Happy Black Friday everyone! I spent most of Tuesday filming this video set and finally finished editing it down this morning. This series features my lovely daughter as a contributor and as a distraction. Its appropriate since we spend the holidays with family.

The sewing tutorial can be used for many bra patterns. This specific set is my new pattern release called California Dreaming. The size range is for 32F through 44J. I might be able to add a 46 range once I receive my new wires, but currently there aren’t vertical wires for that range.

Here is your shopping list:

Cup and front band fabric – nonstretch preferred, you can use bra lining fabric or a stable fusible tricot or woven to help stablilize it.

Back band fabric – powermesh or lycra. If it doesn’t stretch much, cut your band a little longer and adjust for fit before finishing the bra. If it stretches a lot, make sure to check fit before making your finishing touches.

Seam Tape – I use “Seams Great”, but you could also use strips of soft tricot cut at 1/2″ wide.

Wire – designed for verticals. This bra design is really for more projection and the vertical wires work better for that. I’ll be posting modifications for using a regular wire or my coming soon flat wires.

Waist band strapping – about 1 yard needed. I use a 3/4″ plush strap elastic for this.

Elastic for neckline – about 1/2 yard needed. I use foldover elastic for this.

Elastic for back neck/band – about a yard needed. I use a 3/8″ plush strap elastic for this.

Hook & Eye Closure – 3 row

Straps – You need about 1 1/2 yards of strap elastic. I use 1″ and cut them at 24″ long each so I can adjust the fit as needed.

Hardware – I used matching 1″ rings and slides.

You can play around with the supplies for construction, but these are what I used. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel.

Thank you everyone for sending me your measurements. I have been swamped with work this week. I got my first production account and am operating without any employees currently. I really need to hire someone again. LIKE YESTERDAY!

I finished the grading of my 3 piece cup, so this weekend I will send each of you that sent me messages 2-3 cup patterns to test. I know some of those measurements are strange, but I’m experimenting with measurements. I know they aren’t measurements you would normally take, hence the experimentation.

I’m thinking that with the new book and directions I’ll have illustrations of what you might look like in your bra, which can tell me if you are wearing the wrong band, cup size or both. Like I said, its all an experiment.

I have also been hesitant to write too much on this blog, because I’m trying to add a blog within my website with wordpress. My site is built with ZenCart, which is awesome for all the inventory stuff, but the wordpress integration is just time consuming (meaning I can’t get my husband to take time to help me implement it). He has made a bunch of changes to ZenCart to customize it for me, so just copying and pasting the code won’t work.

Ahh. Anyway, there are a few more days to send me measurements. Remember, if you don’t understand them all, do what you can and I’ll decipher it.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

I have been working diligently on creating about 150 sizes of my 3 piece bra cup to cover sizes 28A through 50J (Sizes AA and AAA are also being created for many band sizes). Because it takes several hours to grade each pattern piece, I’m going to start my sew along with a little testing of directions for measuring. 

Each person who wishes to participate in my sew along with my pattern pieces, I am asking them to give me their results from different measurements. This will be helpful when I write the update to my bra book and also help me send you the right pattern to test.

After I select a size for you test, I will send you 2-3 sizes based on your measurements and ask you to sew together one cup in muslin to test for the best fit and size. This won’t be a perfect fit because I’m not designing the bra to be sewn in a woven, but in a power mesh with a stretch lace.

The reason I want the sample cup in the woven is because it is not forgiving and will tell me which size you are meant to fit into. Providing the initial fit samples don’t have major problems, I will then send you the remainder of the pattern to fit the appropriate cup size we selected for you. This gives me time to finish grading the band patterns.

While all this is going on, I will be putting together a sewing kit with fabrics, laces, trims and anything else you will need to sew a bra together. Once we have your size, I can include the most appropriate underwire for you to use.

Ok. So now that you know the conditions, here are the first set of directions for you. Lets take your measurements!

Feel free to fill out this info and email me at jennifer at porcelynne (.) com. If I have a moment to breathe this week, I’ll try to do an illustration of the measurements. If you don’t fully understand, just indicate it in the comments and I’ll try to clarify it as much as possible.

1. Your current bra size. If it varies for brands, give me 2-3 examples of sizes from different manufacturers.

2. Your under bust measurement. Snug measurement.

3. Your bust measurement. Not snug, your breast tissue is soft so it will crease easily.

4. Your chest (over bust) measurement. Snug measurement.

5. Wearing your bra, measure from the side of your bust at the center front of your body across the apex and over to the far side of the bust. This is the full amount to where the breast tissue ends. For large cups, it may measure close to being under your arm. You can also use your existing bras as a gauge and measure to where the underwire ends. If you are getting a couple different measurements, just explain the measurements and give the amounts.

6. Not wearing a bra, with your breast sitting high or hanging low, it doesn’t matter. Measure from the point where the breast leaves the body, either the beginning of the mountain or where gravity makes the breast form a pull downwards. Measure straight across the body to the other side of the breast tissue.

These numbers will help me determine how accurate measurements are and how they relate to the bra itself.

Happy measuring.

BTW- I’m in the process of moving my blog over to my main website, so I’ll include an update on this blog when I transition it over. If you follow it here, you will have to change to following it over there.

I wanted to announce that I will be doing a bra sew along to test out my 3 piece bra cup. I will be giving my test pattern for free for all who want to sew along with me. I will post up next week about checking your size so you can request a pattern to sew with me. I promise to write an update soon. Its been one hell of a year so far!