Custom Bra Making Using the Bare Essentials Method

The talented Jennie McKern from Annie and Myras has worked out how to customize a bra cup for custom bra making by interpreting the drafting method of Bare Essentials. She did some video clips and I compiled it into a video for my YouTube channel. Below is her own write up about her methodology.

I had the pleasure of working with Jennie last month on the release of her pattern the Grace Bra. We worked closely on the grade of her pattern and I even created my PolyPattern Bra Grading course from her pattern. Be sure to check out her pattern and watch how she changes the pattern for a customer.

Adjusting the Horizontal and Vertical axis, and wire size within a cup pattern

by Jennie McKern

It was such a pleasure to “work’ with Jennifer Fairbanks on the release of my first pattern, the Grace Bra pattern, in August. I am now beginning to learn computer patternmaking and grading following Jennifer’s courses with the PolyPattern Design Pro software.

The Grace Bra allows for the possibility to choose your own wire size within a cup size, however this was something I had previously done by hand drafting for my bespoke clients.

I thought I may share my processes for adapting the horizontal and vertical dimensions and wire lengths within a cup size for bespoke clients. This was previously a method I had achieved by hand drafting , having adapted the method from the book “Bare Essentials” by Jennifer Fairbanks-Mattthews. I had found this an easier method than re-drafting a pattern completely again from customer measurements.