Julie Finn
If you wear a bra, then you know that they. Are. Ridiculous. For something clearly so heavily engineered, you think they’d fit better. Be comfier. Not, you know, poke you with wires and stuff.
Fortunately, even something as complicated-looking as a bra is quite possible to be DIYed at home. With the right bra patterns, and the clearest tutorials, you CAN make your own bras!
Here are some of my favorite bra patterns and tutorials:
1. How to shorten a bra strap. Sometimes you don’t need an all-new bra–you just need the one that you already own to do its dang job already. Here’s a mod that will make a bra with too-long straps just right for your itsy-bitty shoulders.
2. Bra-making sew-along. This already happened, but it’s super handy to read all the posts in the sew-along right through from the beginning.
3. Drafting/editing a bra cup pattern. Do you already know about breast roots and properly sprung underwires? If not, give this post a read before getting started on your bra pattern.
4. Foam cup bra. Here’s a bra pattern that includes foam cups for shaping and support.
5. Front-zip sports bra. This pattern is spendy (currently listed at $20), but it’s my own personal Holy Grail of bra patterns–the front-close sports bra! I also appreciate the wide variety of pics of finished bras, allowing me to find the style on someone of my size and build.
6. Lengberg Castle brassiere. This bra is likely the most unusual on this list, but if you make it, your reward is fewer seams to sew and a very streamlined look.
7. Lined sports bra. The lining adds a whole other layer of support to a bra.
8. Neoprene bras. This blog has several tutorials posted for different styles of sports bras made with Neoprene fabric.
9. No-bounce sports bra. That’s what it claims, at least! The pattern also comes with an optional skirt, to make a full exercise outfit.
10. How to fit an underwire. If you’re making an underwire bra from any pattern, you’ll find this tutorial for proper fitting and troubleshooting helpful.
11. Stretch lace bralette. This free pattern does come in a range of sizes, but isn’t intended to provide a lot of support.
12. Make a cup pattern. This tutorial shows you how to use medical-grade tape to make a bra cup pattern that is fitted exactly to you.
13. Nursing bra from a regular bra. Need a nursing bra? Got a regular bra? Fortunately, the conversion isn’t hard!
14. Peek-a-boo bra. If you’re ready for a challenge, check out this bra with cut-outs and a bow.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfGpqxnAQAo/?taken-by=bramakerssupply
15. Racerback sports bra. This simple bra doesn’t look super supportive, but it would make a good sports bra for someone with small breasts, first bra, or activewear bra for a teen.
16. T-shirt bandeau. If you just need something to cover your girls, this bandeau made from a T-shirt will do the trick!
17. Sew a bra from scratch. This tutorial series teaches you how to sew your own bra from the beginning, down to taking your measurements and drafting a pattern from them.
18. Tips and tricks. Threads magazine is a reliable source of information on all things sewing; here they offer tips and tricks that will help you no matter what style of bra you’re making, or what pattern you’re using.
19. Triangle bra pattern. This is one of the few free patterns that you’ll find online; it’s best for smaller busts.
20. Walk-through of the drafting process. Here’s another site that isn’t a tutorial, per se, but instead a complete walk-through of how a new bra pattern is made from scratch. Check it out and get inspired!
Love that castle one.
Sadly, both the links on drafting a pattern are dead links. :(.
I will be here again, when I get done with a few masks and get on to bra making.
Haveba good weekend 🤗