Sewing my first bra
26 January 2009, 15:08I’ve been wanting to try my hand at bra-making for over a year now, but I just kept putting it off because it seemed so complicated and easy to mess up and I didn’t want to ruin the really pretty fabrics I’d bought for it. So my bra-making ambitions sat in a box, waiting… Until I saw that thesewingchest.co.uk was giving away free toile kits with any bra pattern purchase and knowing that I’d have all the fabric and bits I’d need to make a bra, but without the worry of ruining one finally gave me the courage to try!
Even though I have two bra patterns I bought last year, I picked up KwikSew 3300 plunge bra – and made View B with both lower and upper cups in lined cloth as my muslin. View A has the upper cup in lace, which I’ll try next…
I’m really glad I chose this KwikSew pattern as it’s really good for bra sewing beginners!
- The pattern sheets are split up by band size and are really easy to navigate
- The instructions and diagrams are excellent, especially for a first-time bra maker like me! There’s an awful lot of hand-holding that goes on that I wouldn’t expect to see in most patterns.
- It only assumes you have the barest of notions (elastic, powernet, plastic O rings and sliders for the straps, underwires and pre-made hook and eyes), having you make the straps and underwire casings yourself
- It only uses the straight, zigzag, and three-step zigzag stitches (which I didn’t even know my old machine had! This is even optional, it gives alternative zigzag settings if you don’t have the three-step). So if you’re thinking you can’t sew lingerie because you haven’t got a serger – think again – I didn’t even touch mine making this!
So even with all of this, I did end up with a bra that I can’t wear! The problem is that I accidentally used the wrong elastic on the bottom back:
It has a picot edge so I thought it was the right one, but it turns out it’s not anywhere near stretchy enough (I should’ve used just the plain plush elastic, and I know better for next time!)
Here’s a comparison shot of my bra lying on top of a black RTW bra, so you can see that they’re the same size/length, but mine just not stretchy enough to go the whole way around my back!
BUT – I’m not upset or even disappointed as that was the whole point of the toile kit! Now I’m confident enough to break into my good stuff, the elingeria.de bra & pants kit bought last January, without fear of messing it up! Not every project ends up with my learning a new skill at the end, but I really feel like I’ve learned a lot from this process and I’m ready to now play with variations on the theme. I wouldn’t say that sewing this bra was particularly difficult, nor was it easy – there are just a lot of steps involved that need to follow in the right sequence, and a good set of instructions goes a long way into simplifying and speeding the process!
This post is dedicated to Sigrid, the ultimate bra sewing extraordinaire, without whom I would’ve even have thought of sewing my own, let alone have all the magnificent tips in her bra sewing tutorials!
Tags: kwik-sew, lingerie
Congratulations on your first bra! You’ll only get better from here. How was the fit? I know you can’t wear it because the picot wasn’t stretch enough, but I’m assuming you are able to tell somewhat. Did you just use your RTW size?
— Christina Jan 26, 04:04 PM #
Thank you! This one is looking good, pity the elastic you used hadn’t enough stretch. But as you say, it’s a toile and now you can confidently make the next one from your good fabric. Good luck!
— Sigrid Jan 26, 06:27 PM #
Thank you for all this information. I have never thought of sewing my own bra.
— Rachel Jan 26, 07:43 PM #
What a great post! I’ve also been contemplating making a bra since I started sewing but I’ve been afraid of my newbie-ness. :)
— E Jan 26, 08:14 PM #
Cor, ace! I don’t think they have any patterns in my size, but it’s tempting to get one in nearly-my-size for the toile kit – I suppose it’d be reeeeeeeeeasonably straightforward to adjust a cup size or two, if the back size is right…
— anwen Jan 26, 09:40 PM #
I can’t believe it’s just a toile! Your bra look pretty darn good and I look forward to the Alpha-version :)
— Johanna Lu Jan 26, 11:17 PM #
What a great looking bra, I can’t wait to see what you make with the kit! Thanks for all the detailed info on the pattern. I love using KS patterns but would have never thought about making a bra before as they always just look so daunting. Any pattern with alot of hand-holding sounds good to me :)
— Kate S Jan 28, 11:33 PM #
Thanks for the heads up with this and the links! It inspired me and my free toile (and pattern) have just arrived. I’m looking forward to having a crack at my first bra now.
— Christina Feb 18, 03:35 PM #
Thanks for this post! I was googling for bra patterns and found this. I’m looking forward to trying this as well! Your blog is great, I am a beginner and have been looking around for interesting blogs, nice to find a fellow London-dweller too :).
— Teflon May 8, 10:08 PM #