Bras by Kristen : 2020

End of the year thoughts...

December 31, 20200 Comments

So... what happened to this year? Beginning of the year, I started this blog and put a ton of articles up after my highschooler switched from Online Public school to our local district in January. I have 3 kids and 2 of them are school age. Then March...

Proper Bra Wearing

Putting a bra on, scooping tissue

March 24, 20200 Comments

One of my mild obsessions is the shape of the Ewa Michalak bras. This video was shared with me to pass along as a great example of the proper way to put on a bra. Source ...

Wire Fitting

Breast Root Trace

March 24, 20200 Comments

One of the important pieces in the wire fitting stage is doing a root trace. Not everyone needs this if they have wires in stock and their anatomy lines up well with a certain wire. However, some people may not have a stock of wires, and then it's...

Band Alterations Cup Alterations Fabrics Fitting Bands Fitting Cups Proper Bra Wearing Wire Alterations Wire Fitting

Fitting any bra pattern

March 24, 20200 Comments

If you are interested in going the route of sewing bras, there is a process recommended to get started. This post used to be a comment that I'd throw on forum questions and was too long (it was getting out of hand), and I am shortening it by...

Band Alterations Cup Alterations Fitting Bands Fitting Cups Wire Fitting

Fitting the Chloe Pattern, Wire, Band, Cups

March 23, 20200 Comments

In my bra making journey, I tried (and failed miserably) at some patterns that were not my size in an era (more than 10 years ago) where the patterns mostly matched the traditional American sizing of ABCD and then you were usually told to go up in band...

Wire Fitting

Rib cage shapes

March 23, 20200 Comments

This article is an EXCELLENT list of rib shapes in a discussion about how it affects bra shapes. Rib Cages and Bra Fitting - a Masterpost I've realised that while there are titbits (pun intended) of information about how rib Cages can affect bra fit floating around, it's...

Proper Bra Wearing

Vertical folding vs swooping and scooping

March 23, 20200 Comments

This is one of the best images I have ever seen on the internet about the reason you need to reach in and pull the breast up into the cup to be properly seated and be certain the bra fits correctly. Please check out this website, it is...

Proper Bra Wearing

Swooping and scooping

March 23, 20200 Comments

Here's a fabulous video by Curvy Kate on swooping and scooping the "girls" into the cups of a bra. Not properly picking them up into the cups can give a deceiving estimation of fit. Here's a fabulous video by Curvy Kate on swooping and scooping the "girls" into...

Proper Bra Wearing

How to put on a bra

March 23, 20200 Comments

If you are medically able, it is much better for the life of your bras if you can hook them from the back. Feeling for hooks and eyes may take practice, but if you hook in front an twist, you distort wire shape, elastic stretches out of shape...

Sew Along

Sew Along - The Eve Part 6

March 18, 20200 Comments

The Eve Sew Along Part 1 The Eve Sew Along Part 2 The Eve Sew Along Part 3 The Eve Sew Along Part 4 The Eve Sew Along Part 5 The Eve Sew Along Part 6 ...

Sew Along

Sew Along - The Eve Part 5

March 18, 20200 Comments

The Eve Sew Along Part 1 The Eve Sew Along Part 2 The Eve Sew Along Part 3 The Eve Sew Along Part 4 The Eve Sew Along Part 5 The Eve Sew Along Part 6 ...

Sew Along

Sew Along - The Eve Part 4

March 18, 20200 Comments

The Eve Sew Along Part 1 The Eve Sew Along Part 2 The Eve Sew Along Part 3 The Eve Sew Along Part 4 The Eve Sew Along Part 5 The Eve Sew Along Part 6 ...

Sew Along

Sew Along - The Eve Part 3

March 18, 20200 Comments

The Eve Sew Along Part 1 The Eve Sew Along Part 2 The Eve Sew Along Part 3 The Eve Sew Along Part 4 The Eve Sew Along Part 5 The Eve Sew Along Part 6 ...

Sew Along

Sew Along - The Eve Part 2

March 18, 20200 Comments

If this is your first trial of this pattern, I highly recommend making a fitting band, following the process I did with A Client's Fitting Band Part 1 and Part 2 before moving on to cutting out the bra like Jennifer does in part 2 of the Eve instructions. I...

Sew Along

Sew Along - The Eve Part 1

March 18, 20200 Comments

There are many patterns available to home Bra Sewists. Clearly, I am a big fan of The Eve Classic pattern, because of its versatility in being used as a sloper to create your own designs at home. I will feature other popular sew alongs later, because they may...

Wire Fitting

Purpose of an Underwire

March 17, 20200 Comments

I've been reading bra theory for a couple of years and the discussions in the "Bra Making Forum" group on Facebook that is hosted by The BraMakery have been as informative as any of the textbooks I've gotten my hands on. Here's a very detailed description of the...

A Day in the Life Never Sewn Before? Start Here!Sew Along

Bra cup pressing ham

March 16, 20200 Comments

I have been staring longingly at a sphere shaped pressing ham for bra cups on various people's sites, and had made up my mind to make one when a fellow bra maker shared this tutorial by Kat makes (and that's her picture above). Head on over and make...

Band Alterations Wire Fitting

Determine wire diameter

March 11, 20200 Comments

It is very easy to have wires laying around and not know their size. I originally put this tutorial together with this in mind, but I want to talk about manufacturers for a minute. I've now been through two drafting courses and both sets of teachers (and well...

Band Alterations Measuring for Bras Wire Fitting

Bridge Alterations - Wire Splay

March 10, 20201 Comments

In bra patterns, makers have to pick a width between the breasts. This is usually another average and in Ready to Wear, it's another difficult hurdle, for some, to find anything that fits. In my posts about a client's fitting band Part 1 and Part 2, I shared...

A Day in the Life Fitting Bands Fitting Cups Sew Along

A Client's Fitting Summary

February 29, 20200 Comments

I cut fabric for the fitting band in A Client's Fitting Band - Part 1. I show assembly in A Client's Fitting Band - Part 2. Then I cut and sewed tester cups in Test Cups for A Client. Here's my summary of how the fitting went. Recap...