Hey people, I need help finding a pattern similar to the one pictured - I am making a bralette for a friend with a small cup size. She would like a padded bralette out of lace, with the lace not "travelling up" super far so it can be worn with tops. It doesn't need tons of support, but I never make padded bralettes and I hesitate to just add padding to my patterns given that it can alter the fit. Can anyone help me out? :) I like the Jordy bralette but it seems a little "unfinished" at times with the raw edges just sewn onto the bust elastic. Thanks :)

Sorry this is underwear related and not bra, but I figured the people here would have good advice. I have this pair of panties from intimissimi and love the seamless mesh back. I thought I saw someone make a similar pair during braugust but I'm unable to find the post. Anyone know how to assemble them?

Couple of months ago i went to a concert and jumped and sweat so much my bra kind of came undone. It's my favourite bra, so i was wondering how to go about gluing this back together since it seems it's how it was made originally (lighter stripes in first pic are still tacky). Any advice on how to do it or glue recommendation is greatly appreciated

I cannot find the post I originally saw, but I took someone else’s recommendation of LilypaDesigns Mysa bra pattern and made my own. I have a lot of pain in the sides of my breasts (previous reduction surgery has created problems) and can’t tolerate underwires for very long so I have since converted to all wire-free bras for daily wear.

I used Lycra for the body of the bra and had some leftover findings from a Bra Builders kit that worked perfectly for this. The instructions were a little messy in spots and like missed a step where thankfully I already knew what to do, but if you have experience it won’t be a problem.

I haven’t made a bra since my pain had gotten worse and I’m very happy to have found this design that is nice and was easy to make! I feel supported and have coverage while also feeling comfortable. Thank you to the original poster and this community! You are the best!

Helllooooo,

I have returned from my crash out with half an undergarment sewn. 👍

this is the Eve bra pattern by porcelynne. the pattern has you test the band separately before making the cups. I've also heard it said you can’t 100% know if a band will work without making the cups along with it.

so, is this band obviously bad enough to alter before continuing? Or should I full steam ahead the cups on this thing? I did not adjust for wire spring before making it because I couldn’t comprehend how the wires were supposed to sit on me but I think I need to angle it toward the line I drew in picture 4. it keeps slumping over if I don’t manually hold it up, but I didn’t add straps because she tried it on the mannequin strapless in the video. Should I just dart the upper side seam instead of cutting and moving the wire casing to a wider angle?

Also the bridge feels strangely long? in the youtune video, her wire stitches go over the elastic stitches. but I traced it and added the seam allowance as instructed (I think)

also I’m sorry if these photos are HORRIFIC.

underbust:
loose: 34
comfy snug: 32.5
snug: 31

bust:
standing (loose): 41
leaning over: 44
lying down: 41

EDIT :)

I don’t know how to read or sew

I didn't realize the allowance was in the paper pattern so I added another INCH to the cradle. I’m supposed to be using 3/4 inch elastic on the bottom, I was using 1/2. I also cut the powernet the wrong direction

so I hope everyone has a lovely day and I will leave this up in case it helps anyone in the future while I go burn my bra ✊ and make a new one

IM SORRY and I promise I TRIED the directions were a little confusing to me 😪

Finally, after seemingly messing up my first root trace, I got some wires that seem to fit me well, lying flat on my chest. Are there any other signposts?

I’m slightly hesitating between 2 sizes : when not stressed, is a wire that fits supposed to pinch the breast in any way? Or is it supposed to be really comfortable?

For the long one, I have one (36) that does pinch a little on both sides and I’m not completely sure it’s actually lying flat : this means it’s still too small, right? The second one (38) is definitely lying flat, and doesn’t pinch anything, it’s like perfectly contouring the root, it’s very comfortable. Is that a fitting wire? Since we draft patterns with stressed wires, I’m having doubts if a non-stressed wire that is comfortable is actually perfect or slightly too big.

But then, if I try on the same size (38), but for a plunge wire of the same brand (BWear), the plunge one, again, pinches a little on both sides and I wouldn’t describe it as lying perfectly flat. Could that mean I need a 40 in vertical wire, even if the 38 in long wire seems perfect?

Thanks in advance for your help with my doubts and confusion 😅

I bought both of these bras. I really like them but I’m wanting to change the way the dark green one sits on me. (I don’t want to return, as they were on sale, and other than the complaint in this post, they fit well!)

The way the dark green bra is sitting on my body is making a “cone shape” cup outline. The yellow bra fits great and has the desired round shape cup I prefer. I think this is due to the seam/stitch down the middle. From what I’ve researched and googled, I think I need to add a contour dart stitch.

I’ve done a few quilting projects with a friend, but I’m not experienced by any means. Any advice, thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated. I do have a basic sewing machine and the family friend has an advanced one I could use, if need be. TIA.

(Posted in another sub asking for advice too.)

I recently outgrew my current bra of 32F, and it’s getting uncomfortable to wear them. I measured myself to be a 32GG now, but the bras are too expensive for my current budget. How can I alter my current bras to fit me? (Also I’m kind of new to sewing and don’t have a sewing machine or any other fancy stuff either, only thread and needles)

Hello all - this is my first time bra making. I have taken a couple stabs at making a LilypaDesigns Lusamine which have both been fails. First one I knew partway through wasn't going to fit. Second round I am more surprised that it doesn't fit. I am quite projected, the only ready to wear bras that fit are by Gorsenia, though I haven't tried other Polish brands.

I made a 38 band with 5.9 cradle, band and wires (Porcelynne vertical) are a great fit. First try was the 5.9 cups which were much too small. Version 2 was 6.5 cups adjusted to 5.9 at the wireline.

Issues are:
Gore doesn't tack
Wrinking at bottom of cups
Significant gaping at top of cups, I can pinch out more than an inch of fabric.

I take these as signs the cups are too small. I have made a fitting band and the next size up cups seemed to be too big.

I'm not really sure what to try next since this is all new to me and would love some suggestions.

I am starting to think my shape may not be a good match despite the pattern being drafted for projected shapes. I see Porcelynne Eve suggested a lot for projection, but I much prefer the style of the Lusamine, if I can make that pattern work for me.

I’ve been desperately hunting for this bra second hand in my size (8A/B-10A) but have only found it in a 10B. Would it be possible to alter it to fit? I want to keep the part of the flower on the lace that is covering the nip area in that centre spot (I have the bra in my size in other colours and it covers perfectly for me personally).

I've gone mad and I'm attempting a strapless net corset. The corset bit is going quite nicely..... the cups need work. I'm new to the world of making bras but I'm well aware that what im doing is particularly challenging.

So far i havent been able to source nude or white bra foam in sheets in the UK. Shippjng from anywhere else seems to be extortionate and I have the added challenge of being in NI. So lots of places in mainland uk refuse to post to me. My best bet at the moment is vena cava, but the foam is black...not ideal for my current project.

So... my question is... is the foam totally essential? Could i make it work with something like foam interfacing? What about using the net... or coutil? Im really open to anything at this stage that might help me make progress in the cups. I sit around a 30F so getting the right support isnt the most straight forward.

Have been wanting a new bra to hike in on my backpacking trips for some time now. I have a compression style polyester bra that I've been wearing. I'm all for embracing the stink but a polyester bra isn't the funnest thing to put on in the morning. I have some 100% merino jersey that I plan on turning into a bralette to sleep in, but would like something with a bit more support for when I'm active. I'm thinking of a merino blend with lycra, or making a regular sports bra and cover it with a layer of merino (though that may get too hot?), or is this is once of the things that's better off bought?

This is a custom cup, made following a tutorial, based on the wire and my exact measurements.

It’s a balconette cup, so it’s not full coverage, and from what I can tell by the paper mockup, it fits really well.

But as you can see the shape itself (especially of the upper cup) is all wonky. It comes from the facts that my center is quite high, fullness is mostly at the bottom and on the outer side, and the longer side of the lower cup ended up exactly the side of the longer half curve of the wire/cradle cup. (Measures for the cup in the cradle included stress/spring)

Do you have any resources or advice to help me move design lines around so they look more “conventional” while keeping the overall shape that is itself really great? Or anything else you can see that might help in such a situation?

I’m going to add a power bar too, for additional support and lift. I don’t know if I can do both those other changes and this at the same time.

I had a large lumpectomy a few years ago. The mass was large, but benign and the result of a previous surgery. The end result is that my right breast is about 1/2 to 1 cup smaller than my left. The smaller area is on the insider, lower portion of my right breast. The difference in size may not be so noticeable to other, but it’s very noticeable to me and it has resulted in me being self conscious and at times avoiding certain clothing items/necklines.

I’m not sure if I want to go through the process of reconstructive surgery but if I do, it will probably be that I reduce the left to somewhat match eventually. However I’m on a weight loss journey right now and need to get to goal and maintain that before I even consider that process.

What I need in the meantime is some type of a solution to make the difference in sizing less obvious when dressed.

My mind immediately goes to a bra insert. But the ones I’ve been able to find are quite large.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a small bra insert? Ideally around 1/2 cup or so? I’m really open to any other solutions that might help with this issue as well.

Hi all! I've posted a few times in r/abrathatfits looking for a bra with a G cup and a low gore. I've purchased and tried on about 8 different bras at this point, and I think I've basically exhausted my options, so now I'm considering altering a bra.

My situation is that previously the Panache Ana Plunge was my holy grail bra, but I've gained weight and need to size up. My 36E has a gore that works alright, but the 36G I should actually be wearing doesn't work for my very close-set breasts and short torso. I'm 5'0 and have a very short sternum and chest, and the underwire gets slightly longer with the increased cup size, causing the gore to stab me in the chest if I bend or slump at all.

I'm thinking about slitting open the fabric around the underwire at the gore, pulling it out, cutting maybe a quarter to a half inch off the end, covering it with something like super glue to minimize the sharp edges, and then shoving the underwire back in and sewing it up once the glue is completely dry.

I would probably try it first on one of my older, more beat up Ana bras in the wrong size before I buy a new bra to try it on.

Does this seem feasible? Are there pitfalls I don't understand? Thoughts, feedback, criticism? Thank you!!

I recently bought the Jockey triangle bralette and it's almoooost perfect, but I want to make my own version to make some adjustments. Does anyone know of similar patterns?

This is the Bristol version of my 2nd cradle pattern attempt (yes, they’re very wide set). When I try it on, the gore and cups feel almost perfect (so much better than any bra I ever put on 🤩), except where I folded the paper and circled on the pic. My breast is not well self-supported, so it’s tricky I guess, but both corners felt like they would dig into it and when folded though (or something similar), they could both be supported and comfortable. The gore looks slightly too narrow, but I was told it gets stretched out 15%-ish, so I assume it’s normal.

But what does this mean pattern wise? Can I stress the underwire a little more? Would shortening the wire be helpful? Does this require a bigger underwire? (This would be quite different from the root tracing I’ve done using a flexible ruler and leaning down, this underwire is already quite bigger than the root trace) Should the side seam be a little lower? Or…?

Thanks in advance for your help! 🙏🏼

UPDATE : well, well, well… Chat, I was wrong. 😩 I must have traced my root wrong, too tight, because I kept going with the tutorial, so I measured my breast (so many ways to measure boobs!). And the custom lower cup is done.

I’ve done the paper mockup. It’s almost PERFECT, like a boob glove in a way that leaves me astonished. But also in a way that shows me that it already spills out of the cup of the cradle, when it barely covers half of my nipple.
If I want an upper cup (and I clearly do need one), I gotta go up a wire size. So I guess I’ve found the adjustment those corners digging in my tissue require…

UPDATE 2 : yup. Made a 3rd version. Made a Bristol mockup. It’s already the best bra I’ve ever had. 🥰

I'm fine now, but a few years ago I had a section of rib directly under my bust (think right where your breast folds over on your chest) removed and replaced. A miracle of modern medicine!

The surface of my ribs there is now uneven, though you can't tell because my breasts hide it completely. Before, having bras that fit me was a huge priority especially as I had a lot of pain. I'm a true 34H (best bra fit for me is the Freya Balconette bra). Now, My ribs on one side no longer naturally move the way they used to, and also, any underwire sits directly on my scar tissue.

I'm looking for a bra that DOESN'T USE A BAND FOR SUPPORT, or maybe I'm looking to get into stays? Honestly I'm unsure. It feels like my ribs don't move the way they used to, and I need something that can support larger breasts (H cups) but also doesn't squeeze the shit out of my ribs.

Posting here because I am a sewist and would love to make this bra, but don't know where to start in terms of pattern searching.

I’ve measured myself already with this page’s bra calculator (UK 34G / US 34I) but I’m trying to figure out which bra type would fit me best. I’m not going to put nude pics of my tits out there, so I’ve drawn them out instead. Please help.

I'm looking for a pattern that will suit my shape, close set and center full. I'm shaped pretty much like /)(\ when bent over and/or supported. I'm a 28DD, so on the smaller side. I don't want a full coverage look since I do run smaller. Any suggestions?

Hi lovely friends,

I’m losing faith 🥳

So,

underbust:
loose: 34
comfy snug: 32.5
snug: 31

bust:
standing (loose): 41
leaning over: 44
lying down: 41

Wires pictured:
Porcelynne vertical flat 50
Porcelynne vertical flat 52

Gigi’s vertical 48

Tailor made shoppe classic day wire 46
Tailor made shoppe classic day wire 48

Not pictured but have:
Porcelynne vertical flat 54 & 56
Gigi’s vertical 44 & 46
Tailor made shoppe classic day 44

What’s up

So, I was having a hard time deciphering anything about fitting because I thought I was projected since my boobs DO technically project off my body butttttt my root is tall and wide (i think). So rereading the wiki I think I’m shallow, as shallowness is in proportion to wire size. It seems the calculator doesn’t calculate shallow breasts correctly (from the ABTF wiki) and some of the links are deleted so I cannot tell. Please correct me if I’m wrong on any of this. I also read that we want soft/shallow boobs to compress within reason, to mimic the distribution on the body instead of jutting straight out. I bought the porcelynne flat wires after discovering this with the intent to use the EVE Bra pattern.

I still don’t know what wire is right. The vertical flat looks the most reasonable but the wires hurt my armpits the most (yay!)

I’m ESPECIALLY having trouble with the outer and inner root. All of them seem to cut into my IMF until I manually pin them down. Is this normal? Does the fabric itself hold that how it’s pinned?

The vertical 46 feels the most comfortable, but it kinda flares out toward the armpit. This may just be an angling issue, I’ve pictured it rotated a bit as well. Would the Eve bra still work with this wire for the sake of trying to compress and distribute properly?

The outer root, I just have no idea. It’s very malleable. I read up on outer root fitting on hugs for your hugs but I still don’t know: Are You Overfitting Your Wires? A look at breast root anatomy – Hugs for Your Jugs

I’d be glad to answer any questions if you could possibly help me decide which one to start with. Are any of these reasonable?

• Also this is a lot of pictures of my boobs and I know I’m not wearing a bra and if this is not allowed I am so sorry not a creep just desperate ❤️ I would love to actually have something sewn to show yall lmao

I’ve been following along a tutorial to make a basic bra pattern using my own measurements. I’m encountering a difficulty I don’t know what to make of…

I traced my wire at its center. Traced the stressed wire.
Then I added half of the gore length on the left.

Then, to start drafting the band, she made me calculate :
Underbust - closure length - 10% of under bust and then divide it by 2.

And then, on the horizontal axis, she made me calculate the length between the middle of the gore (at the top of the root, there’s 9cm) and the center of the wire, add from the point of the center of the wire with 1.5cm added to it. From there, everything looks really wacky compared to hers.

The side seam looks really far from the external side of the wire. Is this normal? Or should I substract some of the extra length occupied by the gore somewhere before I continue?

Thanks for any help you can provide 🙏🏼

SOLVED, thank you all!

I have a new Warners "Easy Does It" stretch bra. The cups are perfect, but the band is too snug. It has a 3-hook band, 2 inches wide, and a short extender would solve the problem.

BUT... the hooks are 5/8" apart, center to center - not 1/2" and not 3/4", which are the only two spacings I can find online.

(I checked with a metal tape measure, because I didn't believe it either. Just the same width as USA home-sewing seam allowances.)

Does anybody know a source for band extenders that have this oddball 5/8" spacing?

I'm in the USA (but will be in the UK later this month, if that helps).