The Bras

While writing this, I have made a variety of bras and bra patterns. I thought it would be worth putting them together in one post...

I have bought two patterns over the years. 

These were made from variations of the first pattern which has a two piece cup with a horizontal seam, and a separate frame three piece frame (centre front, side front and back). It’s a normal bra, with elastic adjustable straps, wires, and hooks. As I’ve used it over the years I made the frame into one piece, with no hooks, made fabric straps and NEVER made it with underwires. The bras from this pattern are

1. Embroidered fabric and tricot cups with a powernet frame and elastic (non adjustable) straps, hooks at the back (I cut the powernet the wrong way, so it didn’t stretch over my head and I needed to add hooks). I used ordinary lingerie elastic, and a special strap elastic. The frame was my single piece adaption.


Materials - black powernet; embroidered fabric and tricot 



2. Wide edging bridal lace and tricot cups, with a powernet one piece frame and elastic (non adjustable) straps. No hooks. I used wide fluffy backed lingerie elastic on the bottom and narrow fluffy backed lingerie elastic on the armholes and back. The lace had a firm edge, so it didn’t need finishing. I lined the bottom cup so that the net from the lace would be properly finished.


Materials - tricot (both sides); bridal lace; white powernet; two sizes of lingerie elastic and strap elastic with picot edges.



3. Lace fabric and tricot cups (upper cup lined with tricot to finish the upper edge), with powernet one piece frame and elastic (non adjustable, fluffy backed) straps. No hooks. I used the same elastic for this as the previous one.


Materials - tricot (both sides); gold and white lace fabric; white powernet; two sizes of lingerie elastic and strap elastic with picot edges.



4. Broidre Anglaise bra - Broidre Anglese cups and straps with a cotton Lycra frame. Unlined. Folded elastic used on the neckline, armholes and bottom. No hooks.


Materials - broidre anglaise; folded elastic; cotton Lycra.



5. Creating a Look - Powernet cups and frame, with lace and lace edging. Unlined. Lingerie lace with fluffy backing used on the neckline, armholes and bottom. Hooks.






These are variations on the second bought pattern, which I didn’t really like when I made it up. It is a wireless pattern with a two piece cup with a vertical seam, and a two piece frame (back and a straight piece that goes under the cups). It has hooks, but these are 5 deep, so I have never made it with hooks (they would be a pain to do up). This pattern has straps in the pattern, which are not adjustable. Bras from this pattern are:

6. The only one I’ve made with the straight piece under the cups. It tends to ride up, so I’ve never made it that way again. As per the instructions, it is made from double edged stretch lace and tricot in the cups (unlined), powernet in the back and a different, narrower double edged stretch lace in the band under the cups. Normal lingerie elastic was used in the armholes, neck and bottom back, while ordinary elastic was used behind the straight piece at the bottom. Hat elastic was used below the cup and on the upper edge of the cup.


Materials - Two sizes of stretch lace; tricot and powernet.


7. Devoure Bra - Devoure and velour (lined with tricot) cups and velour back. Tricot was used instead of lingerie elastic. No hooks and no bottom piece.


Materials - devoure; tricot and velour.



8. Unlined embossed tricot and lace edging. Normal lingerie elastic used on the bottom, armholes and neck.


Materials - edging lace; tricot; lingerie elastic.




Free patterns from the Internet

I found two patterns on the Internet for bras

Free internet pattern 1 - Madalynne Barrett Bralette pattern https://madalynne.com/introducing-barrett-free-pdf-bralette-pattern/# 

This is a really nice, simple pattern with good instructions. It’s a pity that the size range is small.

9. Barrett Bralette - Bra made entirely from embossed tricot, unlined except the back, as I thought it tricot may need reinforcing there. Fluffy backed lingerie elastic was used in the front, armholes and bottom. A special fluffy backed elastic was used for the adjustable straps.


Materials - tricot; lingerie elastic; strap elastic 



Free Internet Pattern 2 - Maya Bra by Afi is a free pattern located here https://afiatelier.com/allpatterns/maya-bra/. 

10. Maja Bra - This is a fully lined bra, made from stretch lace fabric and lined with embossed tricot. The non adjustable straps were from the same fabrics. The elastic in the armholes, back and bottom is fluffy backed lingerie elastic. 


Materials - stretch lace fabric; tricot; lingerie elastic.






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