Here’s another jewel for your chest – the ever-so-popular Ruby bra pattern now has a little sister. Introducing the latest in our Jewel Collection – the Sapphire Partial Band Bra Pattern. The Sapphire must be used with underwires as this is part of the engineering of this lovely bra. Like the Ruby, this pattern features an off-set vertical seamed cup for the roundest styling, and a shortened upper cup for maximum lift. Our testers were amazed at the push-up look this pattern gives. The Sapphire Partial Band Bra Pattern has been specially designed to use with foam lining, therefore enabling you to use virtually any stretch fabric over it as a cup cover. It can even be made without foam, using low-stretch fabrics or fabrics lined with Sheer Cup Lining.
The sizing for the Sapphire is a bit different from other bra patterns, in that we use the Bottom Cup Depth (BCD) to determine the size of the cup. This is the measurement from the wire line at the base of the cup up to the location of the apex. It is much more accurate than relying on Ready-to-wear bra sizing, which can differ from company to company. Determine your BCD by measuring your best fitting bra between these two points. All cup sizes from 3.0 to 6.0 are included in the pattern. Combine these 13 cup depths with 1 of 8 band sizes from 26″ (65 cm) through 40″ (100 cm) to make the Sapphire Partial Band Bra Pattern size range equivalent to over 100 unique bra sizes. If the bra happens to be too small or too big in the cup, you can move up or down one BCD. No more guessing at “sister sizing”!
You can make the Ruby in solid colour fabric over the foam, like we did with this stretch satin version. Covering cut & sew foam with stretch fabric is a great way to expand the fabric selection you can use for bra-making. We used the polka dot fold-over elastic binding to encase the neckline edge of this Sapphire. With white elastics and findings, this Sapphire is really a punch of colour.
Or for a completely different look, try stretch lace over the foam. Here we used Poppy lace fabric with black fold-over and black elastics.
We also made one using stretch lace with lovely fuchsia fold-over elastic and trimmings.
Why not try a Scuba print, or one of our new Bamboo or polyester prints to add pattern as well as colour. With Sapphire, the variations are practically limitless!
I am intrigued by the new measurement system. I think that the reason some of my current bras don’t fit as well as they should could be because the cup depth is off.
Question, however: where is the apex? Is it where the nipple is, or is it somewhere on the bra itself?
(I intend to order a Sapphire bra, as I like partial bands. I just need to be sure I have all the findings, so that I can place all my orders at once!)
Wow! So beautiful! Thank you for another great pattern!