The Eve: Revolutionary to Bramaking
For many years, bra drafting has been a well protected industry secret, with few people knowing the process, and even those working in the field were kept in the dark. The way that patterns are sized is crazy, in my opinion, with each company labeling their sizes something different. For example, some companies label their band the same as a person's underbust measurement, some add 2-3 inches, some add 4-5 inches, as highlighted in this post by Beverly Johnson of Bra Maker's Supply.
People are tired of ill fitting bras, and sewing patterns have been popping up over the last 20 years, with a steady growth in the popularity of sewing one's own lingerie. If you're already familiar with bra-making, there are several recognizable names that are "household names, " so to speak, in this sewing niche.
So if there are several patterns out there, how is this pattern any different? What prevents it from just being added to the list of patterns out there?
In garment sewing, you can buy many different patterns that are already made with a style to them, different necklines, different sleeve shapes, different lengths -- the sky is the limit where fashion is concerned. Once you've sewn for a while, a common pattern to have is a basic sloper, fitted to your own measurements that you can draw style lines on and manipulate into new patterns. A quick google search will show millions of slopers for garments.
However, a search for the same in bras shows different bra patterns with design already in them or this sort of idea from early bras. (Source)
The information for drafting modern bras has been something where you still have to pursue elusive drafting courses and scour the internet for information, and buy expensive text books on the subject. Even then, drafting books often say to draw a line at a certain measurement without explaining why you get that number, so if you want to draft for someone who is a 30A or someone who is a 40H, it doesn't really show you how to change that number.
If you are lucky enough to find a drafting course, drafting to get a sense of a person's volume is taught by making a cup that has a horizontal seam across the apex (nipple), and a vertical seam from the wire line to the apex (nipple) and a frame based on a person's underbust, overbust and wire measurements.
One thing that I've never seen a drafting method contain is a method for how to calculate how much of a curve to add to the straight lines that make the shape of a person's breast. Most ways of measuring provide you with this square pyramid shape, with the base being where the rib cage is and the apex is the nipple of the breast. It is then up to you the drafter, to sort out what curves you need to turn this into a beautifully shaped bra. (Source)
Enter Porcelynne. Jennifer, the owner of Porcelynne has revised her book Bare Essentials: Bras into a third edition and has been working hard to make drafting something that is accessible for anyone who wishes to pursue bra drafting for a better, more custom fit for themselves and for clients.
One thing that I've never seen a drafting method contain is a method for how to calculate how much of a curve to add to the straight lines that make the shape of a person's breast. Most ways of measuring provide you with this square pyramid shape, with the base being where the rib cage is and the apex is the nipple of the breast. It is then up to you the drafter, to sort out what curves you need to turn this into a beautifully shaped bra. (Source)
Enter Porcelynne. Jennifer, the owner of Porcelynne has revised her book Bare Essentials: Bras into a third edition and has been working hard to make drafting something that is accessible for anyone who wishes to pursue bra drafting for a better, more custom fit for themselves and for clients.
The Bare Essentials Drafting Method describes a calculation for the curves by figuring a percentage of a person's measurement from sternum to armpit, over the apex, so it is proportional to the size of their anatomy. There's an average range people typically fall into and Jennifer has created a calculator that not only gives you the pyramid shape from above, but also the starting point of how to bend those lines outward in a curve to make the shape more like a bra. These images show different shapes that are possible.
Not only did she publish this drafting method, she recorded this online drafting course which, to my knowledge, has never been done before. The videos are broken down into short clips with each line that's drawn shown in small steps of digestable information. You can work through the course as fast or as slow as your learning style.
The volume tester bra from the draft isn't typically the most flattering bra on its own; it often is still shaped like a bit of a "ski slope" rather than having lots of lift, and the rounding we are used to from our ready to wear bras. However, the draft bra is the base pattern from which all other patterns on the market are derived.
Enter the "Eve Classic" bra pattern. Jennifer created the Eve to help people skip some of the drafting, to be able to skip straight to the sloper "design sheet" that allows you to create your own styles.
This pattern was designed to be used the way custom makers have been fitting people for years: first wire, second band, third cups. Then, Jennifer made some slight alterations to the draft bra to make the Eve more of a wearable pattern on its own so that you can have a bra that fits right out of the shopping cart. Your fitting band will most likely fit on your first make, and it frees you up to focus on just fitting the cups. Then, if you make what the calculator suggested and it doesn't quite fit, you move up or down a cup size et voila!, a bra that is more specifically fitted than any other pattern on the market!
Then, the sloper is a design sheet that you can create an infinite amount of designs with, making all other patterns unnecessary. You can browse ready to wear patterns, take inspiration from their seam lines, and draw up the pattern yourself.
And finally, there is a support group on Facebook where you can ask questions and get support from the members, and if you'd like more individual drafting help, there are drafters for hire that will either mentor you through the process, or you can straight up commission them to do your draft for you and they will advise you if they think the Eve can be used or if a custom draft is in order.
And finally, there is a support group on Facebook where you can ask questions and get support from the members, and if you'd like more individual drafting help, there are drafters for hire that will either mentor you through the process, or you can straight up commission them to do your draft for you and they will advise you if they think the Eve can be used or if a custom draft is in order.
