Sewing Scientist

Rad Patterns Ororo Bralette

It's me again with another bra. Next month is BrAugust and I'll be posting several more that I haven't had time to blog about or finesse my fit. This week I'm sharing the Rad Patterns Ororo Bralette.

Below you will see the first one that I made. As I began construction, I realized the pattern had 0.5" seam allowances, and I was using a serger. These two things do not go together well. I tried to cut off the excess as I serged, but failed. You can see that there's extra fabric below my bust.

You can also see that where the straps attach is way too wide.

I took my pattern pieces and shaved 0.25" from the pattern pieces to make them more serger friendly with 0.25" seam allowances.

The fit is so much better!

You can't really see it, but I used the prettiest rose gold ring and slides. Those and my bra strapping came from The Bra Makery.

As always, I used YSS from Zenith & Quasar. I also omitted the elastic bottom band and used a band of Tactel knit cut just a tiny bit smaller than the bottom of my finished bralette.

When I made the first one at the beginning of my blog post, I used YSS to line the Ororo Bralette. I have found (after making a dozen different bralettes) that 2 layers of YSS with a seamed cup and be a bit thick and make the seam show. That is no bueno for wearing under regular clothing. For This Ororo Bralette I used some Neon Yellow Mesh from Zenith & Quasar. This worked out so much better.

Stay tuned for more of my bra making adventures. Unless it offends you - then wait until September to come see what I'm up to then.

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. These links provide me with a small compensation if you make a purchase using my link. There is not cost to you when you do this. My thoughts and opinions given in this blog post are mine.

Ellie & Mac Color Block Swim Suit

It's Wacky Wednesday - which lasts all week at Ellie & Mac! This is the Colorblock Zip Swimsuit Mix & Match. I went with a simple version of this pattern without any color blocking.

I can always use more solid colored swim bottoms because I have a tendency to make a lot of printed swim tops. I love this peacock color swim I got from Made Whimsy a few years ago. I no longer see it in stock.

I used Watercolor Pond YSS from Zenith & Quasar for the top. I lined it with the peacock swim and added in bra cups to the lining.

The pattern calls to finish all edges with elastic, to fold in inside and to topstitch it to enclose it. On the top, I finished my seams using a highlighter pink picot elastic from the BraMakery and love the little added feminine touch. I also added bra band elastic to the waistband of my bottoms that was 5/8" wide and had a picot edge with a plush edge against my skin.

I pass the neighborhood swimming pool on my walk to the garden every day. I'm thinking I might wear this with a pair of shorts sometime and take a backpack with me to hold my towel and any veggies that I end up picking. That way I can stop and have a quick cool down before I walk on home.

Be sure to check out all the great patterns on sale for only one dollar each this week.

Rad Patterns Lucky Lingerie Bralette

As I make my way through the dozens of bra and bralette patterns that I own, I went to one that I have owned the longest. The Rad Patterns Lucky Lingerie Bralette. I bought this patterns eons ago on Etsy of all places. Rad now has a fancy website that is much better than buying on Etsy.

I went by my measurements and made this first one using two layers of Yoga Swim Spandex (YSS) from Zenith & Quasar.

Two layers of YSS is quite compressive and really smooshes the girls. But this will be worn as a sports bra, so it's all good.

I love the wide straps and how comfortable they are. I do have one confession - the pattern says to add interfacing to the straps of the lining pieces and I completely ignored it. With this fabric it was not needed. I used picot elastic to finish the bottom band on mine. I love the little added detail.

After I made the Lucky Lingerie Bralette above, I immediately cut out three more with a light weight athletic brushed poly from Zenith & Quasar and decided to make the babydoll version to wear as a tank top. I have a serious tan line going on and need to get more sun on my chest.

The first one I made was turquoise and I added cups and still omitted the interfacing from the lining straps. The cups helped keep my boobs shapely, but the straps really did need the interfacing on this lightweight knit. So these versions have the interfacing added and I added bra cups. I didn't bother taking photos of my turquoise failure. I still wear it though.

This one is exactly the same as the one above, but in purple and with a mistake. I think I got the underbust band backwards. As the gap between the cups is way wider than I had intended.

I'm not exactly sure what happened, but you definitely see more boob through the hole than the other versions.

The back looks normal - so I'm not sure if I miss measured the spacing or what. Either way, I wear this every week on a walk through my neighborhood.

I am sure to make more Lucky Lingerie Bralettes and babydoll (tank tops) in the future.

Ellie & Mac Free Curved Hem Pocket Tank and Wacky Wednesday Cut File

Due to the Coronavirus, Wacky Wednesday has become a week long event at Ellie & Mac and continues. This week, I am showing one of the cut files that is included in this weeks sale along with one of the FREE patterns from the website!

This cut file says "Seeds, Sunshine, and Sprouts". At the beginning of the Pandemic I planted a garden, and this cut file seemed perfect for me. Of course I needed the perfect top to put it on. Since it is Summer in Texas, I am pretty much living in sleeveless tops. I decided to give the free Curved Hem Pocket Tank a try. I made mine with a remnant of tie dye rayon spandex that I had and omitted the pocket.

I used a rose gold HTV from Heat Transfer Source and it is my favorite color of HTV to use on just about anything!

Since the back of the tank has a center back seam, getting the tank cut out on my small piece of fabric was a cinch. It also has a small bit of a built in sway back adjustment and I added just a tiny bit more when I sewed it together.

The cut file is on sale for one dollar and this tank pattern is free all the time. They are both perfect together.

Greenstyle Creations Power Sports Bra

Last week I showed you my Ice Cream Workout attire that I made using Greenstyle Patterns and Zenith & Quasar Fabric. Today, I want to go a little more in depth into the Power Sports Bra. I've been getting a lot of comments on Facebook and Instagram about things like sizing, sewing in foam cups, and about what the inside looks like.

First off sizing - The pattern has instructions to take your under bust measurement and your full bust measurements. You then subtract your under bust from your full bust to get your cup size. This method works for most people, but not for me. I must have an odd build because I have a 6" difference which according to the pattern would mean I need an F cup and a 32 band. I typically buy 34 B or 34 C bras in the store. The first Power Sports Bra that I made was a 32 band with B cups, it was on the small side and I knew that this time, I needed to go with the C cups. The fit this time is perfect.

The past few weeks I have made several bras and bralettes and I have had to try more than one size for many. Or made one that was wearable, but knew what to change for the next. I'm glad I now know what fits me perfectly in the Power Sports Bra so I can make many more. The Power Sports Bra has many options and one thing I did differently was the straps. The pattern has instructions to make straps using fabric and elastic. I opted to use some latex free foldover elastic (foe) that I had. I just zig-zag stitched the foe in half and cut the piece to the length specific for the straps. I might use bra strapping for my next one.

The Power Sports Bra has several back options. This is the strappy u-back. There is also a strappy cross back, a racer back (with an optional pocket), and racer back with an optional key hole. You can make it as plain or fancy as you want. There are also a number of power sports bra hacks with lots of fancy strap configurations. Since I'm not the sort of person to walk around in public in just my sports bra and leggings, I tend to keep it simple. The Power Sports Bra is to be finished with an elastic band under the bust, but I am highly allergic to latex and have a very hard time finding wide latex free elastic - especially in fun colors. So I opted to finish mine with a knit band. I cut my band at 80% of my underbust measurement and at 5" tall to make it close to 2" finished.

Here is the inside of my Power Sports Bra. The bra is fully lined. You can line with powernet for extra support. I used the same fabric for the outside and inside - yoga swim spandex. Technically I could use this for swimming. Many patterns have instructions for the addition of foam cups. The Power Sports Bra instructions are not very detailed when it comes to this step. After I construct the lining, I go ahead and sew my cups in place. You can use premade cups or make your own from bra foam. Buying premade is much easier. I made my own for this project, and do not have a photo of them. Most foam cups come shaped as a rectangle or a triangle. When I sew the cups in, I just tack them into place at the corners. I lay my lining wrong side up and place the foam cups so that the cups are like domes on the fabric. I place each cup centered on each side. I press them down, flattening them with one hand while I pin them in place with the other. I then sew them in place with my sewing machine using a zig zag stitch.

Here's a closer look at the stitches. Normally I'd use thread that matches better, but I'll admit that I was lazy. Which worked out great for these photos. As you can see, it doesn't take many stitches. Do you have to sew them in place? No - but if you don't they will shift around when you wash them, and possibly when you wear them. I prefer to take the time to sew them in place and avoid the frustration later of trying to get them to lay the right way after every washing. Trust me - it's so worth it!

If you are ready to sew your own Power Sports Bra, there is a video sew along at at https://www.sewingwithsarah.com/sewalong/power-bra-sewalong-day-1/

Greenstyle Creations Tie Back Tank

The Greenstyle Creations Tie Back Tank is one of three patterns of the month. I decided to make one to put an HTV design on that is free on the Greenstyle website. I've had this idea in my head for a long time now and finally made it happen.

Those that know me know that I don't run. I don't even think I could run if I had to due to rheumatoid arthritis. I never liked running it was always so terribly painful - probably due to RA. But if I was going to run, it would be because I feared for my life or needed to catch the ice cream truck.

When I saw this HTV design I knew it was perfect for me and I had the perfect fabric to go with it. Zenith & Quasar had this cute ice cream design and it was a match made in ice cream heaven. I recently bought rose gold HTV from Heat Transfer Source and thought it would look beautiful, yet subtle, on this pale mocha rayon spandex. It was raining and overcast when I took photos which made it even more difficult to photograph.

The tie back tank is a relaxed fit. It has two back options, regular and a racer back. I made the racer back. You have the option to do a binding or bands on the neckline and armholes. I opted to do a binding.

The top can be worn open or tied. You can also overlap the bottom pieces and hem them together it you don't care to have a knot. If you do a lot of floor exercises on your back you probably don't want a knot. I did not remove any length from the tie back top and I am 5' tall.

I also made the power sports bra to go with my tie back tank and my Inspire Tights Shorts.

I think this set turned out so cute!

Here's another look at the HTV design. If you can't read it, it says "The only running I do is after the ice cream truck". This design - and many others - are free!

Here's a closer look at the ice cream print. The Inspire Tights make great shorts.

Patterns for Pirates Fierce Bra

If you are on Facebook and in the Zenith & Quasar Group you know I have been doing a "thing" lately that I call Ta-Ta Tuesdays. I am slowly working my way through all the bra and bralette patterns I have collected and finally making them. I'm using Yoga Swim Spandex from Zenith & Quasar for each one so that I have a baseline comparison for fit and know that fabric is not a factor affecting fit.

This is my third week to do Ta-Ta Tuesday and I have just one bra to show this week. I intend to blog about all of them, but have been a bit busy and way behind on blogging. This week I'm showing off the Patterns for Pirates Fierce Bra. This bra can be made with a variety of fabric for different levels of hold. I did line mine with a light mesh and sewed in bra cups as I plan to use this as a sports bra.

I had to order some latex free foldover elastic (FOE) that was 1" wide for this pattern. I have lots of latex free FOE, but I did not have enough length of any one color for all the straps. I could only find black and white instock anywhere online and decided to go with the black. I then picked the Stormy Streaks YSS for the body. This fabric is currently at preorder. It's one of my favorites and I have a jacket and leggings made with it.

The instructions were so easy to follow and the bra went together without any issues. My FOE did end up being slighly narrower than 1", but it was close enough. The bra is to be finished with elastic under the bust, but I used athletic brushed poly as I am completely out of wider latex free elastic. When I took these photos, I did not realize that I had one of my straps twisted up a bit. I really love the strappy back and find it very comfortable. I was worried that the straps would be too long on my petite frame, but I find them comfortable and they are not tight. If I was more well endowed, I would probably want my straps a bit tighter. I also like the crossover of the back pieces. It adds interest, but was very easy to do.

This pattern looks way more complicated than it is. It is beginner friendly and there is a link to a series of videos that Patterns for Pirates has on their YouTube channel if you run into questions along the way. This is a pattern that is easy to do all on a sewing machine. A sewing machine is the best machine for most of the steps.