If you are under the age of 40, you can be forgiven for not knowing what a Bullet Bra was (and is). After all, its heyday was in the late 40s and 50s. Those of us, of a certain age, however, will know exactly what we mean by a Bullet Bra. With its distinctive cone-shaped […]
Our last Bra-makers Challenge of 2019 is Snowy and Snuggly. We encouraged you to make warm and comfortable underwear, and many of you took us quite literally! Here are our Snowy and Snuggly Winter Challenge Entries. Louise White lace over pink foam, self-drafted pattern, cookie inside lined lower cup. A very delicate looking bra with […]
Our first bra-makers challenge of 2020 is to re-create the iconic Bullet bra of the 40s and 50s. With its distinctive cone shaped cups and circular stitching, it was “the” bra for any sweater girl of the times. We challenge you to re-create a Bullet Bra in today’s fabrics. Poodle skirt, anyone? To help you […]
Have you enjoyed the Challenges we’ve presented over the last few years? Well, here we are again with a whole new set of challenges for 2020. Our theme this year is “Hindsight is 2020”. The year 2020 is full of promise, but this is our year to look over the past years of bra-making design. […]
We recently added an Arm Shaper to our Body Shaper Pattern. This arm shaper does wonderful things for sagging skin under the arms. If you’ve avoided sleeveless garments because of your sagging arms, this garment will become a staple in your wardrobe. The cut-on sleeve eliminates shoulder and sleeve seams for a smooth seam-free line […]
Our wide waistband elastic is some of the nicest elastic we have worked with. We originally bought it because we knew it would make the perfect finish to the top edge of our Men’s Underwear Pattern. And it does! It turns out that the more we used it, the more places we found we could […]
You welcomed Movember (the men’s month) by making menswear. So many women wrote to say they use men’s patterns for themselves! This month was about creating menswear…OR using a menswear pattern to create something for a woman. Let’s see how you stepped up to the plate to Be Manly for Movember! Desiree Hello there, Very sorry I […]
Our last Bra-makers Challenge of 2019 is Snowy and Snuggly. Stay warm and cozy this winter in your new favourite snuggly underwear. Not only do we encourage you to make warm and comfortable underwear, but why not think outside the box and try lining your bra with something that will take the chill off? It […]
Some of our patterns, such as the Classic, Linda, Shelley and Sherri use elastic trim to finish the neckline edge. Others, including all of the Jewel series as well as the Ingrid and the Sweet Sixteen Bralette, use Fold-over Elastic (FOE) binding as a finish for the neckline edge. It’s easy-peasey when you have a […]
Did you “fall” for a gorgeous look from ready to wear, but wanted it to fit your body? many of you did and re-created the look for yourself by cloning or copying a ready-to-wear look. Be ready to be inspired by our fall into Fashion Bra-makers Challenge Entries! Jodi (USA) For the October challenge, I […]
Once again, we welcome Movember (the men’s month) by making some menswear. in 2018, we released a pattern for a men’s tank top. So many women wrote to say they used that pattern for themselves! This month is about creating menswear…OR using a menswear pattern to create something for a woman. The theme must be obvious. […]
How many of us actually try really interesting straps on our own garments? A lot of you did exactly that this month when we challenged you to make interesting, innovative and inspiring straps for Strap-tember. We loved what you came up with! Deb Please accept my submission for this month’s entry. This is a fully-adjustable […]
Have you “fallen” for a gorgeous look from ready to wear, but want it to fit your body? This challenge is about “falling” for fashion and re-creating the look for yourself by cloning or copying a ready-to-wear look. Be ready to be inspired! The theme must be obvious. In this case, the theme is Fall […]
This past month we challenged you to use lace and a sheer fabric together in the same garment. They are sheer-ly amazing entries! Here are your Lacey Daze of Summer challenge entries. Susan Attached is my entry for sheer and lace. Used sweet 16 pattern with Sheer cup lining with lace overlay. Kerri Well it seems […]
We often see interesting straps in ready-to-wear, but how many of us actually try those straps on our own garments? Here’s your chance! We challenge you to make interesting, innovative and inspiring straps. The straps can be for a bra, bralette, swimwear, or even regular garments. The Challenge guidelines The theme must be obvious. In […]
You’d expect our summer challenge to include swimwear, but our challenge had a bit of a twist. We challenged you to make any kind of swimwear using fabric that is twisted, ruched or otherwise manipulated. How did you do this month? Let’s look at the Totally Twisted Swimwear Challenge Entries! Christel, Netherlands Hello, my contribution […]
In 2018 we asked you to construct garments using two pieces of lace in the same garment. We won’t ask you to do that again this year. Well, not exactly. However, we are asking that you use lace and a sheer fabric together in the same garment. Cool and comfortable, as well as beautiful. The Challenge […]
June is traditionally the month of wedding celebrations all over the world. We challenged you to make bridal lingerie this month. And the sewing began! Let’s look at the wonderful bridal lingerie you made this past month. Jodi (USA) This month I made a sweet bridal lingerie set in white, with blue bows so the […]
It is with much fanfare and celebration that we announce the arrival of the Classic 2.0 Bra pattern! We’ve worked on this pattern for a long time (it seems like years…) but the wait was worth it. The Classic 2.0 is the Original Classic bra but with definite upgrades – for starters, we are using […]
You’d expect our summer challenge to include swimwear, but think of this challenge as Swimwear with a Twist. That means your swimwear entry has to have a fabric twist, gathers, or ruching. Anything twisted or using manipulated fabric. If you haven’t made any twisted fabric, check out our blog posts on swimwear, or the Big […]
WOW! The Spots and Stripes Challenge Entries are amazing! This month we had you seeing spots before your eyes! We asked for any kind of dot or any kind of stripe (or your interpretation of spots and stripes), in any kind of intimate apparel. The trick was to use them together in the same project. […]
June is traditionally the month of wedding celebrations all over the world. We love to celebrate weddings too but we do it in a different way here at Bra-makers. We want to challenge you to make bridal lingerie this month. How about re-styling a bra, panty or corset pattern and make it in a spectacular […]
We have recently retired the Alison Sports Bra and re-released a more modern and user-friendly version we call the Allie Sports Bra. Think of the Allie as the new and improved Alison. An Alison 2.0 as it were. It has a number of features that really do make it a unique pattern. Here’s how to […]
We have re-released our popular Alison sports bra pattern but many are asking – what’s new with Allie and why is it replacing Alison? In the comparison of Allie vs. Alison, let’s first look at the original Alison. It had internal pre-formed bra cups that support the breasts with no seams to chafe or rub […]
What fun we are having with the Ultimate Bra-makers Challenge. This past month, we asked you to celebrate the season and put a spring in your step by using performance fabrics to make activewear, ath-leisure wear or sportswear. You did not disappoint. Here are the Spring in Your Step Challenge Entries. Michelle (Canada) Here’s my […]
This month of May is a fun one – we will have you seeing spots before your eyes! Actually, you’ll be seeing spots, dots, lines and stripes. Let’s challenge our thinking about these pattern basics and create garments with dots and stripes. That’s any kind of dot or any kind of stripes, in any kind […]
Several of our bra patterns use fold-over elastic as binding along their neckline and/or underarm edges. In the case of panties, it’s used on either legs or waistline (or both). Fold-over elastic, or FOE for short, is a viable alternative to elastic trim. It’s great for those who prefer a clean, tailored look to the […]
If you’ve always wanted a front closure bra, but couldn’t decide which closure to use, you might have looked at the possibility of a zipper closure. If you think that might be a tough bit of sewing, don’t worry. In this tutorial, we’ll share how to add a zipper to your bra. There are a […]
Our challenge for March was Wireless freedom and so many of you have opted to make your bras wire-free. The most popular pattern was the Sweet Sixteen Bralette pattern – the second was Ingrid. Let’s see how you did it with our Wireless freedom Challenge Entries. Louise I just made this bralette for my niece […]
If you have trouble finding a ready-to-wear underwired bra that fits, you might be inclined to join the growing number of women who are choosing NOT to wear wires. They have chosen Wireless Freedom. But do you know WHY you find wires uncomfortable or even painful? The answer may surprise you. You may, in fact, be in the […]
This month of April is all about making garments for an active lifestyle. How about jumping into the challenge and working with spandex, Supplex, wickables and other performance fabrics? Any type of activewear is eligible – be it shorts, leggings, running gear or gym wear. You can even make ath-leisure wear, that perfect combination of activewear […]
In my last post, I showed that a wire-free bra could indeed be as supportive as a wired bra. In today’s post, I’ll show you how to convert a wired bra to be wire-free. That’s great news for those who for a number of reasons do not wish to wear wires. And just to be clear, […]
In my bra-making classes, I always have women who do not want to use wires in their bras. Yet they want to wear wires because they believe that only a wired bra can give support to their breasts. Can a wire-free bra be as supportive as a wired bra? Can a wire-free bra be uplifting? Women cite a […]
