Elan 540

The last of my bras for this session.  Reading back through my blog, I saw that I sewed bras in July last year and again in July this year.  Perhaps I could make it an annual tradition, each year adding a few new bras to my drawer and getting rid of the most worn.  July is probably a good time, as we don't have much of a winter and I don't need to do much winter sewing.

I tried out a new pattern for this one, Elan 540, which is a push-up bra with a front closure.  It is not my favourite pattern.  If you want, you can read why in my pattern review.

I thought I would show 2 techniques I used in making this bra.  The first is attaching 2 padded sections together.  For most of my patterns, I use padding that has alreading been finished on each side with tricot.  For this pattern, fabric is wrapped around fusible fleece to form the padded sections.  First I remove the seam allowances from the padded seams to be attached.  Then I butt the 2 pieces together and slowly feed them under my presser foot, using a wide 3-step zig-zag to join the 2 pieces.  The result is shown in the picture below.  (You can see the pockets for the pads in this picture also, as the cup is inside-out.)

Then I cut a strip of tricot and place it over the seam and sew it again with a 3-step zig-zag, so that there are no seam edges to irritate the skin.  Photo below.

The next method is how to replace a bridge with a narrow strip, ribbon, or in this case, a front closure.  I have made a customised bridge template to use for partial band bras.  I trace and cut a copy of this template in tear-away (you could use paper).

Then I pin the narrow front piece to the tear-away, and position it in the bra cups.  I sew the tear-away and front piece to the bra, and then remove the tear-away.  This way, the front closure has ended up the right size.  In the photo below, you can see that I need to trim the pattern closure quite a bit to fit my customised bridge template.

Clear as mud?  Oh well, hopefully this helps somebody.