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The First Step to Finding the Perfect Pattern: Find your breast shape – we can use that information to find a bra pattern that will suit you!* There are 12 Common Breast Shapes: Archetype – Round and full, with small point at nipple Asymmetrical – Two different sizes Athletic – Wider set, with more muscle […]
Are you ready to graduate from this bra-making challenge? It’s been a wonderful trip to Brallywood to see your fabulous creations. Now let’s celebrate by doing your last challenge , in order to graduate! We’re going back to the 1960’s classic film, the Graduate, where we see Anne Bancroft in “that” animal print bra and […]
There’s lots of Spy Action in Brallywood this coming month. Lets’ celebrate all the Spy thrillers, from James Bond to Austin Powers all the way to Bletchley Circle and back. Create a bra that draws inspiration from the women in those movies. Are you a Mata Hari woman or more of a Fem-bot kinda gal? […]
You thought we’d say “Gone with the WIND”, didn’t you? But this month in our Brallywood challenge, it’s all about Gone with the WIRES! You can create any bra, sports bra or bralette as long as their are no wires involved! Go metal free this month and be gone with the Wires! The rules for […]
7We’ll pause our pursuit of Brallywood for a brief moment… to announce that March is our BRIEF month. Lets’ celebrate underwear in all its renditions – from grannies, to g-strings! Show us your makes this month in any style of underwear, for women or men, and from any fabric. The rules for our Ultimate Bra-making […]
It’s Rom-Com (Romantic Comedy) month in Brallywood. Be inspired by any Rom-Com, vintage or modern and create any Romantic underwear, bra, swimwear or corset from any material, laces or trims. Does it have to be red, or pink? Nope – just use whatever colours and materials whisper “Romantic” to YOU. The rules for our Ultimate […]
January is the month of BLUE! Blue tends to get a bad reputation, often being associated with sadness and depression. Quite the opposite is true, in fact. The colour blue is associated with imagination, inspiration, sincerity.. all really good things! According to research, wearing the colour blue can also evoke a sense of calmness and relaxation. I don’t know […]
While the rest of Hollywood has their Golden Globes awards, it’s time for Brallywood to celebrate our very own Golden Globes! Make any bra, underwear, swimwear or corsets, but it must be GOLD. Any gold fabric, or fabric adorned with gold. Make it outshine anything else you’ve got. And why not – your sewing skills […]
Create your own version of Brallywood this month of December to create something Glitzy! Use any sequined, sparkly, bejewelled or crystallized fabrics you want to create any underwear, bra, swimwear, dancewear or corset. The rules for our Ultimate Bra-making Challenge are, as always, quite simple: the challenge this month is to create a Glitzy garment. […]
Push your sewing skills outside the drawer this month of Movember to create a little Brallywood for your own Leading Man. Use any material or fabrics you want to create any underwear, loungewear, pajamas or swimwear for any man, young or old. The rules for our Ultimate Bra-making Challenge are, as always, quite simple: the […]
Sheer Delight Do you love the look of those sheer bras in ready-to-wear but have hesitated to use sheer fabrics in your own bra-making projects? Why is that? Working with sheer fabrics is not more difficult (some would argue that they are easier) than traditional bra fabrics. They are certainly easier than working with stretch […]
Push your sewing skills outside the drawer this month by being inspired by any Hollywood Horror or Thriller film, vintage or otherwise and conjure up your own Brallywood creation!. Use any materials, fabric, laces, and/or trims you want to create a chilling (or thrilling) bra, corset, swimwear or underwear. Channel your inner Evil Queen, or […]
Push your sewing skills outside the drawer this month by auditioning unusual fabrics to use for lingerie. Use any unconventional material, fabric, laces, or trims and lay them out together to see how they look together. Remember that even the most unlikely choices can look fabulous in a bra because bra cups are generally mirror […]
Have you enjoyed the Challenges we’ve presented in the past? Well, here we are again with a whole new set of challenges for the season starting September 2022 and running through June of 2023. Our theme this year is “Brallywood”. The lights, the stars, the BRAS that shaped Hollywood! Yes, we challenge you to be […]
Have you struggled with all the different hook and eye closures? What do we mean by 3 x 3 and a 4 x 3? What is Hook and Eye tape and why would I use it? It may surprise you to know there are definite guidelines to use when working with hooks and eyes. I […]
We’ve all gotten excited about a new fabric to use for our bra-making, haven’t we? But what do you do when there is no power net in a colour to match your lovely find? Here are a number of alternatives to solve the challenge of using gorgeous fabrics with nothing to co-ordinate for the back […]
When looking for a bra that is virtually invisible under any clothing, lingerie shopping experts advise buying a “nude” colour; in other words, a colour that matches your skin tone. But there are dozens of skin tones from very light to very dark and not enough suitable bra cup fabrics to match them. If you’ve […]
Are your bras spooky enough for this year’s Halloween festivities? While most people don’t “celebrate” Halloween with a complete wardrobe makeover, there are lots of folks that love Halloween. They don’t want to miss any occasion that gives them an excuse to bring out their fabrics, sewing machines and sew up some Halloween spirit. Here […]
It’s time for you to change into your brilliant fall colours too! let us show you some bright bra ideas for fall.
My sister lives in her pool in the summer. And when they go on vacation, she is in a pool or at the beach, not just every day, but several times a day. That means she needs a LOT of swimsuits. She likes tankinis – the two piece construction means no hassle to pull down […]
If the bra you made seems to push your breasts in an east/west direction instead of straight ahead, you might want to move the apex of the bra cup to create the illusion of a more forward appearance. In this drawing, I’ve exaggerated the difference between what may be happening in your bra and the look you would prefer to have (shown in grey) but you get the idea. Is there any way we can move the apex on your bra cup? Yes, there is!
First of all, why does this happen to some bra-makers and not others? It may be that you used a fabric with more stretch than the designer recommends, and the fabric itself is allowing the bra cup to take the path of least resistance (which is always outward and downward). But the most common reason is that the breasts are larger than the front frame measurement would suggest. That almost always causes the breast to appear to be facing outward, since there isn’t as much room across the front frame as there would be on a larger body. Here’s a quick tip – if your BCD (Bottom Cup Depth) measurement multiplied by 2 is equal to or less than your desired apex spread (distance between the bust points), your bust points will appear to be looking straight ahead. In other words, if your BCD is 4.25 then your apex spread should be 8.5 or less. If your BCD is 5.0, the apex spread is expected to be 10″ or less. However, I designed these patterns with the apex 1/2″ closer to the centre front than the “standard”. If your body is small compared to your cup size, then even that reduced apex spread may be too wide for you. You have to move the apex on your bra cup. But not everyone has to move the apex. If the breasts are facing straight ahead, they are where they should be. Leave them alone!
On a single piece lower cup pattern, moving the apex is relatively easy, as I show in The Bra-makers manual Volume 1. Slice off the top inch or so of the lower cup, slide the cut-off top part toward the centre front an amount from .5″ to 1.5″ depending on the size of the cup, and redraw the cross-cup curve. The only caveat in this method is to make sure the new cross cup curve length matches the upper cup seam it will be sewn to. You can do this by measuring the sewing line (not the cutting line) of each piece. Easy and understandable, right?
But what about a split lower cup? That’s where the lower cup is in more than one piece. That includes the New Classic, Shelly, Sherri, Linda and Ingrid patterns*. They all have a split lower cup on the larger cup sizes, which is necessary to give the lower cup its shape. That seam falls on the apex. If you’ve made a trial bra, measure the distance from seam to seam (where it touches the upper cup seam) while the bra is on you. Make a note of that distance (for example 9″) Also mark on the cup with a wash-out marker or pins, where you see the apex facing straight ahead. With the bra off, measure the distance between the new mark on one bra cup and the current seam line (for example 1/2″). That 1/2″ will make a total difference of 1″ between your two bust points. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you have to move the apex 1″ on each cup.
STEP 1: Moving the apex on these split cups is not much different than on a single cup above. But…and this is the BIG thing… you must return the split cup back to a single cup piece, move the apex, then split the cup back into two pieces. It’s an extra step in the process. It is not difficult but you must be precise. Here’s how it is done. First, trace off the lower cup pieces (draw the DoGS as they are in the original pattern) and draw sewing lines 1/4″ (6 mm) from all the cutting lines so you know exactly where they are. Put a dot at the corners at both A and B where the cross cup seam and the apex seam meet. Then put the cups together to make a one piece cup, making sure to match the dots at A and B. The pattern will overlap and form an arc shape down the apex seam of the cup. Tape the pieces together. You can trace off this new one piece cup if you wish without the arc shapes along the apex seam – this will keep the lines from getting confusing.
STEP 2: Next, draw a light reference line from point A to point B (shown as a red line). Then, draw a heavier line shown as a blue line down 1″ or less from A, perpendicular to this red reference line. (I’ve tilted the cup to put the red line at 90 degrees to the page.) We only need that first red line to find a true horizontal. In the case of the Shelley patterns, make sure the horizontal slice line does not go below the seam point indicated by the arrow. Before going any further, measure the widest point from the red line to the cutting line on the apex seam. We’ll need that measurement when we draw the new arc.
STEP 3: Slice off the top along this blue horizontal line and slide the top piece until the red lines are apart by the needed amount (for example 1/2″). Tape the slice back to the main part of the cups. I have removed the arcs in this drawing as the lines get quite confusing!
STEP 4: Now draw a new apex line from point A to B shown in green. You will notice it does not follow along the original red line from A to B (that’s why I had you draw it in lightly the first time) Mark a match line about 1/3 of the way down the green line. We’ll use that to make our notches later.
STEP 5: Now, finally you can finish the draft. Cut along the green line so you have two halves. From the dots at A and B (the sewing line), draw an arc, shown as orange dotted lines) the width of the arc measurement you took back in STEP 1. I like to keep the widest part of the arc above the midpoint of the apex line. If you put the widest part of the arc too low, the bottom of your breast can look like it is bulging…and not in a good way. Add the seam allowances (orange solid lines) to the curves you just drew. As a final check, lay the arc seams together as if you were going to sew them and make sure the notches match up. Correct them if they do not.
*Just so you know, the Jewel series of patterns (Ruby, Sapphire, Amethyst and Diamond) are not prone to the east/west syndrome because I designed these patterns with an apex seam that is closer to the centre front. In fact, on the Jewel series, the cup has been drafted so the seam does not cross the apex at all , giving it a more “seamless” look, especially under t-shirts. This off-set seam draft also makes the breast more rounded in shape.
Your Fairy Bra Mother
Beverly
Stockings are often sold as One Size Fits All, but that’s rarely the case in practice. Especiallywith winter weather on the way its the perfect time to curl up in cozy stockings or readingsocks, and now you’ll be able to draft and see them in any size! If you can bear a little bit of […]
Bodysuits are all the rage; whether it’s being worn as the main part of a stylish Underwear-As-Outerwear look, used as the base of a Halloween costume, or simply underneath your clothes to bring out your inner Wonder Woman we’ve been seeing Bodysuits as a wardrobe staple since 2014, and they’re not going anywhere. If the […]
We challenge you this month to sew your version of this iconic swimwear that first made a splash, back in the late 50s and early 60’s. To give you an idea of evolution of swimwear, here’s a great video on the history of swimwear (be aware that body paint is used although the model is […]
In June we are looking at every woman’s version of the Holy Grail- a bra that will hold her up in a strapless dress and make her look her best. The strapless bra first announced its appearance in the late 1940s and it has been the unsung hero of every prom and wedding ever since. […]
In May, according to our theme of Hindsight is 2020, we look back to the era of the petticoat and its little sister – the slip. Their hey-day was from the 1800s right up until the 1980s. You can make petticoats, slips, camisoles, even bra slips in this month’s 2020 Ultimate Bra-maker Challenge. We challenge […]
We challenged you to sew underwear using inspiration from the last 100 years (or the next 100). With our opportunity this month to stay at home and sew, many of you now have 100 minute-old underwear! Here are the entries to last month’s challenge. Kathleen Whenever I make a new bra I promise myself to […]
Keep trim in a Waspie. What’s a waspie, you may ask? Think of a waist cincher, which could be as simple as a glorified wide belt to a full on under-the-bust-and-down-to-the-hips-waist-cincher-with-garter-clips-to-hold-up-your-stockings creation. Whew! That’s a lot of hyphens to describe such a tiny garment. Here’s a video on 100 years of Shapewear to give you […]
I prefer to think of my time these days at “I get to stay at home” rather than “I am stuck at home”. That being said, sometimes you have to go out. I get that. You can make a mask for yourself or your loved ones just in case they must go out the door. […]
How about we buck tradition and NOT use elastic when making panties? It is possible, you know, as long as you substitute bands made from elastic fabric for the usual elastic around the legs and waist. Let’s make banded panties – it’s easy once you try. You might want to try banded panties for a […]
Our first bra-makers challenge of 2020 is to re-create the iconic Bullet bra of the 40s and 50s. With its distinctive cone-shaped cups and circular stitching, it was “the” bra for any sweater girl of the time. We challenged you to re-create a Bullet Bra in today’s fabrics. A few of you got right into […]
Our underwear pattern Cheryl has proven to be a very popular pattern for us. That back seam provides great shaping over the derriere and the alternate versions of the patterns provide lace details that any lace-lover can appreciate. But what if…you really wanted a fabric front with an all lace back? Can you “hack” the […]
Underwear has not been around forever. The first underwear you might recall might be what is affectionately known as “granny panties”. This month, we celebrate 100 years of underwear! Whether you make thongs, g-strings, granny panties or even underwear for men, the choice is yours! Here’s a fun video on 100 years of Underwear to […]
