tips and tricks

Most of our PDF patterns are available with customizable layers. What this means is that you can turn off all of the lines for sizes that you won’t be using, making it easier to see the lines for the size(s) you want to print.

After you have downloaded your PDF pattern, open it up in your PDF reader. We prefer Adobe Acrobat Reader because it’s freeeee and easy to use! Make sure you’re using a fairly recent version, since the Layers function may not be available on older versions.

Look for the Layers symbol, which looks like three pieces of paper stacked on top of each other. Can’t find it? Try the “View” menu, I found it there under “Show/Hide” > “Navigation Panes”.

Then you’ll see a list of all of the layers, with little boxes next to each layer. When you click the box, it toggles the layer on and off. Turn off all of the layers you won’t need, until you’re left with only the size(s) you intend to print AND the “TEXT” layer (which includes all of the pattern labels, grainlines, cutting/taping guides, etc.).

Ta-da! Go ahead and print your pattern (at 100% scale!!) and enjoy creating!

Another quick tutorial! Creating adjustable straps was, I will fully admit, so confusing when I first started making lingerie. I had to read the instructions every single time. I had to re-read them. I had to look up video tutorials. I had to stop and scratch my head and think and undo the teeny little seams I just made on the end of this little piece of elastic and try and try again.

BUT! Eventually, it became second nature! So here’s a tutorial for you to refer to over and over again until it finally sticks in your brain!

(I also have a video version up on Youtube if you prefer that medium!)

How much elastic should I use? If you’re using a sewing pattern, it should suggest the lengths for the straps. With the folding and stitching, I would say that you lose about 2.5-3″ (6-8cm) of your original length, and the remaining length can adjust to about half as much as that. So if you need a strap that covers a distance of (for example) 20″, then you’ll need to cut a piece that is, at the very minimum, 23″ (but then your slider is smushed all the way against the ring, so you may want a few extra inches of wiggle room!).

So we’ve got a piece of strap elastic, a slider that is equal (maaaybe ±1mm) in width to the elastic, and a ring (this doesn’t need to be as exact, but equal to the strap width is convenient). Most strap elastic has two sides; a discernible right side and wrong side. In my case, the right side is shiny, and the wrong side is plush (that’s the soft side that you want against your skin). We’re starting with the wrong side facing up.

Take the top of the elastic and loop it through the slider.

And then loop the elastic down through the other side of the slider. That little tab will have the shiny/right side facing up now.

Stitch across the tab. You can use a straight stitch or bar tack (a very tight, narrow zigzag).

Thread the ring through the bottom part of the elastic, and bring the bottom tail up to the slider.

Stuff the bottom part of the strap up through the bottom of the slider.

And then stuff the tail through the other end of the slider.

Pull the tail through. That part of the elastic is now free to be attached either directly to your garment, or looped through another ring. Something (part of a garment, a tab of strap elastic) can be looped through the first ring to attach the other end.

Ta da! You’ve made an adjustable bra strap!

This tutorial will come in handy for the next project/vlog that I have coming up, so stay tuned 😉

I have a quick lingerie sewing tutorial for you today, perfect for those of you who are getting started with sewing lingerie for #KnickerNovember! Enclosed seams aren’t required for sewing lingerie, but odds are that you’ll probably come across them fairly quickly (and if they’re not mentioned in the pattern instructions, probably you’ll find ways to add them in).

So, what are enclosed seams? What I mean when I refer to enclosed seams is that you’re sewing together three or four layers of fabric, and the raw seam is enclosed neatly between the layers, so it’s neither seen when looking at the inside of the garment, nor felt against your skin. It’s a great way to have a neat-looking interior and provides extra stability when the raw seam isn’t exposed to too much agitation.

You can probably use this method whenever you’re attaching pieces of fabric that include a lining on at least one side; the finished seam will be enclosed between the lining and self fabric of one side.

Erm. Confused yet? Well, that’s what the tutorial is for! (Or, I have a handy video tutorial up on Youtube to help you too!)

In this example, I’m sewing together a two-piece bra cup, so I have the self and lining fabrics for the side cup, and the self and lining fabrics for the center cup. Two of each = four pieces of fabric.

I’ve lined up my fabrics so that the wrong sides are touching for the self and lining side-cup, and the wrong sides are touching for the self and lining center cup, jut to help me visualize how the pieces will get sewn together.

(If the centers need to be sewn together on the bra/lette, I’ll start there and work my way out. In this case, since it’s a triangle bra with only two pieces per cup, it doesn’t make a difference which order you go in, but you should do the same on each cup!)

Now, I’m going to treat the center cup lining and self as one piece of fabric. Ignore that it’s two pieces; the self fabric is now the right side and the lining fabric is now the wrong side.

Essentially, the next step is that you’re going to create a little fabric sandwich. Take your self side cup, and flip it over on top of your center cup, so the self pieces are right sides touching.

Now take your side cup lining, flip it over (right side up) and place your other pieces on top of it. Now from bottom to top, you have:

• side cup lining, right side up
• center cup pieces, right side up
• side cup self, right side down

Do what you need to do to line up the seam, pin/baste if necessary, and sew the seam with the specified seam allowance.

When you’re done, flip the side cup pieces over and, ta da! A beautiful cup, and no seam to be seen!

Here’s a quick tutorial that will help elevate any of your sewing projects that are using lace! Just like pattern-matching when you’re making a dress (for example), mirroring your lace pieces will elevate your final piece with eye-catching symmetry.

It’s really simple to do!

Keep in mind that you may need more lace than expected, depending on how the pattern repeats on your lace. You’re not necessarily making the most efficient use of the lace with this technique.

In this tutorial, I’m demonstrating this technique with the bronze lace and pink stretch tulle that are available in my shop! (Psst, they look great together in this kit too!)

Start with your lace right side facing up. Using your pattern piece, decide how you want to place your lace, and cut it out. In my example, I’m cutting out part of the back piece of a pair of panties and making use of the scalloped edge of this lace

Now, flip your cut piece over! (In the first picture, the cut piece is right-side up. In the second picture, the cut piece is right-side down) With the right side facing down, look for the matching design (maybe a particularly big flower or swirly part). It’ll probably be on the opposite side of the one you started on. (So, if you cut out your first piece along the top of the lace, you’ll probably use the bottom edge now).

In my photos, I outlined the big flower that I was focusing on to help me align the two pieces.

Align the pieces as best as you can, right sides together; you’ll notice how clear it looks once the design lines up. It’s like a puzzle; it wants to line up! This will ensure that your pieces are as symmetrical as possible.

I used the paper pattern piece to make sure I knew exactly where to cut, and pattern weights to make sure the pieces didn’t shift around.

Ta da! Rather than playing pattern tetris when cutting out your lace, this is an easy way to ensure that your finished garment will look more polished and professional!

As part of my video series about making and reviewing 10 free bralette sewing patterns, I also spend some time going over some general information about materials you’ll need to make a bralette, plus some advice on what you can do if you need to swap out materials based on availability, or your needs for support and/or comfort. In case reading is more to your preference, I figured I’d write it out here as well!

Fabrics:

Generally, you’ll need at least one type of fabric, and this is your main or self fabric. Typically, the pattern will call for something with stretch (I don’t think I see many bralette patterns that use non-stretch fabrics, but please correct me!). This could include knit fabrics, stretch lace (either an allover lace fabric, or a narrower galloon lace), scuba, stretch mesh, stretch tulle, power net, etc.

I have noticed that there’s not really a set standard on what a fabric is referred to and the amount of stretch/support/recovery it has, but generally something like a “power net” or “power mesh” will probably have a more stable, supportive stretch than something like a stretch mesh. In my own shop, I carry stretch tulle, which I consider between a stretch mesh and power net, as well as a few limited edition stretch meshes (in amazing prints and colors).

Lining:

Some patterns call for an optional lining, some require a lining. It might be used for modesty (especially if you are otherwise using very sheer or lacy materials for your main fabric), for providing additional support (if your main fabric is too stretchy), or for enclosing any raw seams. In some cases, you can use your main fabric also as lining, or anything soft and appropriately stretchy (or not, according to the pattern) will work, like stretch mesh, stretch tulle, power net, knit fabric, etc.

Band and underarm elastic:

Something with a plush side will guarantee that it feels comfortable against your skin, and typically these will come with a decorative edge, like a picot or a scallop. Generally, although it’s not a hard-and-fast rule, you’ll use a narrower-sized elastic for under your arms, sometimes around the cups, around the top of the back band (again, depending on the pattern itself) and a more wide elastic around the band. Since you are depending on the band for support, this would be a good place to use a wider elastic if you would like more support, so perhaps a 15mm or 19mm picot elastic instead of 13mm. (If you do this and stray from the pattern suggestions, make sure you alter the paper pattern with those extra millimeters to get the fit as intended!) (Or, walk on the wild side and do whatever you want!)

For finishing the cups/underarms, I’ve seen some patterns call for using clear, narrow elastic, especially if it’s a lace edge. Or you could consider using foldover elastic. If using FOE and the pattern didn’t call for it, you may want to consider chopping off the seam allowance in that spot, since you’ll no longer be folding that away.

Strap elastic:

Typically, you should not use picot elastic for your bra straps. They’re meant to be somewhat stable to provide some support (but not all! your straps aren’t ever supposed to supporting the breasts completely). Think, if your straps are too stretchy (and picot is generally stretchier than strap elastic), then the breasts will just make the straps sag and dig into your shoulders. Not comfy!

Okay, so yes, we’re using strap elastic for the straps. Again, wider-sized elastic will generally offer more support and comfort if you require it, but you can also think about the style of your bralette. Maybe a wide, 18mm strap will look really nice, even if you don’t need the extra support. Maybe delicate 5mm straps, doubled up and criss-crossing all over the place, will look lovely. Again, always check the pattern’s recommendations first, but I think you have some freedom to choose your own adventure with the strap elastic.

Rings and sliders:

If you’re making adjustable straps, your sliders need to match your strap elastic (within 1-2mm larger, maybe!) or else they won’t function properly. The rings, you can change it up a bit more, especially depending on the design. Do you plan to join several straps together in the same ring? Size up! It’s not a great idea to go smaller than your elastic size, because then it won’t fit too well (duh), but you don’t have to be as exact with the size of the rings.

And honestly, you don’t have to use rings and sliders! If you sew straps that are exactly the size that you need, or make them adjustable in other ways (ties! hooks! get crazy!), then you can leave them off completely.

Closures:

A lot of bralette patterns out there are meant to be pull-on style, so you might not even need closures. Or, if it’s all made of stretchy fabric, you might just want to skip sewing a closure on, it’s up to you! If you do use a closure, like a hook and eye, you’ll just want to make sure that you’re either 1) buying the size that the pattern calls for, or 2) adjusting the pattern before you cut out your fabric to make sure that everything will line up nicely when you’re sewing. Hook and eyes are usually one of the last pieces that you put on the bralette, after you’ve constructed the whole bra, after you’ve sewn on the elastic, and it is crushing to get to the end and realize that your hook and eye is going to look wonky because it’s way bigger or way smaller than the finished band. Taking five minutes to check before you cut out your fabric could save your project, and don’t forget seam allowances from applying elastic!

Of course, there are tons of bralette patterns out there, and plenty more to come, so it’s totally possible that there will be other materials you might end up using when making a bralette, but this list probably covers a good majority of what you would need! Now go forth and make some beautiful bralettes, and if you need any materials, you know where to find them.