Shelf bra dress how to#

Maddie of Madalynne has some good info on this for sports bras). For more support, you could use polyester swimsuit lining or another lining fabric with more structure (or even wicking abilities…. If you want the bra to hit you right under the boobs, adjust for length. When the fabric stretches, the bra usually ends up hitting me around the lower rib cage. This results in a very soft, cami like bra that stretches exactly like the tank top. Note: I generally use the same jersey fabric as the shirt for my built-in bras. Measure from your shoulder to under your chest (or to where you want the bra to hit) to gauge how long to cut the bra pieces. For the bra pieces (1, 2), I use the same tank top pattern, but just use the top third portion. This will ensure the stripes on the shirt are indeed horizontal, and not listing to one side or the other.Ĭut out your front and back pattern pieces (3, 4).

When cutting out striped jersey on the fold, I line up my stripes and pin them before cutting out my pattern. For my pattern, I drafted a simple sloper based off of my maillot pattern. I like to cut everything out on a cutting mat with a rotary cutter and sharp scissors (but of course!). The elastic should feel comfortable against your skin. If your resources are more limited, Dritz makes cups sold at JoAnn’s.

Slightly padded cups will keep your girls from “tuning in Tokyo.” I buy cups in the garment district, where there are lots of different shapes to choose from. Make sure the bra cups are your appropriate cup size and that you like the shape they give you. I like to use a soft cotton-lycra blend knit (it won’t pill like rayon or bamboo knit), 1 inch wide elastic, and sew-in bra cups. I sew most of my seams with a serger, but you can easily sew a stretchy tank on a regular machine using a stretch stitch. If you were to do this technique with a looser tank, you’d just need to make the bra section tighter/more form fitting. My tank top pattern happens to be self-drafted, form-fitting, and low-backed. What I can say is that this tutorial is relatively easy, and you can do it on a home machine. I’m sure that some of you out there with lingerie sewing experience could add a few pointers on materials and techniques. I can’t say that it’s the prettiest or most sophisticated. And in contrasts to the simple shelf bras in sports tops, adding cups to a shelf bra also provides a pleasing silhouette (no tube boob!).Ī few other bloggers have asked me to share my technique. I like to design shirts with dramatic, low back lines that would usually show a traditional bra.īuilt in bras also just happen to be comfortable. For me, there are several advantages to building a bra into a garment. My original inspiration for this came from several vintage garments-a dress and bathing suit-that I wear regularly, which have built in bras.

Shelf bra dress how to#

Your life with forever be changed now that you know How to Sew a Built-In Bra (With Cups!)…įor the past year, I’ve been sewing built-in shelf bras, with cups, into maillots (unitards), t-shirts, and tank tops. If there’s a heat wave at home sew up her Burda Beach Blanket Bikini and this dress that is perfect for this transition from summer to fall. If your problem is a see-through bra making an appearance through a black dress you should also check out her tutorial for Lining and Covering Bra Cups. Christine from Daughter Fish has come up with one of the most life saving tutorials you could ever want to fix such problems, How to Sew a Built-In Bra (With Cups!). I recently wore a dress to a wedding that had a gorgeous back to it, however, usually when there’s a gorgeous back there’s no room for a bra. How-Do-You-Do-Bardot Maillot (left), Bubblegum Top (right)