September Sewing

 In September, the Bra Making Mentorship kicked off with fitting underwear. I struggled with this as there are few clear visuals of where things are supposed to line up on the lower human body. I know there are plenty of pictures of underwear clad individuals, yet I want a more clinical description, and drawings or pictures to collaborate the descriptions.

How do basic briefs fit you? I’ve always known they weren’t made with my body shape in mind. If they have enough coverage for a full seat, the back waist may be folds and the front waist slid down. The gusset  is not placed where it would be useful for what it looks like it’s supposed to do. Thankfully, there newer cuts in RTW that cover comfortably.

I took the Bravo Bottoms #1 pattern, and cut out and sewed the size it suggested. The elastics were stranglingly tight! The fabric may have partially fit, but the elastics threw me off. I know I have a bit of belly after having kids, so I went up a size. The elastics were still too tight! In both sizes, my butt cheeks were out like what the “cheeky” fit is supposed to be.

During a sewing meeting, some of the other students suggested applying the elastics in a more one to one ratio. Just pull a bit along the bum edge to help bring the fabric in place.

I had a zoom meeting with the teacher, and she told me to widen the gusset. She gestured at the general area, tried to point out and describe where the back gusset should sit. It wasn’t that clear to me (way too kinesthetic a learner for this distance learning!). I asked about concrete structures, does it belong at the tailbone level, she said butt fold. 

I sewed some more. I tried another pattern. I went to an online measurements based pattern. Something just wasn’t quite right. Back to the first pattern! The teacher had said she only used the bikini cut from her pattern when she was at a larger size. I went through the sizing process again in the bikini cut.

Finally, something clicked. I pulled on a pair and looked as best I could at the back side of myself in the mirror. I could see the gusset near my tailbone, as it usually is. I pulled the underwear down until the gusset was at the fold where my bottom and legs join. This! This is the spot! I removed about 2 inches of the long gusset to get it in place.

In the group meeting, someone described it as where the (yoga) sitz bones are. the ischial tuberosity is the bones lowest on the pelvic girdle that you basically sit on. They are about at the level of the fold where the thigh meets the bum.

I realized I was overzealous when fixing that first gusset, and added an half inch to the next gusset, as the front leg line was pulled low. I used a larger size for the front and a smaller size for the back (yes, Sue, my big butt needed a smaller size!). Next, a small wedge was added just to center front as the bikini cut skims the beginning of my fullness of belly. Now, the pattern is 3 sizes slightly changed to fit together with a wedge added in front. I have a pair that fits.

To fit a brief will still take time. And, I’ll need to change the height of the pattern to fit less stretchy fabrics -these are in rayon. But, this is a start.