Fabric Matters

 I may have been mixing up cup lining with cradle lining.  The cup lining is more hexagonal and has more stretch on the (cross?) grainline, whereas the bridge/cradle lining is firmer, a tiny bit thicker feeling, and has very little stretch. Maybe that’s part of why my projects haven’t been fitting quite right. I think I should take some small squares and make a chart to hang on my cork board.

Bridging the Gore

 Since my bra sewing adventure began, my fit models have changed shape. I started this not long after finishing breastfeeding my youngest baby, who is now school-aged. The internal factories have shut down, and downsized. In my last post, I expressed how my initial thoughts in bra sizing were being proven wrong. And, now I have some other helpful fit tips to use.

I have been sewing the Lansdowne bra because the shape is closer to anything that fits me from the rack. Last night, I printed off the Devonshire bridge and compared it to the Lansdowne bridge.

Turns out, this is why they say this bra is supposed to produce cleavage, the center gore is trimmed to a narrower width. Next, I cut a copy of the Devonshire bridge without any seam allowances from poster board.

And, then I chopped it in half. I took that and trimmed a bit off each side until I could fit the bridge against my chest.

The photo shows just how narrow the gap is… only about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch (6-9 mm). So, if I directly compare that to the Lansdowne… It will show that the Lansdowne bridge is wider than what I need normally.

Also, I think that the pulling together of the bridge makes it taller, and rotates the cups… Will that cause more issues if I make the bra with a bridge that fits me? 

It Clicks, But Can I Sew It?

 I have read it over and again, but it didn’t sink in until I read this article on Hugs for Your Jugs. I know I have been wearing the wrong size because they just don’t fit me. I didn’t realize until I read that that I had been doing it since I was a teenager. I would buy certain types of bras because they “fit better.” But, they didn’t really fit. I would put on the same size in a balconette and a full coverage. The balconette looked cute-ish, the full coverage looked empty. I remember going into a store near Wichita that advertises it had every size bra available, and coming away with some crappy thing that didn’t fit because at least the sales lady was trying, and I needed something.

The article suggests maybe I look into projection… this I agree with. If I buy a bra at the store, it looks like I fit into the volume of it, but soon there will be a flat area on the bottom of the bra, the wires will dig into the sides of my breasts, and the center gore will pull forward to make room for my center-full gals that just want some room where they have shape and, by bra-god, they will push that wire and fabric monstrosity out of their way to get it.

So… I made the next size larger Lansdowne. I put it on and showed hubs. I switched to the one that I had made a couple days before (which is now developing a flat spot by the wire), and he saw it, too! 

Most bra patterns available are not made for my shape. They must adjust. I see now that mine really don’t need a wider wire. I just need space. I need a bra that allows for forward projection and has a place for roundedness in the inside curve. Most of the patterns I have tried flatten the breast from chest wall to apex.

Of the patterns I’ve tried, only one pattern company, LilypaDesigns, has built-in projection closer to where I need it (Although, inner fullness they reserve for big breasts. *sigh*). Another that I have heard well of, but not yet finished a bra from is Porcelynne. 

Give me courage, I’m going to make a bra that fits.

Bra-La-La-La-La

 Happy December! We have had snow on the ground for a month already. If you don’t know my area, you might think this sounds normal for being just shy of Canada. However, even if we get a snow storm here or there, it doesn’t usually “stick” until Christmas/solstice. At that point this year, we will have already had six weeks of white ground cover.

I usually try sewing bras in the new year. Not for any particular reason, but it is an indoor activity. What with the snow, my brain has shifted into sewing mode a bit earlier than I normally do… I hope this doesn’t interfere with Christmas plans!

The first step in bra sewing is figuring out what size you wear. I really don’t know. I buy one size in store, but I know it doesn’t fit correctly. If I try the next size up, which should fit, it doesn’t. I think mine are somewhat closely set, or right on the verge of it, because the center gore always sits on my breast tissue, the  underwire usually pokes my sides or digs into my breast on the side, and the bras squashes them to facing sideways in a rather derpy and unflattering way. As a result, I either purchase a smaller size that sits a good quarter inch away from my chest wall, or go with a plunge style (if available, not always at hand), that is also a size or two smaller so that it doesn’t try to force the girls to flee to my sides. And, by the way, that conclusion had taken me quite a while to fully realize.

So, what’s a woman who has a little bit of sewing ability to do? Sew a bra. Right… You may have seen several attempts already. Some of them look oh so nice! But, do I wear my Me-Made bras? Uh, nope. Why not? Well, remember the squashing and wire poking thing? It happens in home sewn ones, too. What to do?

I started with focusing on the one bra type that never seems to cause pain; Partial Band, or Frameless bras. The finished cup, inside the wire, is the exact same size as the normal Full Band bras, but the way the bra is made, the breasts can move and thereby the wires don’t dig. I have tried a couple patterns, but felt like there was something not quite right. So, I went back to measurements and size charts. 

Turns out, -I mentioned it already - I don’t know my size. I went through about twenty size charts, even different ones in the same company, and I came up with a variety of sizes. Now, some of my children are grown, and I know that my torso has changed over the years, but this is ridiculously hard to figure out. Solution? Just pick a size, sew it, see what happens.

First up: Lansdowne by Orange Lingerie. 

Starting size? 38C (same cup as 36D, but wider bottom band)

Fabric: leftover from a BraBuilders kit, Wild Thing

Elastics: theBraMakery on Etsy

First impression: bottom band elastic is too tight, okay if only attached at top hook. I did not stretch the elastic during application. Top edge of band has wiggle room. Cup has a 1/4” dart (half inch of fabric) that I can pinch out by the underarm. The wires don’t fit the channeling (I have 42s, this size calls for 40s, but I could not find them in my supplies in the Plunge style). 

After wearing it all day, my breasts ache… is it the bra or hormones? Middle age is fun!