The bra may be worn to support and to
restrain pendulous breasts during exercise (especially the sports bra)
or to support them during everyday activities.
Many wearers also wear
bras in the questionable belief that it will prevent their breasts from
sagging later in life. In the scientific medical literature there are no
reports that support the notion that wearing a bra will prevent sagging
of breasts.
The lacebras and/or strapbra are the most popular kind of bras.
The bra may also be worn to observe
modesty or to present a certain image of femininity.
Bras are typically
designed to lift the breasts from their normal position, for a
more
youthful look or for enhancing cleavage.
Designers usually aim at producing a bra that fulfills
a practical role as well as making it look attractive. Reportedly, bras
are particularly important during pregnancy (when breasts are enlarged
and more sensitive), and for nursing (nursing bra) to accommodate
breastfeeding.
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Part 2 of sewing a custom bra with a 2-piece bracup
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I want to make a bra with a bra band and a “cut-and-sew” bracup (2 pieces)
there are basically 3 types of stitches,
Have a new stretch needle, a full bobbin of good quality thread |
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Take your underwire and underwire channeling
(casing)
put your wire in the channeling |
Cut 2 pieces of the underwire
channeling (casing)
the length is the length of the underwire + 1 cm at each side
remove the wire from the channeling |
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Sew the channeling on the bracup edge
seam stitches
Leaving some channeling past the bra edge free ( 1 cm
above the bridge ) at the centeror if you prefer this
Along the
bracup edge seam stitches
stitch in place as closely
to the seam of the bracup, as you can,
stitching along the channeling seam allowance
Leave a tail of about 1 cm, so you can feed later the wire through.
The underarm edge will have the
channeling “short” by 1 cm |
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The underwire channeling (casing) is
in place |
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Trim
away excess fabric, be careful, do NOT cut the extra 1 cm
of the
underwire channeling (casing)
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Leave this part of the bra, we are
going to stitch the elastic. |
Before you stitch your elastic, check the length of the bottom of your bra band.
Note how long the band is, than
take 80% of this length for the elastic. ( lingerie elastic ). |
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mark the centre of elastic to Centre Front seam to give even placement
of elastic on each side
Pin down elastic following
your pattern and measurements,
at
the bottom of the bra band. |
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Try to pin the elastic 1 cm below the underwire channeling (casing). |
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Use a zigzag W 1.5 L 2.0 for first stitching, trim
away excess fabric,
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Topstitching
- stitching with a elastic stitch
on the
outside.
Fold ( turn ) and
using an elastic stitch for the 2nd stitching
( topstitching )
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Now we have to sew the channeling down
the channeling must be at the center of the bridge; and just 2
channeling's wide
where my thumb is on the photoStarting just on the inside of the bra, stitching with a
straight stitch the inner
curve down first,
If you're adding underwires, sew the
channeling down so it
also acts as seam tape on the bracup-to-chestband seams. |
You'll want the inner curve stitching
to be along the bracup edge seam stitches |
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The second row of topstitching can be done from the inside of the
bracup, the outer curve
stitching to be about 1 cm away, on the chestband side of the bracups.
Or you can do that one
on the outside of the bracup, staying parallel to the first row.
You’ll usually sew on the
channeling guidelines
that are woven into every channeling tube.
Being careful not to make the stitching too narrow for the wires
to fit through so you get them inside. Stretch as you sew. |
in short; topstitch the channeling
two times - but they must be parallel to one another!
In class I have learned to stitch on
the outside of the bra, but I prefer to stitch on the inside.
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This is how the front of the bra look
likes now, funny little pieces of channeling sticking out of the front |
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International Bra Size
Calculator
International Bra Size
Conversion
Bra Size Information |
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Underarm or armhole-and-back
Elastic length is aprox. 80% of the length of the bra underarm edge
measurement.Finally, finish the bracups top edges
and the top edges of the back panels with edge elastic. |
I have trimmed the edge first for a
smooth edge |
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Apply the elastic to the top (underarm) edge of the bra,
the
edge of the elastic should be next to the top end of the channeling.
The
elastic should not sew through the channeling - sew with a zig-zag
stitch, just
above it.
When the elastic is turned ( folded ) and sewn for the second time, with an elastic
stitch, you
will sew through the channeling and cover the raw edge nicely.The elastics went on over the channeling
and the boning and underwire channeling, went in. |
The shoulder straps ( aprox. 50 cms
each. including the back length )
Measure your bra back length (
blue line )
take a piece of shoulder-strap, the length must be 80% of the length of the
back + 2 cms
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Stitching with an elastic stitch and
leaving 2 cms at the end |
Attach
the strap ring to the bracup top at the blue arrow Fold this
2 cms end under and bar tack it in place (2 rows of
elastic stitches ). |
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This is how it look likes |
Sew slides to the ends of the shoulder-straps
stitching with a zig-zag stitch |
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Putting elastic through slide and ring to make it adjustable
Pull the other end of the
shoulder-strap, the end without the slides,
through the ring on the bra, at the back
with right side in front of you, from back to front, towards you,
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Then through one side of
the slide en down the other. at bra making tutorial 4 are better
photo's |
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Attach that same end of the
shoulder-straps on the front of your bra, at the blue arrow
take care not to twist the shoulder-strap |
Sew shoulder-strap in the direction
of the blue arrow and at that point If your brastraps tend to fall off the shoulder
all the time, adjust the pattern for the placement of the brastraps, at the
back, move it more to the midline. This stops them from falling down!
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Fasten hook-and-eye tape or other kind of
closures to the ends of the back panels.
I
use a 3-hook closure.
Attach with a straight stitch first,
(Hooks on the right, eyes on the left) to hold it
onto the bra back.
Put the bra on and check the correct length of the closure,
if correct, then zig-zag.
If not, adept the back
width and repeat above. |
Very carefully stitch this in place as close
to the eyes as possible.
I use a zipper foot to attach the hook closure,
I find the regular foot is too awkward to
handle this task. Attach the eyes and use zig-zag
stitch. |
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This is where you put the underwires in
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The wires are in, now we have to stop
wires from popping out |
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And use a straight stitch at each end of
casing, just before the end |
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Now you may cut the ends of the
underwire channeling (casing) just under the edge. |
Notice the underwire channeling (casing)
is 2 pieces width at the center |
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Sew on a tiny bow or tiny embellishment of your choice to centre front
seam |
check the inside
of my bra ( click on thumbnail to enlarge )
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check the outside
of my bra ( click on thumbnail to enlarge )
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next time
a bra with 3-piece cup |
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I hope you enjoyed my bra making
tutorial, I had a lot of struggle to translate in English sewing
abbreviations. If you find something incorrect, please email me, and I
will change it.
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