Standards

I was feeling frustrated about bra shopping. There’s only so many you can try on. I’ve found that I can get by with certain bras, like Demi style, or those with a low center front, but they don’t fit. In the last year, I’ve dropped forty pounds. So, now I have to start over in my bra making. Starting with measurements.

Underbust:
-breathing out, as small as I can go is now 28.5”, 72.5 cm
-inhaled, as big as I can fill my lungs: 32”, 81.3 cm

Overbust:
-taken above breast, high against armpits, this goes around my  pectoral muscles and scapula: 34.5 to 35”, 89 cm

Bust:
-brafree as no bra fits and I only own padded ones... 37”, 94 cm

Notes about shape: small bust, fit(ish) shape, fullness in lower bust, short bust!, wide tissue

Wire size:
40 Carmen from Emerald Erin or UW920-40 from Sew Sassy (38 still has a gap underneath, 42 is too big). Most wires are too rounded underneath for me.

Pattern...
I’ve picked up several patterns to try. Sadly, they all fall prey to the normal standard of bust size. Mine are not skinny, tall, or full. So, the main Demi-bra available for sewists to use is Boylston. We will start there.

Boylston directions are to exhale fully, add 4 or 5” to the underbust. 28” and 4 is 32, or round up to 29” and 5” is 34. Measure fullest part of bust (“supportive bra” yadda yadda) and high bust, difference of 2” gives us a B cup. Therefore, I should make a 34B bra... let’s just call it cups don’t fit, but! it gives us a starting point.

Let’s look at that wire, though. I have to go to the website because the pattern does not include wire sizes!? A size 40 (a wire is the size B of said band size, unless otherwise stated) wire fits sizes: 30G, 32DDD, 34DD, 36D, 38C, 40B, and 42A. I’m going with the 34 band size, partly because there is no 32DDD in this pattern, so I’ll print out the 34DD band.

So, now I have a big cupped band, but a little cup size. I need to add to the edges of my cup to make it fit the wire length. What if we add evenly on the edges along the wire line? What’s the simplest way? I’m using the window as a lightbox, overlapping the smaller cup on the larger cup to trace the edges out, then smooth the line...

Inside lower cup, outside lower cup and upper cup all need the increases.
I’m taking photos over a very thin top. The cups are made from cup stabilizer tulle (Marquisette), and the wire is attached with double food bias tape.

Not bad... but, adding those wedges around the edges has put a smidge too much room into the cup. The wrinkles along the center show that I’m not quite filling that part right. We’ll straighten out the curve a bit on the lower cup pieces.

Interesting. This is a better fit than I’ve ever had. Still tight , somehow, but can’t quite tell what to fix next. Let’s try it in a bra!

The dreaded quad boob? I took the photo from this angle to show it. With the elastics attached, I can see that I need to give the upper cup a smidge more  room.  The right side isn’t nearly as bad...

Ah, I know, the upper cup lost its curve when the extra space was added to the sides.  Perhaps, I should use a larger size pattern piece for the upper cup?

I cut out the cups and remade one with the 34C cup widened to fit the cradle.
.

I think it fits better!


Let’s sew a Boylston.

Lefty fits now! I think I could reduce the curve along the wire some more. Righty is my smaller side and the cup is looser. I think the 34B version fit the right, so next time I will have to make the cups to fit each side. The straps attach at an awkward angle and also  need adjusting. I don’t have a photo, but the straps are way too wide set in the back as well. I suppose if I had a low square neckline, then  this would work. I’ve ordered more wires because the Sew Sassy ones fit this and I only had the one pair.

Back to sewing...

It’s been over a year, so sorry for the silence. My mother passed away, I did quite a bit of traveling related to that, and between that and  family life, my schedule become overloaded. My sewing space has finally been revamped, though it still needs organization, so I can get to sewing again! I hope to be able to post more regularly again now that things are getting in order again.