Sewing Bras - Lace Shelley Bra - aka Bra Seam Manipulation

Its been a while since I've sewn up a regular underwire bra (2+ months!) while I've been focusing on the Strapless debacle - which lead to learning to draft a bra from scratch (multiple times!). [Check out my strapless bra adventures HERE].

Now that that major project has finished, I wanted something a bit simpler to work on.  Utilizing my new skills, I decided to turn my PUG Classic into the PUG Shelley Bra!  The drafting should be pretty simple - create a power bar out of the upper and lower cup pieces and then split the remaining lower cup.  Creating the power bar has the same steps as creating the internal power bar I talked about in a previous post.  [see HERE]  And splitting the lower cup is a fairly common alteration with a number of tutorials on the interwebs. [like HERE and HERE].  What will be new is making this bra almost entirely of lace!

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I really like the delicate look of this bra.  It is such a nice contrast to the VERY structured strapless bra I spent the last few months on.  Working with lace came with its own trials and tribulations but sooo very worth it in the end.

ALTERATIONS TO PATTERN

  • Manipulated seam lines on the Pin Up Girls Classic bra to mimic the Pin Up Girls Shelley bra
  • Raised the side wings roughly 1/2" and tapered down towards back band.
  • Used alternate straps that calls for fabric to be folded down the center.
  • Manipulated the cradle to accomodate the lace
  • Inserted Gothic Arch
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FOR NEXT ROUND

  • Widen the powerbar near the lower cup a bit.  Roughly 3/4 - 1".  Repeat for internal powerbar.
  • Lengthen the folded straps and remove the seam allowance along the neckline.  If using heavy duty upholstery interfacing again next time, use only a SINGLE layer.  The strap ended up quite thick at the attachment point.  Or perhaps try padded straps again.
  • Take a TINY 1/8" sliver off along the wireline for the inner lower cup pattern piece.

The fit is wonderful.  The cups are slightly more rounded (due to the extra seams) than the original.  It's my best fitting PUG Classic/Shelley bra yet!  This mostly stems from me *actually* applying my (newly acquired) knowledge of bra fitting to myself than the lace or construction.  Although according to the wire chart, I should be using the bridge from TWO sizes up from what I had been using.  I compromised by only going up ONE size (which also happens to coincide with my RTW size). The only thing I will add is that changing the cradle, while more comfortable, gave me a more natural look where the girls are not set as close together.  So neither pushed together, or facing East/West but perfectly parallell.

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LilypaDesignslace, bra sewing, Pin Up Girls, PUG Classic, PUG Shelley, Beige not BoringComment