace and the seam lines, especially if the shirt is tight. I’ve decided that I personally don’t give a shit if anyone sees my bra. I also decided that I’m ok with a little nippage under a tshirt (still not ok with that shit on the beach, though, for some reason!) – it was sexy in the 70s, you know? Anyway, if that’s a concern for you – this probably isn’t the pattern for you. You can absolutely buy bra foam to make your own “tshirt” bra, but i think the seaming would kind of defeat the purpose. They do make bra patterns for the full foam cup, so that’s an option.
Making your own belly dance bras sounds AMAZING! Oh man! You could totally go overboard with the fabrics/colors/decorations, and it would be so so beautiful. I’m so excited for you now! You HAVE to do this, mostly so I can see the results! 😀
Yeah, I may need to get over my don’t-look-at-my-bra-phobia. It’s not like I’m small enough to pretend I’m NOT wearing one. 😉
Right now I do some fancy-wizardry for my costume bras by hacking a RTW bra: remaking the bra bands and straps (they need to be completely non-stretch for dance), covering the bra cups and then decorating. But it’d be great to just make the cups myself! And…I seem to be failing in having any photos of my completed projects. 🙂 Doh. Well, I have a performance next week and a bra/belt set that HAS to be done by then. It’ll still be the hackery but maybe I can show the fun of mixing fabrics and trims and RHINESTONES. There can never be too much bling. 😉
And I’m going to be hunting down some pattern for “soft bras” for pole and aerials. I’ve got a great booty-short pattern and one for leggings (almost have a unitard hacked) but I’m stuck wearing my RTW sports bras. Bo-ring! Luckily for that, it only needs to be semi-supportive (as in, I mostly need to worry about the don’t-fall-out-when-inverted factor and not the bounce-factor).
I would love to make a tee shirt bra. For some reason, I can get bras a bit like the Marlborough to fit me fine in RTW (underwired, lace panel, stretch panel, seam across cup) but I can’t get a moulded type tee shirt bra to fit me for love nor money. At the moment I have two bras which are a fabulous fit (identical) but they are no use under a tee shirt because of the lace and seams – and they are a strange aubergine colour, which I love, but won’t fit under a fine, pale fabric – that was the only version available. They were bought from Marks and Spencer and cost about £21 – I guess that’s about $33. I don’t find bras to fit any better from more expensive ranges. I’m up for the bra challenge! I’d like to attend a class, though, which included fitting as well as construction – I’ve seen some which focus only on construction.
Check out the new bra making class on Craftsy… it’s by the wonderful Beverly Johnson who runs Bra Makers Supply. I took this class in person with one of her previous professional bra making students and it was awesome: teaches you everything you need to know about making an underwired bra and fitting. At the minute its on sale for less than $50!
That’s good to know! I personally can’t swing the Craftsy classes (I prefer to learn in-person, or with a photo/text format – video just doesn’t work for me), but I bet there are tons of people here who would find that class useful 🙂
I’ve been reading the same book! Ha.
It’s so good, ain’t it??
My husband is an engineer and one of the classes that structural engineers at his alma mater had to take revolved solely around designing bras. The professor stated that bras are the absolute hardest thing in the world to design. For that reason, I am afraid to give bra making a try!
Haha,that’s actually kind of hilarious! Well, on the flip side – you’re not designing the bra, someone else already did that work for you 🙂 You’d just be sewing the pattern 🙂
I don’t think I’ll be sewing bras anytime soon, but it would solve something I absolutely hate: bra shopping! Also, this reminds me of the time I requested a book about lingerie sewing from the Nashville library and the male librarian gave me weird looks for a long time afterward. Ugh.
Yeah, I hate bra shopping too! So expensive and so many meh results. That’s so funny about that librarian – now I wanna know which one it was, so I can give him weird looks right back hahaha 🙂
I’ve made tons of bras. My favorite designers are Make Bra and Merckwaerdigh. Make Bra uses cut-and-sew foam cups and you stretch the cup cover fabric over it, so that helps eliminate fabric stretch issue when it comes to cup fit.
I bought the Orange pattern and by looking at the pieces it looks like it will produce a less pointy look than the Pin-Up Girls patterns, but is still more for a full-on-top rather than full-on-bottom figure. I know I’m going to have to make several renditions before I get the fit even remotely close, which is why I haven’t tackled it yet.
You have to check out the Merckwaerdigh kits on eBay and Etsy sometime – she really knows how to put together some colorful combinations! They include everything except the underwires and boning.
I REALLY want to buy the Merckwaedigh kits! I was lurking them so hard – they’re all so beautiful! When I talked to Norma about choosing fabrics for her pattern, though, she told me that those kits are a little too stretchy for how the pattern is drafted. While she gave me some great advice on how to make it work, I decided to stick with the Bra Maker’s Supply kits for now (since those are what the pattern was drafted for), while I still figure out construction and fit. Once I’ve got that done, I’m totally branching out to those fancy kits.
Have sewn my own bras before, with “meh” results. The fault was mine, not the pattern and suppliers (Bra Makers Supply out of Canada has a great instructional manual — pricey, though, as it is self-published). Have had good luck with the Elan company’s products. My personal quest is to replicate the cotton woven bras of my youth — they ran the gamut, from dainty little bandeaus for pre-teens, to heavily engineered and underwired items that were popular with the large-bosomed grandmother set. I spent a happy summer a couple of years ago using the Bra Makers pattern and instructions, running up tens of muslins. I resorted to buying thrift store bras to scavenge for underwires and closures, since the only fabric stores in my area do not carry even basic lingerie notions. Also they don’t carry lingerie fabric anymore, except sometimes crapulous swimwear fabric.
Mixed results — you have to sew a brassiere almost to the finish point before you can successfully try it on/try it out. At least I do, now that my tenure as President of the Itty Bitty Titty Committee is some three decades in the past.
I am thinking about raiding some thrift store bras for at least the closures (underwires, I feel, might be hit or miss, since the size varies so much). I would love to make little cotton bras – those sound adorable! And yeah, I hate that you have to sew the whole thing almost to the finish point before you can really try it out. Kind of annoying, but when it fits – I assume it’s really really worth it 🙂
If you ever get it in your head to draft a bra, I’d have to highly recommend Bare Essentials. I was ready to draft when I couldn’t find anything in my size. But, then I found Pin Up Girls and a new to me bra from Sewy. I thought bra making was so dumb. Until I realized I could make one for $25 vs buying for $75.
Yeah, I thought they were dumb too – until I got sized out of all the normal bra stores (and the nice normal prices). Plus, this kind of gives me an excuse to keep sewing once my closet starts overflowing. Everyone needs underwear… right? 🙂
OH! Also, I highly recommend using technical fabric for your lining when possible. Breaths so well.
The bra making fever comes and goes for me. I make 3 bras that turn out to be ‘tests’ for every one that fits nicely. I notice that most of the bloggers I see that churn out the bras regularly, Novita, Amy from Cloth Habit are smaller cup sizes, I’m a DD/E/F depending on the pattern, and I think that makes small fitting problems worse over the course of a day. Still it can be done for sure, Sigrid is my hero. Check out all of her tutorials!
I bought giant rolls of lingerie elastic in the LA garment district, so now if I harvest the hooks and eyes, underwire and straps, I’m only out the underwire casing and fabric. Unpicking stitches in plush back elastic is not my idea of a good time!
By the way, I did a organza rub off of one of my favorite RTW bra’s and it worked pretty well, it would be interesting to see how your RTW bra compares to the Orange Lingerie bra.
Random side note: I started making bras because I like the ones I could buy in England where seamed bras are totally normal, what’s up with Americans being obsessed with seeing the seam lines of their bra’s showing through?
I actually compared the pieces of the Marlborough bra to my RTW bra, and it’s *very* similar. The bridge is almost exactly the same size. There are a couple extra pieces in the cup on mine,but the power bar is there and everything 🙂 I may eventually do a rub off of this one because I really like to way it fits!
Also, I have no idea why we are so obsessed with hiding bra seam lines! Same with nipples! NO ONE likes to show nipples in this country (I’m team no-nipple when it comes to swimwear, but I’ve learned that in real clothes it doesn’t bother me quite as much). So weird!
I don’t know about YOUR school dress codes, but MINE were completely obsessed with “your bra straps are showing, your bra straps can’t show I CAN SEE YOUR BRA hey, hey, I can see you bra AND YOUR SHOULDERS you need to cover up you are Distracting Boys” you know what, bite me, I’m twelve and I don’t even really need a bra yet, you can LITERALLY GNAW ON MY ANGRY PRE-TEEN BONES because you are annoying me and I AM TRYING TO READ
but it leaves a deep psychological mark
On the other hand, my middle school dress code specifically permitted boys wearing Hooters shirts and specifically prohibited girls wearing Mudd jeans because of the hand logo on the butt. There was a Big Assembly about it. So maybe I’m just actively bitter about it.
I don’t think making undergarments strange at all. Recently, in a class, my teacher, (who happens to be Italian) started talking about how important undergarments are and can actually enhance the way fabric moves on the body. Bras and she feels all women should have multiple slips of china silk, cut on the bias, for wearing under garments. While I haven’t made any yet, I plan to. Guess I may as well add bras to the list too. So many things in life to make…. Have a lovely day!
Gah, I wish I had multiple bias-cut china silk slips! every since I made that 4 ply silk bias cut slip, I’ve been meaning to make more, because it feels totally amazing on. Have I made more? Of course not. lol.
I made many silk undies over the years. The first one was made from some left over silk that was to small to make a proper garment but to big to toss. Hate it when that happens! but now I buy small pcs of silk just to make undies. just check the remnant boxes in your fabric store.
I’m getting ready to dive into the bra making world! I just purchased the Craftsy class and was entertaining taking a course at FIT that starts up in two weeks. I already pre-gamed with Norma’s book and bought Bare Essentials (OMG, it shows you how to draft your own, from scratch!) But first things first, I need to start one already! When I attended FIT, we did learn how to make a corset which involved some of the same techniques, I’m just a little out of practice.
Like you, I’ve never really been happy with the way bras fit on me. Part of it was I found out this spring I was wearing the wrong size. Not a surprise! I also cringe at the price of really nice bras and end up going the Victoria Secret route – which I hate, hate, hate.
Ooooh, no, girl! Once you wear a nice bra, it’s SO HARD to go back to VS. Or maybe I’m just jealous because the smallest band size they sell is a 32 🙂 Argh, I miss those biannual sales, though!
This is great! I really like both versions. I’m a beginner and this is too far from my actual skills, but I definitely want to try sewing it in the future.
This pattern is a great intro to bra pattern, so once you’re ready to tackle it, I highly recommend it 🙂
Woohoo! I’m excited to see you sewing bras. I’m working out on sewing bras myself as well. Right now I’m still going through the fitting process, and dragging my feet. But I just printed out the Orange bra pattern and I love Norma’s book, so I’m getting excited again. The previous pattern I tried just wasn’t working for me. I’m measuring out as a 38A, which is not an easy size to find! 😉
Hear hear! Better to just start making them – save yourself some headache! 🙂
The lumberjack lady is super cute. Im wondering if it looks smooth under a top? I’m feeling pretty lucky that RTW work well for me. I’m going to let this wagon pass by, but may take a spin on the panty wagon to use up some scraps. You know, sometime, maybe after my core wardrobe is done.
I very recently bought a bunch of new under things. And, when I pulled them out of the bag to show Mike, he remarked that it looked like a handful of fabric scraps, similar to those I have in the bin in my sewing room. That comment certainly gave me pause. It’s true. There is minimal fabric in undergarments, and, even though their inexpensive, so many are poorly made and I’m frequently replacing them.
It’s a good argument in favor of sewing your own. I’ve even bought several of OhLuLu’s patterns thinking that I will give it a try. But, I have so many things I need to sew, it will probably take me years before I get to them.
Undergarments are definitely ‘next level’ sewing, in my opinion. I feel like it’s a natural progression.
It is very true that the fabric yardage is next to nothing for undergarments (even the biggest sizes still use significantly less yardage than, say, what it would take to make a dress). That being said, the labor that goes into them is kind of crazy. There are so many little pieces, so many trims, so many steps. I can totally understand why the expensive ones cost what they do – they might not spend a lot of $ on materials, but there’s quite a bit of labor involved!
Still, it hurts a little when you see how tiny the fabric scraps are that make up a bra. Makes you kind of want to never throw anything away again, haha!
The plaid one is super cute! I want a plaid bra now! Especially since I’m not a girly-girl and don’t love itchy lace which is all over the RTW scene–I’d much rather have interesting fabric prints. And I hear ya on ordering online, I have no choice, but I hate it with a passion…too many variables at play, even within a brand.
I keep trying to sew my own, and I can get a similar fit to RTW, but I still have trouble with my ultra narrow shoulders/bad posture combination. I have accumulated a few stretch wovens that I was planning to try again with (powernet irritates my skin), but I have to get some basics knocked out before I even think of trying bras again. Plus, patterns for my size are few and far between and when I do find them, they’re typically ugly and full band–neither of which are ideal.
Oh yeah, I hear ya! So many bra colors and styles that don’t appeal to how I dress – which makes making your own so much more dangerous, because WE CAN MAKE PLAID BRAS! So awesome!
Have you considered drafting a bra pattern? Some of the comments on this post are very pro drafting – you might have a better result starting from scratch, rather than trying to work backwards with fit.
OMG! You’ve made a bra! I’m so glad to hear that it’s a learning process. I just need to bite the bullet. I’m planning on making my first bra this weekend. I’m glad to start so I can just find the perfect bra that fits. I think what’s amazingly awesome about making your own bra is that not only it fits, but it costs a fraction compared to RTW bras.
I can’t wait to hear about your process with your “real” bra.
Well Done for entering bra territory, I am not quite there yet, there are some good sets on Handmade by Carolyn if you want some inspiration and a pattern to try. Her bra’s are beautiful but wearable. Jo x
Thanks for the tip! I’ll have to check her out 🙂
Yeah! I think once I get the fit down and make enough to bring down the cost of the pattern (not that $17 is expensive AT ALL, but it’ll be cheaper once the cost-per-use aspect comes into effect 🙂 ), bra making is going to be sooo economical! Especially since you can use fabric scraps and tear findings off of old bras. Love that!
I’ve been thinking about making my own bras lately too! Mostly cuz I follow OHHH LULU on instagram and I LOOOOOVE everything she makes. I want one of each.
OMG I KNOW. Following her Instagram is sooo dangerous – everything is beautiful and I need I need!
hello! I recently found your blog and I love it! You have such a fun personality! You are making me want to start sewing again!
Yay! What’s stopping ya? 😉 lol
Even on your first try, you’re a pro!
Maddie, you’re a doll! ♥
I love reading about bra making even if I’m not actively trying to learn about it. I have the most normal 34B size that most everything fits fine. Sure… I always have to shorten the straps b/c they like to fall off my shoulders, but that’s easily remedied with a racer back bra when I feel like wearing one.
Besides this, I’ll probably end up making bras/undies at some point though. I wouldn’t do it for the fit but for the advantage of making one at home and making them up with the cutest knits & lace, and for the cute vintagey patterns that are out there right now.
Loved reading through your post and LOL-ed at the back hook and eye part.
And yes… you do have a southern accent. 🙂
Lucky you for being such a standard size! I’m jealous 🙂 Totally get what you mean about wanting to make them just so you can customize them… that’s definitely a big perk! Then we can have bras that look the way we want, and not what stores think we want 🙂
I’ve been making modifications to my bras for years because I can never find one that fits perfectly. I really should start making my own from scratch, it shouldn’t be all that more difficult, right? 🙂
You may want to try to make underwear (panties). My mother-in-law made the best, softest panties for my daughter when she was ages 2 to 5. I applaud your energy to make a bra. Have made two swimwear tops but these required very little fitting in my younger days when I was a size 6!
I made one pair of undies earlier this year – they turned out great, but I need to tweak the fit because they don’t quite fit my backside (to be blunt – they give me mega wedgies if I’m not wearing pants to hold them in place. SORRY TMI hahaha). But you are right – I do need to make more, because they were quick and easy to make, and basically free since I used scraps 🙂 Then I could have matching bra and panty sets – which would be a first for me! ha!
Yes, you should! Better to start from scratch than try to fix someone else’s mess 😉
A lumberjack bra, let´s talk about awesome! I made the Bambi quite a while ago, it so pretty but the cups were to small for me, too. I have to agree with you, you instantly get an “oh my god, my boobs are so big!” moment 🙂 I stopped wearing wired bras because I never found one that didn´t poke me at one place or the other. At the moment I love wearing the triangle bra from ohhh lulu, it´s so comfortable and the fit is perfect!
Ahhh don’t tempt me! I’m gonna get that pattern next! 😀
I think that I might be willing to give the soft bra a try, especially since it uses so little fabric, but I don’t think I’m confident enough in my skills to make a fo real bra. One day maybe! Cause, yeah, getting a RTW bra that fits sucks arse.
Once you make that soft bra, you’ll be like, “Oh, this is bra-making? OK LET’S MAKE A REAL ONE!” I say this because this was exactly my thought process 🙂 haha!
I’m going to try bra-making at some point. It totally scares me but the fact is, I have been wearing manky old bras that are just an embarrassment because I HATE bra shopping so much! Everytime I go buy a bra that’s cute it ends up being super uncomfortable after a day of wear anyway. Grr! So fingers crossed I can sew myself a solution!
Looking forward to seeing your journey through it! Looking good already! 🙂
Oh girl, I know what you mean. I was wearing the manky old bras up until recently, when I finally bought some new ones… and now I’m just mad because I spent all this money and they still don’t fit right! ugh! Whatever! I hate bra shopping too – I’d rather just make them at this point! At least I’ll get some entertainment value out of it 🙂
Bra-Making is so addictive! Once you get the fit, they take so little time and fabric. No special sewing equipment required and as long as you can manage a quarter inch seam your good to go. Designer looks at a fraction of the cost plus they are fun !!
Yes! This is what I like to hear! 😀
This book Bare Essentials sounded so good, I just checked online to see if my library has it, and I saw it as an ebook — it had a bra and underwear on the cover so I assumed I had the right book — I downloaded it right away, and it turns out it’s a romance novel! I was so shocked when I opened it up and instead of sewing talk there was all this crazy dialogue about a crusty sheriff and a lingerie model or something?? Ha! I just wanted to read about bras!!
HAHAHA! This comment literally made me lol. I’m sorry you got the wrong book (about a crusty sheriff and lingerie model, no less!), but this is one of the greatest stories ever. Dying.
I haven’t made a bra in…. ouh man 9 years! The last one I made, I was still in school and that was one of our school projects. It was hot pink and didn’t look half bad.
But, I wasn’t as excited about bra making as I was about suit making.
Goid luck with yours. I am sure it will be spectacular!
PS that lumberjack bra would look so good with hiking boots!
Ah! I just bought some motorcycle boots (well… motorcycle-inspired boots, I should say!) – sounds like an outfit made in heaven 🙂 haha!
This info is a little late but someone reading this might find the information useful…. I have a similar delima – 34G is hard to find! Panache and Freya are also my go to bras, I find them at Nordstrom Rack anywhere from $12 to $30. Sure you don’t have as much choice of color but the price is worth it !!
Let me just sit here and be jealous that you can find bras at Nordstrom Rack 😦 They only sell down a size 30, so it’s a no-go for me. But I really liked those brands, and that’s really awesome to know that you can get them for that cheap because they are normally much more expensive!
Someday I’ll give bra-making a go. But currently I have too many projects already in my queue!!
I heard a bit of an accent, but just with certain words. It’s probably similar to mine. Here in the Pacific Northwest, people ask me all the time where I’m from. I tell them the west coast but I lived in Nashvegas for 4 years. Another question for you, do you pronounce your name Lauren like Loor-ren as Corrine pronounced it? Or like Law-ren?? All of the gals I knew in Nashville said Law-ren. Just a random question!
It’s Law-ren for me! In the south, everything has to have a drawl – even if it’s slight 🙂 lol
Dude, I am so into this! I recently got a couple of the basic kits from makebra.com and one of their patterns (2610) and jumped in to bra making. I’d been reading and researching for a while and it felt kind of scary- like you described; all those little notions and particular fabrics and techniques, but underwrites and all- it wasn’t nearly as tricky as I’d thought it would be. Now that I’ve learned how to knit (specifically, socks) I’m very excited to be able to step out in a 100% hand made outfit. I’m totally looking forward to reading about everything you’re learning!
Damn, that makebra site looks legit! Too bad they are in another continent; the exchange rate makes the prices too high for me 🙂 I love that their kits come with enough for 2 bras, though! and I totally agree with you on the 100% handmade outfit – I’m working on a pair of socks right now, and hell yes it is gonna feel so good to say that I made everything I’m wearing! (except shoes. Hm. I’ll leave those off)
Oh yeah, i forgot about the shoes part…. I’m in Australia so I’m used to high prices for shipping and exchange rates and compared to what I can buy here the makebra prices were not too bad, but I can see why you would choose US shops in preference!
This is gonna sound hocus-pocus-cray-cray, but you might consider sourcing plastic underwires now that you’re really getting into this! There is a growing theory that metal underwires may really be contributing to the rise of breast cancer, because metal can attract not so healthy magnetic fields, and having them against your boobies all day is less than awesome…I’ve been thinking about switching my RTW underwires out for plastic ones just to be safer than sorrier. 🙂
Really? I had no idea! I noticed the plastic wires in some of the shops I was looking at, and I wondered why people would by them. Now you’ve got me all paranoid (I LIVE for hocus-pocus-cray-cray conspiracy theories, ok). I might have to try a pair just to see how they work out!
(Also, the name “lumberjack lady” made me snort laugh.)
Lauren, you do not have a Southern accent. There is only the slightest twinge of one on only a few words, so no, you don’! I am a Northern transplant to Virginia, and I my ears are quite attuned to the differences. 🙂
Great jobs on the bras. I will be giving it a try this fall.
You totally do have a southern accent but it is very subtle. It depends on the word you are saying? Yes. That’s it. You don’t sound how I thought you would, but not in a good or bad way, I think maybe you sounded more like Deb from Dexter in my head because of the swearing haha!
I started sewing my own bras a couple of months ago, and it IS addictive! The downside is that now I am definitely a handmade-all-the-time person, but I also just want to make all the extravagant pretty things. Or maybe that isn’t a downside, because I have the most amazingly tacky/delightful bras now!
I totally listened to only a few minutes of that podcast for the sole purpose of checking out your accent/not accent, hahaha. Maybe not a full fledged accent, but there are certainly some sounds/words where the southern peeks out! Very charming 😀
This is a great inspiration post for me, so thanks! I decided at the start of the year that 2015 would be the year I start making my own bras and underwear. I’ve noticed that a lot more in the way of patterns and resources has popped up for this over the past few years, and I’m pretty excited to get started! I didn’t start this year, because I’d decided 2014 is the year I finally become a knitter – and I did and am now totally addicted, lol (seriously, since new year’s I’ve knit a scarf, 2 hats, fingerless mitts and 4 cardigans – yes 4!). Miss Celie got me thinking about the whole bra-making-thing a while ago and I thought I’d jump right into the underwire end of the pool, but now I think I may go your route. I think Ohh Lulu’s designs are adorable, and she’s a fellow Canadian, so I gotta support her! lol
As a Nashvillian who has relocated to the midwest, I can definitely tell you that you have the classic Nashville accent! It’s not as “southern” as most people think, but there are definitely some notes of southern here and there in some of your words. (Particularly the way you pronounce the long A and I.) I love it! 🙂
http://www.makebra.com/how-to/ has some nice explanations in text, pictures and a video on youtube….Also tried the pattern and it worked out for me although it was the first time sewing a bra!! I bought the craftsy class as well. Since I met Beverly Johnson this summer and made my first own classic bra pattern I´m stuck with underwires, padding and pattern changes for good;-) Cheaper and with a better fit than RTW – I just have to be patient enough and take the time to do it. I can choose whatever look I want and what can be more addictive. But I have to make T-shirts and quick dresses in between just to avoid getting crazy. Right now into practicing style changes in the pattern, foam cups and all that. Thinking of sewing for my girlfriends, just for the practice and to be able to customize for different needs. Bought myself the Pinup girl´s Bra sewing books, very instructional. Haven’t tried Orange, but it looks very nice. Like the Merckwaerrdigh kits on etsy and ebay, but for bigger sizes I suspect the elastics are to narrow..
Thank you for a fantastic blogg and making me feel so at home in it!!/Anna
I have often thought of making myself bra or corset but it has always seem a bit complicated to me 🙂 Like, you have to have VERY strict measurements and have a perfect fit for them so that they won’t feel uncomfortable
Maybe I will someday try it out, maybe I won’t… 😀
Finally got around to listening to the podcast!
1. Your accent could easily pass for Southern Indiana. I expected it to be a little more severe so I can see why some people say it’s not TOO southern 🙂
2. Yay homeschool!! Me too!!
Oh man, I think I’m going to be the last hold-out on the Hell No, I Won’t Sew My Own Bras train! They just seem so fiddly… and annoying… and likely to fail. But you guys keep trying to seduce me with your cute-ass lumberjill bras! Stop!!!!!
I’m not ready to dive into bras just yet, but I *would* consider making some more “typical” lingerie. The BS in Victoria’s Secret is just not cutting it – cheaply made AND expensive? No thank you!
Both of your bras are very cute! I really like the lumberjack one, what a great combo, it is something a bit different and I love that. I’d like to make bras one day but my output is so low generally and I have so much garment stuff in my stash and so many plans for a handmade wardrobe that I am loath to branch out into underthings just yet!