January, Feb, March, Beach Vacation, April, Pandemic, May, Quarantine, June, Bra Making Mondays, July, Great Bra Sewing Bee - whew!

Yep, this is what the year 2020 looks like to me - it started and I've been focused on sewing since March of this year and bra-making has been the highlight. I opened the Zoom Sewing Room, began teaching beginner sewing and developed Bra Making Mondays along with my partner DeWahn Coburn, who taught me and other sewists the delicate art of making lingerie.

The true beauty of what we do today is provide a safe, nurturing space of body positivity and fun for other women to learn bra-making in the Zoom Sewing Room. Bra Making Mondays began June 2020 and women from all over join us every Monday evening and make 2-3 bras per session. Learn more about Bra Making Mondays here - upcoming sessions August 3 and October 2020.

Here's a look at my sewing journey as I looked for the right bra pattern, the right fit, and the right pretty and the right sexy

My bra profile:

I started with my RTW size of 36B. I was lucky to have a decent fit with the band and cups - not perfect I later learned but a great started. The band was tight and the cups didn't give me the coverage and positioned I wanted. This is what you don't realize until after the 2nd bra.

The Marlborough Bra provide more upward support than I wanted for comfortable, so I tried another pattern (The Elan Bra #645) and moved into a 38B based on a paper fitting. It worked with a great fit and comfortable with more coverage.

I have medium density breast and they drop down and I want to bring them up but not too far where they look too pointy and forced into a cup. I found a fit where my breast sit right in the middle. I wear casual clothing and I want natural look.

My suggestion when you get started is to try one pattern and do your best at selecting the size for the first one, then make adjustments from there. You will make a comfortable, supportive bra that looks beautiful on you. Good luck!

The second bra, the goal was to perfect my skill and loosen the fit. At the point of making this bra, I felt the band fit was a little too tight and I needed to get a more comfortable fit. The Marlborough Bra is still a great bra that compliments any body type.

My brand is Sewing My Style, and at any point in my sewing journey I call on my style goals to show and this is where the all mesh bra came from, and with another pattern design: The Elan Bra #645 from Sew Sassy. The Elan Bra comes with a 2-piece cup, more coverage and a wide one-piece bridge for the front support. It was perfect for the adventure to making a bra with all mesh.

THESE ARE MY FAVORITES! When I discovered the Elan Bra and went up a band size (stayed with a B cup), this bra gave me the coverage and cup shape I preferred. I wore each of these bras all day and forgot I had it on. The chocolate mesh on top and the pink lace are both Elan Bras. The chocolate/cherry lace is a Marlborough Bra.

This is a Fenway Bra. I liked this one because of the frameless design and a two-piece cup. For the aesthetic, I copied an old bra I have not thrown away and used a beautiful lace to design this bra including the self straps. The only fabric used is the lace and power net for the back band. Beautiful and sexy with round shaped cups.

This Marlborough Bra is from a class we taught and video taped every step. A great way to teach the construction of a bra, including content about the fabric in each area. I used MicroLycra for the cup fabric, bridge outer and frame and power net for the back band and bridge lining.

My bra-making journey continues - if you would like to join the community of bra makers and learn for yourself, check out the class here on my site for details and fall in. Our 2020 5-week sessions are August 3, October 5 and a November specialty bralette class for Holidays at Home.

Thanks for the love,

Nikki

Resources:

Deborah Grayson Studios