Bramaking Sew-along: Schedule

Hello everyone! I sat down this week to plan out a schedule for the sew-along, and thought it’d be good to share that first before we dive into choosing a pattern (tomorrow’s post!).

I’ve decided to break up the sew-along into three parts, running just around three weeks. That may seem long to some, but I’d really love for this sew-along to be all about fit and style and getting the most out of your bra pattern. Some of you may want to make more than one (because the second one is always better!). And we’ll have some room to answer any questions that come up. The subjects will roll out a bit like this:

First week: Fitting

  • Tracing the pattern, cutting out a tester bra
  • Sewing the tester bra and first fit
  • Fitting alterations for the band and cups (probably 2 posts)

Second week: alterations for style and aesthetics

  • Changing the neckline shape and strap positions
  • Adjusting for stretch fabrics, changing band styles
  • Major style alteration: changing to a vertically-seamed cup (either two or three-piece)
  • I might add possible surprise posts here!

end of the third week: sewing our bras!

  • Final pattern tweaks and cutting out your bra
  • Assembling cups and linings
  • Assembling the band, sewing in cups and elastic
  • Finishing elastic, channeling, underwires and hooks

This week we’ll make some decisions:

Tomorrow: Picking a Pattern!

Tuesday, December 4: Choosing a size and a way to measure yourself.

Friday, December 7: All about materials! Different types of bra materials and kits, where to find them, along with a list of notions you’ll need.

December 7-January 7: Time to shop and gather and have a Happy Holiday! And I’ll probably eat too much pumpkin pie.

Some Questions!

Do I need a blog to participate?
No, please feel welcome to join. I imagine some of you would like to keep your bras a secret ♥.

Do I need a serger?
No, most bras are sewn entirely on a regular machine. You do need a zig-zag stitch for sewing in the elastic.

Can I make a bra for someone else?
Well, sure! Of course she needs to be comfortable with you measuring her pretty closely and fitting a trial bra.

I’ll answer some more pattern-specific questions in the next post!

And you’ll notice I added a new badge to the main sew-along page. Just because… I’m a graphics person and I love making them! Plus I thought some of you might like a sort of vintage-y alternative. I’ve updated both badges, with link codes.

22 comments

  1. I love the idea of a bra sew-along! I’ve been thinking about making my own bras for a while, but I was hesitant in actually doing it. This is a great motivator! I don’t know if I’ll be able to go at the same pace as the sew-along, but this will definitely be a source of reference for when I start!! Thank you for putting this together!

  2. Naomi says:

    I’d love to join the sew along. I too have begun to explore the wonderful world of lingerie sewing and have considered the idea of bra making. I’ve never participated in a sew along, but this presents a great opportunity to join the online sewing community and give it a whirl. Thanks for organizing a group.

      • Naomi says:

        Absolutely! Its opened up a whole new world of sewing creativity. I’m crazy for lace, trims and vintage Kwik Sew patterns! Totally gratifying to create a personal lingerie wardrobe. I ordered my Pin Up Girls pattern this afternoon. Incidentally, Bra Makers Supply advised me it could take up to two weeks to ship to the US so I ‘m glad I planned ahead. I should have it in plenty of time.

      • Amy says:

        Yes, this is why I’m posting these prep posts a month ahead of time. Everyone should get their stuff in time. Just in case anyone is reading this, try to hang on before buying your kits or materials till after Friday’s post! There’s just a few things you need to know about supplies, and you’ll save money by getting most of this stuff all at once.

  3. Angela says:

    This is a great idea and I’d like to join in. I’ve ventured as far as sewing undies and swimwear this year, but bra making still seems a little scary. I would be really interested in giving it a try and with a sew along I’ll be more confident to get started. Thanks!

  4. sande cross says:

    i can’t tell if i am enrolled in this class or not. how do i find out? anyone know? should i go ahead and buy a pattern? is there a list of instructions somewhere? i feel totally lost; I’m not normally this stupid!

  5. Naomi says:

    Hi Amy, I’ve purchased a kit for my pattern. Will we need extra fabrics & elastics to make our tester bra’s? If so what do you recommend?

    • Amy says:

      Hi Naomi, not necessarily. When I make mine, I use some scraps I have around (cotton muslin or any lighter cotton will do). I cut the back out of my band fabric and baste this and the hook and eye in. Often in these kits there is enough fabric to make two bras (but not enough elastic) so that if you need to recut the band, you can.

    • Kristi says:

      I’m late, too, because I just found your blog today, but I am joining in! Hopefully I will have my stuff in time. I just started sewing lingerie, and I think it’s going to be a new addiction.

  6. helen says:

    I’m very much looking forward to this. I’ve made a couple of bras using a how-to book and they came out huge! Felt like I was a dairy queen! I’ll be interested to find out how to tweak the fit of the master bra.

  7. Lynn says:

    I just learned about this today and am in. I bought materials bra making almost two years ago and never got around to it. Plus I just bought three new bras that need to be returned because…surprise surprise…they don’t fit. Thanks for hosting the SA. I look forward to participating.

  8. SusanMcN says:

    I know I’m late to the party. I’ve been reading along for a week and am eagerly awaiting my materials. Just wanted to thank you for such a great series! As an unusual size of 30G/32F good lingerie is SOOOO expensive and still not always perfect. I’ll go look to joining the flicker group.

  9. Kitty says:

    This looks like something I might like to do. But I’m not sure exactly how this works. Could somebody explain it to me?

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