When I made my own bikini a couple of months ago, I overcomplicated the whole thing; I chose a pattern specifically designed to give extra bust support (when I really don’t any support at all) and struggled to make it fit my smaller bust. Luckily I learned from my mistake and tried to do the opposite when choosing a bra pattern.
In the past, when I felt less comfortable with my body, one of the main reasons I wore a bra was to add some shape where there otherwise wouldn’t be much. I’d always choose slightly padded, moulded bras, and there’d always be a lot of space inside them! I’ve recently started to get over my deep-seated body image issues (in part thanks to this wonderful book and also sewing in general), and so I haven’t felt like wearing a bra that makes me look a cup size bigger than I am.
I had a think about what exactly I wanted from a bra, and I realised that all I really need is an extra layer to wear under see-through tops or when it’s bit cold. This makes me really appreciate having small boobs, as it means I don’t have to worry about inserting underwires or making cups with a lot of shape and support. I looked around on t’internet and found the Evie La Luve Darcey bra pattern; it’s incredibly simple and also has a detailed sew-a-long on youtube, which I thought would be helpful as I’ve never made underwear before.
Here’s how it turned out (modelled by my lovely mannequin, Elspeth)
How cute is this fabric? I bought it as a remnant from Like Sew Amazing and made myself a T shirt out of it. It was too beautiful to not use up every bit of it, so I managed to squeeze this bra out of the offcuts! The lining is also kind of ‘recycled’ fabric; I cannibalised an old T shirt with a bizarre cartoon cactus on the front (why did I buy it? Who knows!).
I was amazed to find that the fit was absolutely perfect with no adjustments! I thought for sure I’d have to flatten the curve of the bust seam, like I did with my Sophie swimsuit, but it really does fit perfectly. I’d recommend this pattern to all my fellow small-busted sewists!
As well as the fit being spot on, it was surprisingly easy to make. Even the foldover elastic and the picot elastic at the bottom seemed easy when I followed Evie La Luve’s youtube tutorials. I’m really pleased with how neat it all looks; I don’t think it looks home-made at all except for the interesting fabric (you can’t find sushi bras on the high street!).
And it’s fully lined, so it looks lovely on the inside as well as the outside! I love the contrast of the black details and the white lining.
I’m SO happy to have found my perfect bra pattern, and you can bet I’ll be making many many more! I think this is one of my proudest makes.
Pattern: Evie La Luve ‘Darcey’ bra
Size/Fit: I made size XXS, which fit perfectly!!!
Fabric: Sushi cotton jersey from Like Sew Amazing, and an old cotton T shirt for the lining.
Sewing Time: A couple of days, but could be sewn in a day if you’re feeling speedy.
Quality of instructions: I didn’t use the written instructions, but the youtube tutorials were fantastic.
Difficulty: Surprisingly easy. A great first underwear pattern.
Adjustments: None
Make again? I plan to make one for every outfit!
oolong stitches 