Like it?

Well, this last photo says it all really… I am usually very bothered about what a handmade garment looks like on the inside, as I think that’s where you can spot all the care that went into it making it, but I was too excited to finish sewing this and could not be bothered enough to change the bobbin thread every time I had to sew the elastic on… hence the ugly white zigzag stitching on the black elastic. 😦

Carelessness aside, I used the same pattern as for my other/first ever bra, with some modifications. I elongated the band and the bridge, and attached the straps to the upper cup differently. It’s still a really well-fitting bra, although the band bunches up a little, since I did not add any boning to keep it straight.  The only reason I don’t wear it as often as I could, is that the elastic feels a bit itchy. I am not sure if it’s the elastic itself or the stitching, but it doesn’t feel smooth enough on the skin.

I used some leftover lace from a christening dress I made last year, and lined it with the silk dupioni from the same dress. The mesh lining of the lace is an off-white colour, which is quite visible on the pictures, but luckily it makes no difference when the bra is worn.

All in all I am still quite happy with how this turned out, especially as there is always an option to change the things I don’t love about it. Maybe in one of those empty hours when there are absolutely no other things-to-be-sewn competing for my attention… 😉

Like it?

Last year I signed up for a bra making course. I have been collecting inspiration for a few years now, and finally I got to learn the ins and outs of sewing well-fitting and good-looking lingerie. I mostly wear bralettes and non-wired bras, so I wasn’t very keen on the idea of making an underwire bra, but by the time my toile was done I was super excited.

I decided to use some vintage lace I bought in Brighton, and I underlined it with some brown mesh that matches my skin tone. The elastic is the only one they had at the fabric shop when I was gathering notions, and although had there been more options available, I would have definitely not picked this one, I think it works pretty well with this lace.

Needless to say I fell in love with the bra making process. You get to use up your prettiest fabric scraps, the seam lines are short (which makes it a relatively quick project), the possibilities are endless, and you end up with something very rare: a perfectly fitting bra for a very little amount of money. 🙂