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Hacking Cheryl for a Lace Back

Our underwear pattern Cheryl has proven to be a very popular pattern for us. That back seam provides great shaping over the derriere and the alternate versions of the patterns provide lace details that any lace-lover can appreciate. But…

100-year-old Underwear Challenge

Underwear has not been around forever. The first underwear you might recall might be what is affectionately known as "granny panties". This month, we celebrate 100 years of underwear! Whether you make thongs, g-strings, granny panties or even…

Need Wider Lace? Make Some!

Busty Girl Problem: You want to use a particular lace, but when you lay out the pattern, the lace is not wide enough to accommodate the pattern piece (usually the lower cup). What can you do? The solution is simple: if you need wider lace,…
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Convert a Sweet Sixteen into a Babydoll

One of the easiest ways to have that iconic Babydoll pyjama look but with full support we need today is to use a pattern we already know and love and convert it to a modern interpretation of that classic nightwear. Our Design Team paired…

The Baby Doll Challenge

Oh, what a night! Late December 1963... Remember the 1960's where Baby Dolls were on every teenager's pajama wish list? Here's your chance to re-make that iconic nightwear look in today's fabrics and today's patterns. We challenge you to…
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Make Ingrid into Baby Dolls!

Baby Doll (pajamas) were all the rage in the 1960s. Women of a certain age will remember (with fondness, hopefully) all the frilly styles that were especially appealing to teens and young women. The Baby Dolls almost always had a full skirt,…

How to make a Bullet Bra

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.…

Snowy and Snuggly Winter Challenge Entries

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…

The Bullet Bra Challenge

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…

The 2020 Ultimate Bra-makers Challenge

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…

Turn the Arm Shaper into a Shrug

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…
plush waistband elastic sports bra elastic EP-137.98 from Bra-Makers Supply folded shown

10 ways to use Wide Waistband Elastic

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…

Be Manly for Movember Challenge Entries

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…

A Snowy and Snuggly Winter

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…

The No-finish Neckline Edge

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)…

Fall into Fashion Bra-makers Challenge Entries

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…

Be Manly for Movember Challenge

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…

Strap-tember Bra-makers Challenge Entries

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 …

Fall into Fashion Bra-makers Challenge

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!…

Lacey Daze of Summer Challenge Entries

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. …

The Strap-tember Bra-makers Challenge

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,…

Totally Twisted Swimwear Challenge Entries

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…

The Lacey Daze of Summer Bra-makers Challenge

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…

Blushing Bridal Challenge Entries

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) …

Ta da! The New Classic 2.0

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…

Totally Twisted Swimwear Challenge

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…

Spots and Stripes Challenge Entries

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.…

Blushing Bridal Challenge

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…
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How to Sew the Allie Sports Bra

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…
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Allie vs. Alison

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…

A Spring in Your Step Challenge Entries

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…

Spots and Stripes Challenge

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…
reversible fold-over elastic binding EF-5 ivory or Pantone 11-0507 winter white from Bra-Makers Supply shiny fold shown

Fold-over Elastic and how to use it

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…