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Bra
by rachel on August 31, 2009

Table of Contents

Bra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro: Bra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1: Tools and materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 2: Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 3: More on adjusting the pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 4: Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 5: Cups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 6: Center stay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 7: Sides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 8: Underwires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 9: Side elastic and straps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Step 10: Hooks & eyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bra/
 Author:rachel
I'm the Lead Java Developer here at Instructables, responsible for making sure the site's backend runs smoothly. Feel free to message me with any
comments about the site. I'm also a founding member of Noisebridge (https://noisebridge.net), a new hackerspace in San Francisco. If you're in the area,
stop by and say hi!

When I'm not writing code for Instructables, I'm learning Chinese, knitting Dr Seuss clothing, creating vibrating pillows, making weird hats, or sensing objects
behind me (https://www.noisebridge.net/wiki/Eyes_in_the_back_of_your_back). Or, you know, doing something else.

Intro: Bra
A bra is a bit more advanced project, but it's not as hard as you might think, and by no means out of the reach of someone with moderate sewing skills. If you're willing to
put in a little time on adjusting the pattern, you can end up with a bra that fits you exactly, which all too few commercial ones can do!

Step 1: Tools and materials

Materials:

fabric with at least a side-to-side stretch

asymmetrical lingerie elastic for edging
strap elastic
underwires
hooks & eyes
a little knit interfacing
optionally, stretch lace for decoration
optionally, ribbon for decorative bows
optionally, plastic hardware for adjusting the straps - but I leave this out b/c I can make the straps the exact right length without need for adjustments!

You can buy underwires in some fabric stores or online, but if you have some old bras that need to be tossed out, reclaim the underwires from them first. Do your best to
get an underwire of the correct size (hold it up under your breast and check that it fits snugly but without poking into your breast). They can be bent a little bit but they're
actually made of flat metal in a U shape, not round wire, so as to hold shape better.

Image Notes Image Notes

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bra/
 1. hooks & eyes - I ended up using a different kind than these because I got lazy 1. the original bra I made my pattern from
at the end!
2. strap elastic. this is somewhat heavier weight. A tube of your bra fabric can
often be used for some or all of the strap too.
3. picot edged lingerie elastic
4. interfacing for the underwire channels
5. pretty stretch lace for Decorative Purposes!
6. reclaimed underwires
7. SKULL AND CROSSBONES!

Step 2: Pattern
Bra patterns do exist for purchase, but I made a pattern from an existing bra. Some of the pieces were traceable, but the cup pieces weren't because of the underwires (I
did not want to ruin the original by taking the underwires out). So my pattern was approximate, and I did make a test bra and revise the pattern according to how it fit.

There are four pattern pieces:

upper cup
lower cup
side/back
front stay

The important things about the pattern are a) how the cup pieces fit together, b) the lines of stretch, and c) some edges need seam allowances and some do not. Your
fabric will almost certainly be stretchier in one direction than in the 90 degree direction; the stretchiest direction should go up and down on the cup pieces and the front
stay, but sideways on the side/back pieces. Check out the pictures for the stretch direction markings.

The cup pieces need seam allowance except for the top of the upper cup (you have a couple options there, see the Cups step). The side/back piece only needs seam
allowance at the edge that attaches to the cups, as the rest of the edges will be finished with elastic.

I'm not adding the bra pattern here because it will almost certainly not fit you, you'll have to do a bunch of alteration on it anyway and it's really hardly any more work to
trace it from an existing bra that you know fits (or know exactly how it could fit better).

Image Notes Image Notes

1. some small sketches I made with measurements from the original. I then drew 1. this seam allowance is wrong and needs to be removed
the shapes by eye and altered them to match the measurements I'd taken 2. this seam allowance needs to be removed
3. also this seam allowance has to go

Step 3: More on adjusting the pattern

I made 1 partial bra and 1 additional complete bra while working out the pattern. The green one in the pic below is totally wearable although the elastic is so curly it looks
really odd laid out flat.

There are any number of possible adjustments to make but the most common are these:

cup shape, which can be adjusted by changing the curve of the top of the cup lower piece. A small adjustment here goes a long way so change an eighth of an
inch at a time, and make sure to smooth out the lines well. If you have to make a lot of change here you'll probably also need to adjust the cup upper as well,
making it slightly longer or shorter to accommodate the difference in length of the lower cup edge.
center stay. May need to be shorter or longer, depending on how widely placed your breasts are. You may also find that changing the angle of the sides gets you
a better fit, either straighter or more flat of a triangle.
cup top edge - I found I wanted my bras to be slightly less than full coverage, so I lowered the outside edge of the cup (but not the inside edge). This also meant I
had to make the straps longer to make up for it.
side/back too short or too long. Make adjustments to this piece in the underarm area.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bra/
 Image Notes Image Notes
1. incomplete version for testing the pattern 1. I ended up lowering this line after pinning the strap for length. It was easy to
2. pattern is not quite perfect on this but it's totally wearable (and hey, green see where to lower it to by marking it with pins, or I could have used a pen too.
stretch snakeskin print? WIN)

Image Notes
1. side/back piece is too long! I had to pin out a lot here. They only need to
overlap about half an inch.

Step 4: Cut
Cut out the pieces, 2 of each. Remember to lay out the stretch lines as you marked them on the stretchiest direction of fabric. Also I cut the center stay on a fold to
eliminate one seam; the stretch line on the stay is up & down not side to side. If you have a very stretchy fabric you might even want to interface the stay or line it with
another non-stretchy fabric for stability.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bra/
 Image Notes Image Notes
1. this fabric stretches in this direction, up &down; but not so much in the side- 1. cut as accurately as you can -- this is just barely within tolerance for me, it really
to-side direction ought to be trimmed. I used a roller which is easier to cut accurately at speed, but
scissors can do a good job too if you take care.

Step 5: Cups
Sew the two cup pieces together along the middle, making sure they are oriented correctly with respect to each other. Topstitch; you may line the back of this seam if you
want, like if your fabric is very fine.

Finish the top edge of the cup in any way you want. Here I added a stretch lace piece, but you can also use a piece of lingerie elastic, or if you think ahead you can cut
two upper pieces and self-face the edge. In that case you probably want to do the edge seam first and then sew both upper pieces together to the lower piece.

If you put on stretch lace like I did, it will probably be easier to sew it on before sewing the cup seam! You want the lace to be a little smaller than the cup (it stretches
after all). Place it with the lace edge along the top edge of the upper cup piece, and sew it on with a small zigzag stitch. Finally trim the original fabric piece out from under
the lace -- or leave it if you like the overlay look!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bra/
 Image Notes
1. tiny zigzag along this line. it is very hard to see, which is the idea!

Image Notes
1. I pinned this a little tight as my red fabric doesn't stretch in the crosswise
direction, but the lace, of course, does

Image Notes Image Notes

1. trim excess to match pattern piece 1. i folded the lace back and trimmed the original fabric off close to the stitching
line, but not too close.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bra/
Step 6: Center stay
Sew the stay together at the top (and bottom if you didn't cut it on a fold) and turn it right side out. Pin it to the inside of the cups, matching the top edges. Sew a little less
than a quarter inch seam allowance, as the underwire channels will be the full quarter inch.

Step 7: Sides
With the old bra on, hold up your elastic from the underwire edge around your back to the other cup edge. Pull it to a reasonable tightness. This will give you twice the
length of elastic you need for the bottom of the side panels. Pin the end and the middle to get the length for each side, and attach it to the side pieces. (If the elastic isn't
an inch or two shorter than the side panel, recheck the elastic measurement and the side piece pattern, as one of them is wrong).

The sewing technique for attaching lingerie elastic is explained in my Panties instructable, in the step about the leg elastic.

Next, sew the sides to the cups, matching top edges, similar to how you sewed the center front stay, a bit less than a quarter inch seam allowance.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bra/
 Image Notes
1. how they'll fit once they're fully sewn

Image Notes Image Notes

1. but pin right side to right side to stitch 1. starting to kinda look like a Real Bra!

Step 8: Underwires
Cut two strips of interfacing, the length of your cups' bottom edge and an inch wide. Fold one in half lengthwise (if you had to use iron-on, make sure the glue is folded
inside) and pin it around the bottom edge of a cup, edges out. Place it over the front stay and side piece, leaving a bit of room next to the seam allowance, as in the
picture. Stitch the channel down using a quarter inch seam allowance to the edge of the bra cup. The previous stitching lines shouldn't show at all.

Now fold and wrap the underwire channel around to the inside of the bra cup, releasing the stay and the side piece. It should rest a little more than a quarter of an inch
inside the cup, and cover all the raw edges. Stitch this in place close to the folded edge of the channel.

Stitch a bar tack across the end of the channel by the center front stay, so the underwires don't come out. Now insert the underwires from the outside edge by just sliding
them in the channel you made. The underwires are not symmetrical; there's a shorter end and a longer end although sometimes the difference is small. The longer end
goes at the outside edge.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bra/
 Image Notes
1. side piece must be folded under the channel interfacing
2. front stay must be folded under the channel interfacing

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bra/
 Image Notes
1. ready to insert the underwires

Step 9: Side elastic and straps

Determine the correct length of elastic to run from the bra back, around your sides on top of the side piece, up to the top of the cup, by trial and error: first hold a piece so
it seems right while wearing your original bra. Write down the length and try sewing it; you can pick it out and adjust if necessary (or if you're working on the practice one
you don't need to bother fixing it).

Once the side elastic is on, figure out the strap elastic length. Stitch one end of the strap elastic to each of the remaining back edges without elastic. Now you can pin the
bra on yourself and determine how long the straps need to be.

Stitch the strap to the cup, right sides together, where you marked. Cut the elastic if you haven't yet, and fold up the strap so you can stitch the cut end down in a zigzag
like in the last picture, to keep it tidy.

I didn't think to do this, but if you have an old bra that's worn out but the straps or strap hardware is still good, you could reuse those parts.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bra/
 Image Notes
1. hard to see in this pic but the strap elastic is slightly shorter than the fabric
piece. Not as much shorter as the lingerie elastic would need to be, though,
because it is heavier duty.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bra/
Step 10: Hooks & eyes
You can use a bra back extender instead which some fabric stores sell, or sew on hooks & eyes yourself. I ended up using a wide single hook & bar, instead of a pair of
small hooks & eyes as is usual because I got lazy. But it works fine.

First cover the raw ends with something soft - a scrap of T-shirt fabric works great. I simply cut a square, stitch one end to the right side of the bra ends, fold the sides
under, and topstitch them down.

Then just sew the hook & eye down, by hand or by machine, making sure there's enough tail on the eye end that the hook won't scratch your back when you wear it.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bra/
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randofo into a sexy Candy Lingerie
Patternmaking Mentionables by
Baby Doll for Bikini by
DIY Lingerie by Valentine's Day tips for Bras by Carleyy
happyadrian
mirela by giannyl jenna

Comments
18 comments Add Comment

thedeem0n says: Jun 18, 2010. 11:12 AM REPLY

Who's the Model for this bra & the matching panties?!? because I would like her to uh, Marry Me...

heartlessangel7 says: Feb 24, 2011. 3:30 PM REPLY

Don't be lame. She was kind enough to model for us.

smilet1na says: Mar 12, 2010. 2:35 PM REPLY

so excited to start working on my bra :) thanks for this helpful instructable!

MissChiff says: Sep 14, 2009. 9:56 AM REPLY

I have that same fabric! I've been wondering what to do with it. . .

Max California says: Sep 10, 2009. 10:59 PM REPLY

Thankyou! I've been meaning to try it myself, but it's a little intimidating! Thanks for your steps!

butterflycookies says: Sep 8, 2009. 7:44 AM REPLY

me likey

scouttster says: Sep 7, 2009. 1:16 PM REPLY

Ok, I'll be the 1st to say it.. Nice rack! Pretty good instrutable as well - good job.

knitnzu says: Sep 4, 2009. 5:50 AM REPLY

OMG, this is FABULOUS!!! I spend thousands of dollars every year buying bras in the search for yet one more that will fit well and be comfortable (There's
one wacoal that is perfecto for me). I have resorted to keeping a spreadsheet of all the styles I've tried and returned. But this! I will definitely be trying it. I
keep saying I need a personal tailor because shopping off the rack makes me feel like a freak of nature. THANKS!

tink1272 says: Sep 3, 2009. 9:12 PM REPLY

Thank you for this. I am so sick of the plain paddy bras that are out now. This will help make a pretty bra that FITS. I am an in between size, so this is
awesome. Thanks so much, I can't wait to get started!

moxiepurple says: Sep 3, 2009. 10:35 AM REPLY

Thank you, you are awesome! I've been wanting to see this process for a while now. I've been wanting to try to make a bra, and am thinking of trying out a
flat plastic buckle. Like some of these, link .

kulsum75 says: Sep 2, 2009. 8:42 PM REPLY

Thanks for such a detail project it really helped me,thanks!!!!!!!!!!

Goodhart says: Sep 2, 2009. 7:19 AM REPLY

This would sure be a help for my wife, who has difficulty finding just the right size

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bra/
 Goodhart says: Sep 2, 2009. 7:24 AM REPLY
It looks like this info found at this ible would be helpful too.

canida says: Sep 1, 2009. 5:56 PM REPLY

Awesome. I totally need to do this - they just don't sell enough bras made with pirate-themed fabric. ;)

Lithium Rain says: Sep 1, 2009. 6:47 PM REPLY

/seconded

frollard says: Sep 2, 2009. 6:55 AM REPLY

When I end up with a sewing machine I'll be all over this!

Lithium Rain says: Sep 1, 2009. 6:47 PM REPLY

Okay, spill - how d'you get underlines in image notes?? Oh, fantastic bra btw. :D

jessyratfink says: Sep 1, 2009. 6:38 PM REPLY

Wow! It looks so good and fits really well! :D I really, really need to make some undies.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bra/