At last we get to sewing everyone’s favorite–the bra! I’m going to jump right into it, because this is going to be a picture-heavy post. Today we’re going to make the straps, put together the cups and sew the frame of the bra. I’ve also included some hopefully helpful tips for sewing with slippery tricot.

Assemble the Straps

Attaching the straps to the bra is the very last step in sewing, and doesn’t need to be done till the end, but I like to assemble them at the beginning. It makes me feel like I have everything ready to go!

First I loop one end of the elastic through the slider, giving me enough stitching room so that I don’t hit the ring as I am sewing.

To secure the loop, you can use a bartack stitch or a back and forth straight stitch. Over time I’ve come to prefer the straight stitch because it is easier to sew and gives a neat result that is still secure. I set my stitch somewhere around 1.0 in length and stitch across the elastic.

To reverse the stitch, I turn the elastic around so that I can stitch forward again. Then I sew another line right next to the first line of stitching, and secure by backward stitching a couple of stitches.

Trim the elastic close to the stitches and finish looping your straps through the rings. If you need some extra step by step photos, see this tutorial.

Assemble the Cups

With a regular straight stitch, sew the inner and outer cup pieces together. If you prefer a neater finish you can serge the edges, as I have done.

Then turn the allowances toward the outer cup and topstitch from the right side. Use a longer stitch—I set my stitch length between 3.2 and 3.4.

Topstitching tip: Use your foot as the guide to topstitch 1/16 to 1/8” (2-3mm) away from the edge. On my foot the inside edge of my toe is exactly 1/16” from the needle, so as I am topstitching I make sure the seam is following that edge.

Add Neckline Elastic

Apply your neckline elastic as per the instructions. For my first pass, I used a 2.8 length, 2.0 width zig-zag. For the second pass, I used a 3.0 width and 2.0 length zig-zag.

You’ll notice that I am using a lingerie elastic that has a rounded piping edge to it. This piping sticks out about 1/8″ past the edge of the seamline. I had to remove 1/8″ from my neckline allowance to account for the “piping”; otherwise the cups would create a bulky overlap at the center front because of the extra elastic width. (Oh yes, it’s true–bra-making develops sewing accuracy!)

If you are making the scalloped lace cup variation, you’ll want to stabilize the edge of the lace with a narrow and thin elastic. A 1/8-1/4” clear elastic is ideal for this purpose.

For my bra, I used some thin black neckline elastic that I had left over from an old bra kit, but I apply it in the same way that I use clear elastic. From the wrong side of the bra, line up the elastic so that it is in a straight line just inside the bottom of the scallops. Use a small zig-zag to secure the elastic, and pull very gently as you are sewing.

If this is your first time sewing thin or clear elastics to lace, you may want to practice on a scrap to get comfortable with it. You’ll also need to play with your zig-zag width to find one that will fit onto your elastic.

Here you can see what it looks like from the right side. My lace is very open so the elastic is visible:

Line the Cradle + Tricot Sewing Tips

Baste your lining piece to the cradle, staying inside the seam allowances. If you decided to use a fusible knit interfacing instead of a lining, then apply your interfacing.

If you are new to sewing with slippery and delicate lingerie fabrics, it might feel tricky basting the lining smoothly to the outer fabric. It gets easier with practice but I wanted to share a few possible tricks to avoiding wrinkles and skewing fabrics.

First, the wrinkles are usually the result of sewing two different fabric types together. Fabrics with 4-way stretch can “grow” as they are being handled or stitched. When stitching a stretchy fabric to one with less stretch or no stretch, the stretchier fabric will want to stretch out further than the other layer.

1. Instead of basting, use temporary spray adhesive to join your two layers for easier sewing. This solution came via Maddie, and it’s genius! Many bra-makers use it to keep delicate layers together in sewing.

2. Before basting, pin your two layers together from the side of the lining. Allow the stretchy outer fabric to relax and spread outside the lining if it wants to. After basting, trim away the excess from the outer fabric.

3. Baste with the lining on top and the stretchy outer fabric on bottom. This allows the feed dogs to ease the stretch fabric into the lining.

4. Loosen the foot pressure if your machine has this option.

5. Use a long basting stitch with a 4-5 stitch length.

6. Stop and raise your presser foot every couple of inches to let the fabric relax. Actually, now that I’m thinking about it, I do this all the time when sewing knits and silks. I think I’ve gotten addicted to the knee lift on my sewing machine.

7. Try a teflon foot or a glider foot, if you have one. Sometimes the foot pressure can really drag on fabrics. Occasionally I sew on a vintage Bernina 830 and it is guilty of dragging on silks and tricots; switching to a teflon foot helps.

Stitch the Band to the Cradle

Stitch your cradle to the band pieces with a straight stitch.

Fold your seam allowances toward the cradle, and from the right side topstitch them down about 1/8”-3/16” (3-5mm) away from the seam. If you prefer a neater finish to your side seams, you can serge after stitching, then topstitch.

For neat side seams in wired bras, I often hide the seams in the lining but for an easier but pretty approach, I also like stitching a piece of satin ribbon over the seam allowances. I stitch down each side of the ribbon, and this takes the place of the topstitching:

Again, I regret using ivory fabric in photos but you’ll have to believe me–that’s a satin ribbon over the seams!

That was a long post for today but we have a great start on the bra! I’ll be back Monday with the final steps but if you’d like to get a head start, you can sew in the cups to the band and then add your hem elastic.

Have a great weekend!

Alrighty, it’s finally time to do some sewing!

You may have noticed that I’ve changed up the schedule a bit. I decided to save the dyeing tutorial for a future day. That gives us room to focus on sewing the bra and keeps things a bit simpler for the beginners. Sound good?

Today we’re going to cut and sew our bikini. It’s very short and sweet, just as a bikini should be. You can probably make five in the amount of time it took me to write this post!

In this tutorial I’m going to be sewing the bikini a little bit differently than the method that is illustrated in the pattern. Instead of leaving one seam open, both crotch seams are enclosed inside the lining. You can use either method–your choice! I use both and it depends on how fast I want to sew. For the pattern I chose the faster method because it was easier to illustrate without the benefit of photos.

Cut Your Pieces

Cutting is simple! you need to cut four pieces: front, back, crotch and crotch lining.

In underwear, crotch linings are often cut from light cotton jersey. The lining is there for breathable, absorbent protection. If you are already cutting your bikini from a rayon or cotton jersey you can use your main fabric as a lining. For other fabrics like lycra, lace or mesh, you can use a scrap of jersey from your stash. If I want a quick pair, I often just cut it from my main fabric (even if it’s mesh). For this pair I’m cutting my bikini from a lingerie stretch fabric in front and a stretch mesh in back. I happened to have some matching ivory cotton jersey in my scrap bin to use for the lining, so I’m getting lucky with the matching!

Sew the Crotch Seams

Sew the back to the crotch pieces with a 3/8″ (1cm) seam allowance. Arrange the layers like this, from bottom to top: the crotch lining should be right side up, the back should be right side up, and the outer crotch piece right side down.

Pin the layers together then stitch or serge. I like to baste this seam first, which keeps the layers from shifting around with the serger foot. If you don’t have a serger, a straight stitch will do just fine. This seam doesn’t need to stretch. If using a straight stitch, trim down your seams afterward to about 1/4″(6mm).

Roll up the back piece between the two crotch pieces.

Take your front piece and roll this up, leaving the crotch seam free. Lay the rolled front piece next to the rolled back piece. The right side of the front crotch seam should be facing the right side of the main crotch piece:

Roll up the crotch lining (the bottom piece in the photo above) so that it meets the other two layers. You’ll basically have a little taco. (Some people call this a burrito method but I live in Texas and this seems more like a taco!) Pin these seams together and serge or straight stitch, just like the first crotch seam:

Pull the rolled pieces out from one side of the crotch, and keep pulling until the crotch seams turn inside out. And voila–completely enclosed seams!

Stitch the Side Seams

With right sides together, stitch the side seams with either a serger or medium width zig-zag. (Medium is about 3.2 width and 2.2 length.) Turn the bikini right side out.

Add Your Elastic

Add your elastic to front and back using the method in this tutorial. I like to start one end of my elastic near the side seams but not right on top of the seam. This keeps the side seam from getting bulky. On the first pass, I used a small zig-zag with a 2.6 width and 2.0 length.

When you reach the beginning of your elastic overlap and stitch the two ends together about 1/2″ (13mm). Stitch backwards a couple of zig-zags to secure.

Trim your threads and any seam allowances that cause bulk or stick out from the elastic, then fold your elastic to the inside and stitch your second pass of zig-zags. On the second pass of this pair I used a 3.2 width and 2.0 length.

Repeat these steps for your other two openings, trim any excess threads, and you’re done!

On Friday we start sewing the bra!

Cutting scalloped lace for lingerie is one of my favorite things to do. It involves a little bit of creativity and some lace detective work. It’s a bit like cutting plaids, but thankfully lingerie pieces are tiny!

I’ve made the Watson in a few scalloped laces for fun, so today I want to share how I cut the cup pattern for them. (We’ll start sewing the bra later this week!)

Stretch laces vary quite a bit in stretch, weight, and “openness” or tightness of their design. Sometimes they stretch in all directions, and other times they stretch very minimally in one direction. When you are cutting the Watson from these laces, you may not be able to get your pieces in the proper stretch direction so this will probably change how it fits. It’s experimental! For a lace that stretches very minimally in one direction I usually go up a cup size.

Pattern Alteration

Normally when I cut a scalloped lace piece for an underwire bra, the pattern neckline has a straight edge. The Watson’s neckline has a slight curve so we need to alter the pattern in order to cut it on a straight line.

On your inner cup piece, draw in the seamlines where the bottom of the cup and neckline intersect. These seam allowances are 1/4” (6mm).

Draw a line 3/4” down from the top of the cup (this is your fold line for the strap) and then draw the the neckline seam that intersects with this fold (1/4” or 6mm from the outer edge).

Draw a straight line connecting these two cross marks, going all the way through the cup:

Cut out your cup piece, cutting along that new line. I mark the cup for scallops, so I don’t forget!

You’ll notice that straightening the neckline, as I am doing in this alteration, makes the neckline slightly shorter. It also makes a funny point to the top of the cup, which means I’ll might have to do some adjusting when I get to the strap loop. I’ll show you what I mean when we get to sewing the bra.

Cutting the Lace

Now this is the part where you get to play detective (because this is Watson, after all!). Lay out your lace and move your pattern pieces around until you find the motifs you want over your cup pieces.

Once you get the your new inner cup piece in a good area, line up the edge of the neckline piece so that it is even with the bottom of the scallops. Move it around until you get that bottom seamline mark (marked in blue) lined up with a low point of the scallops:

It’s important that the bottom seam meets a low point because this is where the two cups join at the center front. Once you have the pattern piece where you want it, trace and cut.

Some decorative laces will have a mirrored design, which means that you can flip your piece to the other scalloped side and cut a perfect mirror of your first piece. If your lace doesn’t have mirroring sides you can move your pattern piece around until you find a similar motif. When I want to get a really good mirror, I often take my first cut piece and flip that over instead of a paper pattern.

Once I get this piece lined up over its mirror, I trace around it with a chalk wheel. To save time I often by bypass chalk tracing and use a rotary cutter and run carefully around the first cup, being cautious not to cut anything away from it.

Done cutting!

Next up: cutting and sewing the bikini!

Alrighty, it’s time to get down to cutting! In this post, I’ll be going over the basics in cutting the bra. I also wanted to give you some creative options so I’ll be following this with a separate post on cutting a variation of the cup in scalloped stretch lace.

Check Your Stretch Direction

Before you start cutting, double check your fabrics to determine their direction of greatest stretch. This will help you lay out your pieces in the proper direction. In specialty lingerie and spandex fabrics, the greatest stretch can be in either direction. In several of my lycra and powernet fabrics, for example, the greatest stretch runs down the selvage, which is the opposite of many jersey knits.

Trace & Cut

Before laying out your pieces you’ll want to snip out the notches so you can mark them on the fabric. Weigh your pieces down and trace around them with chalk or pen. Use the chalk or an washable marker to mark the notches.

I keep a variety of marking tools around because some nylon fabrics have difficulty accepting chalk. In those cases I use a ball-point pen. Don’t let that scare you! You’re going to be cutting these lines away so they won’t show. I’ve also been playing with a heat-erasable gel pen, which I discovered via quilting blogs. (You gotta love quilters because they have the best fabric-marking ideas!)

Cut your pieces, making sure to cut your lines away. Here is where I question my choice of ivory-colored fabrics for photo purposes but hopefully you can see my faint chalk lines.

Snip your notches (just a tiny amount—remember your seam allowance is only 1/4”). If your fabric has an open texture, such as lace or mesh, those little cuts won’t be visible, so you can just leave your notch marks un-snipped.

Tip for Cutting the Cradle & Lining

I have a favorite trick for cutting out bra cradles and linings. Since tricot linings tend to be slippery and slightly more difficult to cut, I like to cut them as a single layer rather than on the fold. This means that I need to trace two sides of my cradle pattern so I have one piece, which you’ll see below. To make cutting even easier, I place the lining on top of the main cradle fabric, trace the cradle onto the top layer, remove the pattern, and cut the two layers together using a rotary cutter.

Ready to trace…

If you have chosen to use a fusible interfacing instead of a lining for the cradle, you can do the same thing. Just place your interfacing glue side down on to the wrong side of your cradle fabric, trace onto the interfacing and cut them together. Then fuse. Alternatively, you can blockfuse: in blockfusing, you fuse a rough cut of interfacing big enough for your pattern piece to a piece of fabric, then cut the pattern from the pre-fused piece. I’m a fan of blockfusing in all kinds of sewing. It really makes cutting so easy!

Finish cutting your band pieces from your chosen fabrics and that’s it!

The Role of Bra Linings

Before I sign off, I had a few questions about whether or not one could leave out the lining on the cradle. It may help to explain the role of linings.

In supportive bra designs, linings serve two purposes: they help the bra last longer and very importantly, they stabilize areas of stretch so that they have less stretch, or no stretch. One of those areas is the space between or underneath the cups. This stabilization keeps the cups in place and in underwired bras, helps the wires stay in position.

Bras that are designed to slip over the head, such as a camisole-style bra, tend to be less supportive. Their bands need to be stretchier by design in order to slip on without a hook & eye. The Watson is designed to have a firm band fit, which includes a stable front cradle. However, if you wished to create a softer bra and leave out the lining, I recommend testing this first because it will change the fit. The band will be looser and stretchier, and the cups will shift around and possibly want to spread apart. This also depends on size—small cups have less weight so it’s easier for the cups to stay in place.

I hope this helps make sense of linings!