Maya Bra by Afi or How to sew a fully lined bra

This post shows you how to make a complex bra that is fully lined. The details of how to add adjustable straps, similar to those in the Afi pattern are in the Barrett Bralette. And how to sew on hooks are in Creating a Look.

The Maya Bra by Afi is a free pattern located here https://afiatelier.com/allpatterns/maya-bra/. However, the instructions are for a foam bra, and I didn’t want to include foam. Also,  the instructions didn’t end up with the lined finish that I was after.

The site asks you to work out your size, and then download the pattern for your particular size. Once you have done that, you need to tape the pattern pieces together.

You’ll notice I didn’t tape the foam pieces, and I just cut out the ones I needed. Three pieces for the cup, which had seams all around, and two pieces for the frame. I chose the two hook frame rather than the three hook frame, and laid them out to show you how they go together. Note that I have highlighted each point where the pieces are supposed to meet - most of these are at seams. The one in the back frame piece is where the strap meets the back.

I reduced all the seams before I cut the pattern pieces out because I’m used to 6mm (1/4”) seams for lingerie. These are easy to line up with my sewing machine foot and make it easier to sew curves together.

I cut each piece from both stretch lace and from a patterned tricot.

Then, I sandwiched the centre cup pieces between the side cup pieces, and sewed them with a small zig zag (1,1). You can see that the big side cup pieces sandwich the two centre cup pieces, and both are right sides together.

I then ironed the side cups away from the centre cups, and top stitched the seam. You may be able to see the lining under the pieces of stretch elastic.

I repeated this with the upper cup pieces, placing them on either side of the lower cup pieces, sewing them together, and then top stitching the seam.

Now I needed to sew the seam at the upper edge of the cup. I rolled the cup up inside the two upper cup pieces, and sewed them together right side to right side. I needed to pin all the way along, so that the pieces were correctly aligned.

I then topstitched the neckline edge to complete the cup.

Since I wanted to completely line the bra, and didn’t want underwires, I needed to do the same process to connect the frame to the cups. The lining and the stretch lace join at the top of the centre front, in a short seam, so I sewed that first, and then added the cups, one at a time.

I topstitched the entire seam.

Ending with this

Next, the back frame was added, sandwiching the front between the two pieces and top stitching.

Next I sewed elastic to the bottom and top of the bra. This needs to be stretched 15%, so I measured the bra and reduced both measurements by 15%, and stretched the elastic as I sewed it on. First I sewed the inside edge of the elastic to the edge of the bra.

Then I folded it back, so the outside edge of the elastic was showing, and sewed it with a three step zigzag as wide as I could sew

At this stage, I was ready to add the hooks to the back of the bra. Normally they enclose the bra frame as in the picture, but they were too white for this cream bra, so I made them invisible. To sew on hooks see Creating a Look.

Now all the bra needed was the straps. I realised that the bra was looking far too heavy to have elastic straps, so I made up a pattern for straps, wider where they meet the cups, and narrow at the other side. I used an existing bra to decide how long they needed to be, and added a seam allowance.

I turned the tubes out, top stitched them, and attached them to the bra.