I sewed up the Lanai in the second smallest size in the DD - GG sizes, 4.4”. The bridge sits so much better than the wider one in the A - DD pattern, but the cups yesterday fit better because this one has a deeper bottom cup. I like the fit of the strap attachment on the larger-sizes pattern better.

I don’t think this can “tack” the center to my sternum with how short the bra is.

Lanai-ing to Myself

 Self-torment time! In all openness, I have never made a bra that truly fits well. Maybe it’s a pipe dream, but I’m going to give it another go. I had purchased the Lanai wireless pattern, thinking of making it for my daughter. Life got busy, as it does, and I set it aside. I pulled it up this week and looked it over. I won’t fit the one I had purchased. So, I bought the A-DD size pattern and contorted with the measuring tape. My measurements read like the crystal ball, “unclear.” So, I guessed.

The pattern is based on measurements of the actual breast tissue… Mine have fed eight children and are trying to move into retirement in the next decade. The BCD, or Bottom Cup Depth, is supposed to be measured from the breast crease, where the base joins with chest wall, to the nipple. The Horizontal Hemisphere, abbreviated to HH is the measurement side to side across the nipple.

Overbust: 36”

Bust: 39” (was 40” last week, so will have to make a different size for part of the month)

Ribcage under bust: 33+” at rest, breathing out, down to 30?”

BCD: I think mine is somewhere between 2 3/4 inches (7 cm) to 3 1/2 inches (8.5 cm), depending on which side (right or left), and position I am in. 

HH: mine is somewhere between 9 and 9 1/2 inches (23 to 24 cm) on my larger side.

But, the pattern says to use the HH, as basis if HH and BCD don’t match. Looking at all my measurements, I chose to try the Size 9.7 / 3.8” which has an HH of 230 mm / 9.1 inches.

This first draft came together well and gave me good practice sewing together  a bra. Trying it on, it was probably one of the best first fittings I have had from a pattern. It was just too short, top to bottom and it pushes my breasts out like most store bought bras do. The line across the Upper Cup cut across breast tissue and gave me a mild form of the dreaded quad-boob. So, I simply made the next size up, Size 10.3 / 4.1”

Bra two is too big… But, is it? 

The cups fit, but the bridge does not sit close to me. The Upper Cup can’t cut across because my breast is lolling in the bottom cup portion somewhere. Looking at the pattern pieces, the Lower Cup piece is simply taller, which gives it a longer center seam, and the Upper Cup piece is wider, moving the shoulder straps into a falling off my shoulders position.  The Powerbar piece has size increased as well. The cradle pieces have more width, which is taken up in the wing, but is that an exact exchange? Inflexible cradle fabric to stretchy back fabric?

This seems odd to me to have a shorter BCD, but need the height from the larger cup. Am I measuring wrong? My plan is to take out the 12 mm difference from the hemisphere measurement at the bust point through the top and bottom cup pieces and sew up a new one.

Later that day…

It is wearable, but it does not fit! I think the bridge is a touch wide and is riding on me, but I don’t know if a wireless bra can fit much better than this. Taking out the space in the cups means that the wide bridge is pulled closer onto the breast tissue.

Maybe I should have tried the larger cup pattern first. I printed out the smallest size from the DD-GG pattern, and this one has a narrow bridge. It’s shorter by an half inch. Next will be that 4.0/9.0 inch with the band extended to 34.