Mara And A MakeBra

 On Saturday, I decided to sew up a Mara Bralette. I had made one once, but it didn’t fit me, so I shortened the band and gave it to my daughter.. I left myself the pattern pieces and a note that it was too big. I don’t recall my weight at the time, but I must have been narrower… 

I printed out a new pattern size, the next smaller cup but two band sizes bigger… from 36C, down one cup, B, but up like 2 band sizes, along with sister sizing, and we end up at 40AA? So that the band can be taken in later. It didn’t work. It didn’t fit in any way. The cups were too small, the band is huge, and I set it aside. There may have been tears.

New day, new year, new bra. On Sunday, I sewed up a new Mara. I did figure out that I am in the 85/38 band in their sizing. It felt like a morning to just start force fitting, so I started with the largest cup in that size, and sewed up a 85D/38D. Holding the individual pieces against me, it looks like the Outer cup in this size is close to fitting my outer width, and the Inner Cup is a little wide for the space between my apexes when supported. After sewing, I found the curve is a smidge too high for my natural curve. I could almost take a horizontal pinch pleat out to force it to fit. I’ll try the next size down soon.

Then, while having breakfast with my husband, I mentioned seeing a bra pattern that looked like there was a seam in the right place to give room to inner full busts, MakeBra DL01. We looked at the drawings and photos of projects from the pattern, and hubs encouraged me to buy it and make it right away. I looked through the sizing suggestions on the website. My measurements fall into three cup sizes. I made the middle one, 85C.

I think this one was pretty close on attempt number one. I didn’t do some things right, like the cover fabric is too loose, and I didn’t narrow the bridge/gore, but… This is the first pattern that has enough room in the center front of the cup for me. Even after wearing it for several hours, the underwires weren’t creeping down my ribs, trying to find a spot they felt comfortable in. I’m not sure if I made the right size, there is some tweaking to do to get a better fit in the top of the cup, but: They Went Right In.