A Client's Fitting Band - Part 2
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.
The Assembly
1. I marked the stitch lines because I"m using them as a guideline for things I'm top stitching onto the fabric. The center front is designed to be cut on the fold, so the seam would go where you see the edge of the paper (1 inch seam allowance). The side seam has 1/4 inch seam allowances so adding an inch will give a seam allowance of 1 1/4 inches.
2. I thought I could get away with just marking "the essentials" on the second side, but I ended up marking all the same lines. It just makes it easier when stitching to just follow the line.
**Note: I am applying all the elastics to the pieces first, before putting the band together. This makes it easier in a fitting to alter on the fly and stitch new angles to the seam if anything needs adjusting.
3. The next thing I did was fold over the bridge to finish this edge on both of the fronts.
4. When I cut out the band, I didn't check the bottom seam allowances for whether or not there was enough seam allowance to top stitch to the front and flip the elastic to the back, which is the way most patterns have you handle bottom band elastics. My supplies were 3/4 of an inch and my seam allowance was also 3/4 of an inch. Since this is only a fitting band, I decided to top stitch the elastic so that the plush is facing the body side and just follow my purple line marking the seam allowance.
5. As I'm top stitching under the cup, I need to be certain that the seam allowance sticks up above the channeling, which has to follow that purple line around the cup area.
6. Next I flipped over the piece to stitch the seam allowance down on the front side.
7. Repeat that process on the other side of the frame.
8. Next, I applied the underarm elastic the way most pattern instructions tell you. The picots of the elastic point down to the frame, the frame is touching the non plush side of the elastic so when the elastic is flipped to the inside, the plush will be facing the body just like the bottom band elastic.
9. Flip the elastic to the inside. (Do this to the other frame piece as well.)
10. Stitch the channeling by following the purple seam allowance line around the cup.
11. Stitch along the bridge to keep the wire from sneaking out the center in the fitting. Then stitch the outside of the channeling down. Yes, you will sew through the elastic with the channeling.
12. Once the channeling is completed, stitch the center fronts together so that the center front seam allowance is away from the body.
13. Usually the curved area of the back band has a strap sewn to it. Today, I am using the same top band elastic to finish this edge because of the extra area in the back band being located in a place that will make the strap elastic in the way. For the purpose of a fitting, a strap can be safety pinned in place. This also allows for needing to move the strap location based on how sloped or rounded a person's shoulders may be. Stop the top band elastic just at the edge of the seam allowance so it is underneath the top band elastic when it is turned.
16. Apply the hooks and eyes.
17. Fold on the dotted lines to stitch the band to its original size in the back. This "seam allowance" also goes away from the body. Since I'm straight stitching on the stretchy material, I used a strip of stabilizing tape to make the stitches not break when the bra is tried on. I topstitched on the very edge.
18. Line up the side seam stitching lines and stitch the back band to the front band. Again with the seam allowances out.
End Results
The seam allowances all facing away from the body.
The body side, nice and smooth and nothing to irritate the skin.
Pictured here on a bust form hanger.
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