The History Of The Bra [INFOGRAPHIC]

If you have never worked with swimsuit fabric it can be quite aggravating. This tutorial shows you how to sew a swimsuit hem in easy steps.

No sewing this week; I’ve been sick with a cold. It’s a good thing Craftsy had that all-month access pass. I’ve been making good use of it. Even though I haven’t been sewing…

*Free USA shipping! *Handmade after you order: check order processing times These stretchy high-waisted black shorts have a scalloped lace waistband and sheer lace sides. Wear them under skirts, dresses, or shorts for extra leg coverage. ♦LENGTH: 5 inch inseam will reach to your mid to upper thigh ♦FABRIC TYPE: Main fabric is soft and stretchy 90% cotton, 10% spandex medium weight jersey knit. Lace fabric is 90% poly, 10% spandex and lace trim is nylon.  ♦WASHING INSTRUCTIONS: hand wash cold or machine wash cold in a mesh garment bag, hang dry ♦SIZE INFO: Find the size chart in the item images. If you are between sizes, the smaller size will probably fit best. The size chart shows body measurements. The actual shorts will be slightly smaller than these measurements because they need to stretch to fit. If you need help choosing the right size, please contact us before placing an order. ▪How to measure your WAIST: hold flexible tape measure around the smallest part of your torso (usually near your bellybutton) ▪How to measure your HIPS: hold flexible tape measure around the biggest part of your booty (this might be lower then your hip bone) ▪The INSEAM is the measurement of the inside leg seam from the crotch to the hem

While preparing the digital verson of the Balcony bra in my shop at the Etsy platform I realised it had a quite interesting challenge in the sewing procedure. At midfront the band is made of plain …

Supplies: tshirt sports bra I love this macramé back bra I created. It's great solution to wear with those open back blouses and even as a beach or yoga top. Just follow the macramé videos I did here: I did a variation of these two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjP5Q4vI-sA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG21cLomaUc I used strips of a tshirt but you can really use any type of string. Simply cut the back of the sports bra off. Be careful not to cut too much from the side because the strings don't cover much. I'd mark where you want to cut while wearing it. Then pin and sew right sides together. For the side make sure to spread the strings out to get them to fit the sides. Sew right sides together. That's it, the hardest part is fitting which is up to you.

These rugby shorts are made from corn-colored British corduroy with hand-drawn illustrations. This technique is inspired by an early 20th-century collegiate tradition in which seniors illustrated their corduroys with personal motifs. This style is made-to-order and drawn with various images and Bode logos. Please allow

A Regency lady might have worn very light fabrics (old-fashioned muslin was more like voile or batiste is today) but she did wear a few layers to compensate. It was said that a regency lady’s gown should be of such light fabric, she should be able to fold it up and have it fit into her reticule. It is no surprise that in wintertime, the mode of the period caused many a Regency lady to succumb to pneumonia. Because of their penchant for light, airy fabrics, they had to make up for the opacity needed to make them presentable (except for those shocking merveilleuses; ladies known to wear very little beneath their very sheer gowns; thin muslin shift at best) with the undergarments. Les incroyables et les merveilleuses This period image is of an outlandish early-regency dandy offering money for ‘services’, mistaking this merveilleuse for a prostitute. She wards off his payment (with crossed fingers); she is dressed in the most daring of period fashions. Oh those French! Shocking! Here is another images that shows less of transparent fabrics and more of the widening of the neckline. The stays were meant to present the lady’s assets on the proverbial platter. The gowns in this image surely support this idea to its best adavtage. Of course, on the most part ladies wore decent clothing. And here is a breakdown of what you might see if you stripped away the muslin gown. The Shift: This shift is the simplest of garments. It also acts as a dress-shield, keeping (on the most part) you from sweating on your outer layers. Shifts are about knee length to mid-calf-length. Patterns: http://www.kannikskorner.com/patwomen2.htm (Woman’s Shift 1790-1820) http://sensibility.com/patterns/regency-underthings-pattern/ (Sense & Sensibility Regency Underthings Pattern) The trickiest part of this garment is the gusseted sleeve. This youtube tutorial explains it wonderfully. This is a great garment for beginners to try. The neck should be adjustable with a drawstring. You see, the shift acts like the top half of the 'bra'. The regency stays will lift and cup the lady's assets, but the stays are shallow and they risk spillage if they are not contained. The shift's drawstring neck should gather an inch or two above the edge of the gussetted cups on the stays and rein-in those wild bosoms. The shift is very important and when dressing, one must spend some time making proper adjustments so that they are doing their job and not so tight that they risk closing in the neckline so much that they peep out from under the gown. See below. Stockings: Patterns: http://www.kannikskorner.com/patwomen2.htm (Scroll down to Stockings, Pockets and Mitts) Source for finished stockings; JAS Townsend. Pantalettes Pattern: http://www.mantua-maker.com/catalog.html (Scroll down to Regency section) Quoted from Dawn Luckham of the RSA board: "When pantaloons or pantalettes first began to be worn by adult women they were worn long enough to be seen. That was the whole point. C. Willett Cunnington writes in the “History of Underclothes” that they commonly extended down the leg to just below the calf, where rows of tucks and lace and pretty detail would be applied. Also from “History of Underclothes”: “From Lady Stanley’s letter of 1817 – ‘We were insulted by the presence of (Lady) Charlotte (Lindsay) in a green silk Spencer, green silk boots, and trowsers to the ankle much below the petticoat.’” As I mentioned before, pantalettes were generally just a couple of tubes of fine fabric (not usually wide legged – just straight tubes) fastened about the waist with a ribbon. They were not without their problems: And this funny little story written by a young lady comes from 1820. “ They are the ugliest things I ever saw: I will never put them on again. I dragged my dress in the dirt for fear someone might spy them. My first dimity pair with real Swiss lace is quite useless to me for I lost one leg and did not deem it proper to pick it up, and so walked off leaving it in the street behind me, and the lace had cost six shillings a yard. I saw that mean Mrs. Spring wearing it last week as a tucker….I hope there will be a short wearing of these horrid pantalets, they are too trying. Of course I must wear them for I cannot hold up my dress and show my stockings. No one does.” A footnote to this story indicates it comes from Mrs. Earle: 'Two Centuries of Costume in America'." Read more: http://regencysa.proboards.com/ These are an interesting set of garments, and I personally am not brave enough to go commando by any means, so I tend to make myself full bloomers rather than these interesting garments. However, there are die-hards out there who are determined to be accurate (in spite of the prospect of a chilly bottom). They do make for a nice aesthetic, when a lady lifts up her layers of petticoats to reveal the cuffs of a nice pair of corded pantalettes. Very cute. The Stays: Once the lady has her undergarments on, she’ll put on her stays. Now I’ve depicted a set of full stays with a busk, but there were many styles and varieties of stays during that period, ranging from the tiny short stays to the one pictured above. Here is a detailed post on the regency stays and corsets that could help you decide which set is best suited for you. It also includes pattern links. Update: 8/26/2011: Here is a lovely little video stolen from 'Undressing the Historical Lady, performed by Miss Maggie Waterman. This is a perfect demonstration of what regency undergarments look like in person. You can learn more about Miss Waterman by clicking here: Undressing the Historical Lady. (Note, Miss Waterman's shift appears sleeveless, which is perfectly correct). The Bodiced Petticoat Though rarer than just plain stays, there was such thing as a petticoat undergown that had some boning in it that would provide support in place of a set of stays. This works best for ladies that are a B-cup or lower. I think with a C-cup or more, you should probably think about getting a set of stays. However, bodiced petticoats also served another purpose when not boned. They also could serve as a means to smooth out all the lumps and bumps of your undergarments and stays. There are lots of ways to make one of these. The Ravenrook’s Mode Bagatelle pattern provides a pattern for it—however you can easily take the pattern of your gown bodice and modify it to create a bodiced petticoat. Widen the neckline, of course, and make it sleeveless, add some soft (minmal) boning for structure, and you’re good to go. Instructions on how to make a bodiced petticoat from a gown pattern. Pattern: http://www.ravenrook.com/clothier/bagatelle/regency.jsp (Mode Bagatelle) I’ve also seen people add a skirt to their short stays to create a bodiced petticoat. Check out Katherine’s bodiced petticoat, shift and pantalettes here: http://www.koshka-the-cat.com/regency_underthings.html The high-waisted simple petticoat: In the movie below you see Katherine wearing this. It is a regency skirt on a waistband with two arm straps. The pattern for which you can either take from a commercial pattern or you can 'McGuyver' one using some creative thinking. You can follow the basic directions for a round-gown (see my personal post on Regency Drop-front/bib-front gowns) and sew it onto a waist-band you’ve sized to your empire waist. Add straps and voila. It will add volume and shape to your gowns, in addition to some lovely layers. I suggest 3.5 - 4 yards of fabric if not less. It should come to the line just above your ankles. Dressing: Katherine, costuming maven extraordinaire has made a delightful movie of how to put on a drop-front gown. What makes this video relevant here is that you can see her in her regency undergarments, including the high-waisted petticoat. There you have it. Your regency underthings explained (for ladies, of course). Next post by me will be the men’s underthings explained. :)

After hailing the wonders that is a bra sling, I received a number of requests to for a tutorial. For those who are not familiar with a sling, it is a separate piece of fabric on the interior (or exterior) of the bra to aid in support. Sometimes called a side sling and look similar to powe

You can get a copy of this pattern for free by subscribing to our newsletter! Low rise bikini cut underwear. Pattern features gusset with fully enclosed seams, comfortable fit and ample coverage. The detailed instructions include three different elastic insertion methods. Perfect for beginners to learn new skills or experienced sewers to whip up quickly.  Make yourself an entire drawer of gorgeous undies and use up all your scraps! Skill: 1/5 Sizing: 0-20 (digital PDF). See our sizing chart here. Looking for Curve sizes 14-30? Click here. PDF pattern details This pattern is only available as a downloadable PDF. After checkout your pattern will be available immediately via a unique URL emailed to you. Ensure that you save your pattern to your computer before printing to save it for future use.  Your 0-20 PDF pattern includes the following files: Print at home pattern US letter size / 8 pages Print at home pattern A4 size / 8 pages Print at home instructions US letter size / 5 pages Print at home instructions A4 size / 5 pages Stretch percentage guide Ensure that you select "no page scaling" or similar when printing, and check the calibration square before cutting out. FAQ & Policies Please ensure that you read our FAQ and Policies before purchase. Please note that GST will be added at checkout for Australian orders. Share We love seeing what you make! Don't forget to tag your projects #MNacacia and @megannielsenpatterns when sharing on Instagram. More Need help sewing your pattern? Check out our extensive library of free tutorials Follow our blog for more sewing tutorials and instagram for behind the scenes sneak peeks Sign up for our newsletter to be notified of sales, special offers and new product releases Copyright © 2017 Megan Nielsen. All rights Reserved. Reproduction not permitted. FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY.

I really like how pintucks add depth and interest to the overall bra cup design. Our Boylston bra, with its clean lines and balconette neckline, really show off the pintuck effect best. In this tutorial we show you how to create this look!

Power Mesh Fabric: What is it, How to use it & Where to find it

If you’ve been reading my last bra-making posts, you’d have noticed that I’ve used a lot of “power bars”. But, what exactly are they? Well, I must confess that I didn’t know that these things had a…

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Shelves or flower petals? You get to choose what you make. I prepared a detailed tutorial on sewing scalloped edge cups with my Afi Exquisite pattern.

Shelves or flower petals? You get to choose what you make. I prepared a detailed tutorial on sewing scalloped edge cups with my Afi Exquisite pattern.

Hi All! Another week, another bra, and this week more bra theory! More specifically power-bar and push-up theory! Now I have to say that the bra was a nightmare to photograph, and I feel like the photos don't really do justice to what it looks like in real life. But I'll start off with a little description. This is a short-wired low cut bra. I made this bra using bra-tulle, which is a softer tulle with NO stretch, and I used two layers opposing the directions of stretch to make all the pieces completely no-stretch. Now - the difference between the cups- on the right side (right side of the photo) I have a cup that is a three-piece, cup with a diagonal seam running through the apex and a split in the lower cup. On the left side I have that same seaming, but instead with a power-bar running from the strap and wrapping under the apex. Power-bars work to push the breast tissue up and out. And you can see on the left side with the power-bar- that I had to pinch out a HUGE pinch from the cup, because so much of my breast tissue was pushed out of the bra! and up! Now how to photograph that. lol It might be hard to tell but there is significantly more tissue and mounding up on my chest wall on the breast on the left (the further one away) than the one closer. The breast on the right is more contained in the cup and less mounded higher on the chest wall. You can see from this photo of the power-bar breast, that there is a lot of tissue that is pushed UP and out of the cup! And that the power-bar is really pushing me in and up! And in this angled shot you can see just how much more tissue there is mounding out of the top of the cup on the power-bar side rather than this side without a power-bar! Now I'm not sure whether this make the breast appear larger, or smaller. I think looking at if you're looking at the comparison in the bra- the side without the power-bar looks bigger because there is more breast tissue in the cup. However, in person and under a t-shirt or tank top, the other side actually looks bigger because you can see more clearly all the tissue that is pushed higher on the chest wall. Also consider in this photo that I have the same tan lines on both sides, but the power bar has pushed that inch of un-tanned breast up higher and out the bra on the left side! crazy! So what do you think? Have you ever used power-bars for lift? do you notice the difference? Let me know what you think! Now on to your beautiful makes! ---------------------------------- First we have this cozy bra from Karin of Mrs.Weaver's Finest! This is Karin's 'Wild Rose' bra, and wow isn't this just the epitome of comfort chic? It's definitely one of those bras that just calls out to be worn! Made with all of my favourite things too! The cut& sew, the fold over elastic, and lovely soft cover fabrics! Karin also made these beautiful ivory lace panties to go with it, along with a matching cami! You're lucky that I wouldn't fit into this Karin- that's all I can say! Although someone might be lucky enough to have one of these beautiful bras for themselves!! Karin is very generously donating one of her bras to a silent auction for Breast Cancer Support!! What an inspiration for all bra-makers :) Don't forget to check out Karin's post about her beautiful creation over on her blog! -------------------------------------------------- Next we have a strappy black number from David of Bonnet Bleu ! David made this bra using strap elastics and foam cups! The straps that connect between the bridge at the front of the bra, continue to the back band and are placed in the normal strap placement at the back of the bra, where the straps front the top of the cups wrap around the neck line a halter. Very interesting style lines! And this doesn't affect the style lines of the straps in the back! Very chic in black! --------------------------------------------- And last but not least we have this pretty bra from Christie! Christie made this bra for her sister using foam cups covered in a very thin stretch pink fabric, she used an embroidered tulle lace for the front frame and pink powernet for the back band! And look at that cute detail on the straps! Christie based her inspiration off of this RTW bra- super cute. Unfortunately the fit wasn't perfect for her sister- but definitely worth trying again! -------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you so much for your lovely contributions this week! How is everyone feeling about the challenge so far this fall? Are there any specific topics that you can think of for more bra-theory? - I've already had a suggestion for theory on changing cup seaming and modifying patterns (thanks Sofia!) any other suggestions? Don't forget to check out the Pinterest board, and the Flickr Group if you enjoy those platforms! To grab a challenge button and to send your bra for next week to [email protected] by Friday for the next Sunday post!! Hope you've all had a lovely weekend! xo erin

Readers, have you read the book Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen? It's one of those magical, whimsical, romantic books that I devour--and Jeff rolls his eyes at. (Seriously, read it.) The magical, whimsical, romantic main character often wears a white eyelet sundress while doing magical, whimsical, romantic things. The idea of the white eyelet sundress has been implanted in my brain ever since, and I'm convinced that wearing one will make one's life 100% more whimsical. And since it's sundress sewing season (yay!), it's time to start planning. I love a strappy style with a full skirt, like this Lilly Pulitzer from a past season (though I'd prefer more substantial straps). I also love this sultry D&G number Eva Mendes wore. Hey, you know what would be perfect? Using my "bombshell dress" bodice with two straps and a full skirt. Right? Or maybe add a "peek-a-boo" detail like this Milly dress (from eBay)! Anyway, there are lots of sundress patterns out there, and white eyelet fabric is cheap and plentiful. Line it with a soft white batiste and you're good to go! To increase my whimsicality and romance factor, I envision riding my new pink bike (just ordered!) while wearing my white eyelet sundress. I should probably get a front basket to fill with flowers and baguettes and puppies too. (Too much?) Have a whimsical week, readers!

I told a few people on here who asked about making and patterning a corset with cups that I would post my method for doing so. So here is part one of that. I am not going to teach anyone here how to draft a corset pattern, so I am doing this part of it assuming you have basic drafting skills. The…

In which our blogger finally gets back to it, and creates a little tutorial for her favorite partial band bra.

Hi All! My post this Sunday is all about the sheer things, which are some of my favourite things! And I know that if you haven’t worked with these fabrics very much, then it can be a little confusing what they are and how you use them, so I made this comprehensive guide to knowing all […]

Shelves or flower petals? You get to choose what you make. I prepared a detailed tutorial on sewing scalloped edge cups with my Afi Exquisite pattern.

Shelves or flower petals? You get to choose what you make. I prepared a detailed tutorial on sewing scalloped edge cups with my Afi Exquisite pattern.

The Ororo Bralette is a comfy, light to medium support bralette with a cute pointed back detail. The center front seam helps create separation to help avoid the dreaded uni-boob that can sometimes happen in bralettes and the princess seams create a perfect fit through the cups and pair perfectly with our Panel Undies! The back detailing sits nicely under our Camisado Cami for a perfectly coordinated look! This pattern includes 3 different cup size options in each size, as well as instructions for adjusting for even larger cup sizes. There are adjustable straps, and a nursing clip option to make nursing a breeze! Fabric choice can take this pattern from cozy to sexy! This PDF pattern includes: - Ororo Bralette pattern in sizes XXS-4X formatted for US letter and A4 paper - Layers so you can print just the size you need, no ink wasted! - Full instructions, including diagrams The Ororo Bralette is best suited for an adventurous beginner or above sewing level. This pattern is made to use knit fabrics with at least 50% stretch in both directions and good recovery. Power mesh recommended for lining for additional support. This listing is for the PDF pattern/instructions only. Listing does not include a finished sewn product.

Make your own swimsuit. The major pieces are generally fairly straightforward, but swimsuit straps can be a challenge. Try this easy technique for making a nicely finished elasticized swimsuit strap for the summer.