The Sewing Place

The Emporia => What lies beneath... => Topic started by: dolcevita on August 27, 2017, 14:39:48 PM

Title: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: dolcevita on August 27, 2017, 14:39:48 PM
I've been wandering into the world of lingerie making over recent months and have used the Marlborough bra pattern from Orange lingerie a few times now and it's a pattern that I really like and get a good fit from.

Whilst I'm not a difficult size to fit (38B), I like pretty bras and resent paying a fortune for them.  I'm also fortunate to have a friend who is able to get hold of beautiful lace and all the bits and pieces for them.

This is my latest version of this pattern.  It's the usual powermesh at the back but the frame and lower cups are in silk satin and the upper cups in some lovely Dutch lace.  I was feeling brave and topstitched in pale lilac to pick up one of the colours in the lace.  I don't expect to get a lot of wear out of this as the silk won't be very hard wearing, but that's okay as I'll re-used a lot of the bits when it does wear out.

Orange lingerie patterns are available as PDF patterns.  They aren't cheap and I nearly didn't buy them but I'm glad I did as I have used them a great deal and more than got my money's worth out of them.  The Montgomery knicker pattern is quite ingenious in how it achieves a no-VPL look at they are well worth the cost, too, in my opinion.
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: Iminei on August 28, 2017, 08:36:35 AM
Thats beautiful and I take my hat off to your skill in being able to make it.

Bra shopping used to reduce me to tears when i was younger as there was nothing delicate or pretty for a small sized girl with big boobs!

Now I squeeze myself into the Sumptuously Soft Zeppelins from Marks and Sparks knowing no one is going to be seeing them but myself and they at the least feel more comfy then most, tho' I should run the gauntlet again sometime soon as since putting on weight after the menopause they are beginning to pinch a lil.

TMI !
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: Lowena on August 28, 2017, 09:23:57 AM
I have always hated my big bosom  :angry: Most shops only stock pretty colours / patterns in small sizes ( I am a 38DD )The best ones I have found are from ASDA of all places  :o I'd love to be able to afford a bust reduction or a visit to a proper lingerie shop  -<
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: dolcevita on August 28, 2017, 10:24:26 AM
Thanks, ladies.

Being well endowed is not a situation I've ever faced (nor am likely to), but I was largely introduced to lingerie making by a friend who has a narrow back and large cup size and subsequently does struggle to get good fit in her bras.  To get this in RTW, she estimates it costs her around £75 for a bra.

That said, the ones I've made are far more comfortable than RTW and, of course, the variety is infinite, which I really enjoy.  I'm losing weight at the moment and when I get towards my target weight, I know that I will go down to an A cup.  This brings its own fitting problems in RTW, not to mention low availability of nice bras in an A cup that aren't designed for teenagers!  The distribution and placement of my 50 year old boobs is very different to those of an 18 year old, even if there isn't much of them.

I've been watching a Craftsy class by Beverly Johnson on designer bras recently and have really enjoyed it.  Her basic bra making classes are very good as well.  I reckon that if you have to spend upwards of £50 on a single bra, the time and effort of learning to make your own is a worthwhile investment if you have the means to do it. 

I found the thought of sewing a bra to be very intimidating when I first tried it - very alien territory for me and completely out of my comfort zone but it was worth perservering.
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: Iminei on August 28, 2017, 14:18:24 PM
but it was worth perservering.


Absolutely, I might be placing an order with you  :D
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: CarolC on August 28, 2017, 14:39:28 PM
That's really beautiful! What a lovely set of fabrics.

Bra making has been on my list for ages, and what you say and have managed to do is really encouraging. The only ones (I jest not) that fit properly are only sold in America and are $65/each! As you say, one of those is more or less the same as the cost of a class, then if they can be replicated...

Did you need a coverstitch machine or can you make them with just a regular machine and an overlocker?
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: dolcevita on August 28, 2017, 17:24:44 PM
Hi Carol,

You don't even need an overlocker.  As long as your sewing machine can do a 3-step zig zag, that's all you need.  For decades I wondered what was the point of a 3-step zig zag (it looks like a zig zag drawn with a dotted line on the machine), and now I know!

Lingerie making is has very basic needs in terms of the machine, it's all the bits and pieces that you need for the bra that can be a little intimidating to begin with.  If you have any bras that are heading for the bin, it's a good idea to strip all the bits and pieces off them before chucking, including the underwires.  If you want to make a practice version from scrappy fabric, it's then not so bad if you already have some of the hardware.

The Dutch blogger, Sigrid, has some great photo tutorials on her site that are very clear and well worth a look to understand all the bits of a bra and how they are put together.  You can find them here:

http://sigridsewingprojects.blogspot.co.uk/p/tutorials.html (http://sigridsewingprojects.blogspot.co.uk/p/tutorials.html)

Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: Ploshkin on August 28, 2017, 18:15:00 PM
I echo everything Dolcevita has said having now made 2 bras that are supremely comfortable..  I wonder if rtw bras actually fit anyone properly.  My biggest bugbear was having virtually no choice of colours of non wired bras other than black, white or beige.  I have the fabric to have a go at a lace one next.
There is one issue I have found which may affect someone else too.  I am allergic to nickel.  I didn't know before but M & S use nickel free hardware in their bras.  Of the 2 I have made from bra kits one is fine, the other I am allergic to the hooks even through the fuzzy fabric backing.  I hand stitched an additional piece of double folded cotton fabric on the back that extends about half an inch beyond the hooks and that seems to be ok.  I haven't yet investigated obtaining nickel free hardware but suspect it won't be simple.
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: CarolC on August 30, 2017, 09:47:42 AM
Dolcevita and Ploshkin, thanks for the encouragement and the link. Will definitely have a go! xx
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: b15erk on August 30, 2017, 10:05:55 AM
The big problem I have with making bras, is time....

I spent a weekend last year, making 2 toiles, but still not even close on the fit.

Maybe it's time for another go.

Jessie
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: Francesca on August 30, 2017, 10:39:13 AM
A bit off topic but it's worth checking out A Bra That Fits to do a fit check and calculation every now and again. They have a different method to most bra fitters. https://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/wiki/beginners_guide I refuse to get measured on the high street any more, Marks & Spencer and Bravissimo etc are all too likely to fit you into a size that they actually sell. I was wearing a 40B and now I wear a 38FF.
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: sewingj on August 30, 2017, 19:15:16 PM
.
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: Lowena on August 31, 2017, 10:47:12 AM
I applaud you sewingj ... everything in this house goes in the machine at 40c ( even the cat if she doesn't move quickly enough  :D ) and I'd be afraid to pay much for a bra ( even M&S prices ) in case it wasn't comfy long term..That's probably why I go to ASDA for mine ( all except one from there has been comfy )
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: Francesca on August 31, 2017, 12:18:41 PM
I also use Soak. Anyone who says they don't have time for handwashing hasn't given it a go because it takes 30 seconds! I fill up the sink with warm water, chuck some Soak in, throw the bras in and let them Soak while I shower. Then after I'm out I squeeze them out on the towel I've just used and hang them up in the bathroom to dry. No time at all!
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: Bodgeitandscarper on August 31, 2017, 15:25:49 PM
Thanks for that linky Fran, I've just tried the measuring calculator, and they think I need a 40FF/G.  I'm currently wearing a 42B.  I am not really convinced.
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: Francesca on August 31, 2017, 15:58:28 PM
Thanks for that linky Fran, I've just tried the measuring calculator, and they think I need a 40FF/G.  I'm currently wearing a 42B.  I am not really convinced.

That sounds promising and very likely.

We tend to have a preconception, perhaps perpetuated by the fashion industry, that breasts over a D cup are huge, and only for the likes of page 3 models and such. For starters a cup size is not static and moves with the band. And secondarily you'll be surprised how an FF/G can look on different frames - certainly it's not always large. I wear a very close size to you and while I'd not say I'm small chested I definitely don't think I look overly large chested. Yet I wear a 38FF. https://goo.gl/photos/GmHT7bQx2GKYA6Ht7

The best thing to do I would say is go to the changing room with a totally open mind. Pretend that you do not know bra sizes, that they are entirely new to you. Try on a few bras around the range of your size. So 38-40 from F through to G. Just give them a go. Remember when you put them on to "stoop and scoop". Stoop over and make sure you properly grasp the breast tissue from the sides, and pull them into place in the cups.

The fact that you have gone down in the band size is telling. It may be that you are purchasing a higher bra band so that your "B" cup is large enough to accommodate your bust, when actually a larger cup size is needed and therefore you can go down a band size. Bands should be fairly taut. You should be able to gently stretch the band but not by too much.

Also remember to try on a range of styles. Their list is excellent and I have a few bras on their recommended list actually. When I tried this experiment on my Mum she said "see look there is loose fabric in the cup!" stating that the size was wrong. But actually it was just the wrong shape. She's full on top so the bras that are better for full on bottom leave wrinkles of excess fabric in the base of the cup. That can make you think the cup is too large but really it's just ill-suited to your shape.
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: Bodgeitandscarper on August 31, 2017, 17:31:59 PM
Hmm, I think the theory is good, but I've never had big boobs, they've only got a bit bigger since the rest of me's got a lot bigger  :|  I may have to try one in the recommended size just out of interest.
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: BrendaP on August 31, 2017, 17:47:30 PM
42B to 40FF is a huge difference in cup sizes.

Whilst I agree with the info Francesca posted about - some breasts being fuller on top, others being fuller underneath, some are more pointy, some are flatter etc, what  bra fitting really comes down to is finding a wire size - even in non-wire styles - which fits around the root of your breast (the natural crease) and matching it to a comfortably firm underband size.  Info about that here. (https://clothhabit.com/bra-tips-fitting-an-underwire/)

Bra wires sizes are based on a B cup.  So the wire from a 42B would be the same as the wire in a 44A or a 40C, a 38D, a 36E and so on.  Within the same style of bra the cups of each of those sizes should be identical.  It may well be that you find that different brands/different styles fit better or worse than each other.  Charts like this one (http://rgsdesigns.com/p/2017/06/how-to-bra-fit-yourself-lingerie-sorbet-regarding-sister-bra-size-chart.jpg) show the wire size/cup size groups.

The Sewing Chest (http://sewingchest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=643) has lots of actual size drawings of wires. 

If you have an old bra you are willing to sacrifice (or repair afterwards) remove the wires, and hold them up against yourself.  If the wire sits nicely against your chest wall it's the right size.  If it digs in and doesn't lie against the chest wall properly it's too small, if there's room between it and the crease it's too big.

Once you have found the right size wire and matched it to get the cup size-letter any fitting tweeks should be doable on a toile by making very small changes in the curves of the pattern pieces.  On the Marlborough bra pattern those tweeks could be done either on the power bar seam or on the seam between upper and lower cup pieces.
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: Francesca on August 31, 2017, 20:25:15 PM
As I said I went from similar (C to FF) and it was just about pulling lots of flesh in from the side. Essentially I was wearing bra cups on top of my breast tissue but with too much flaring from the base. They say it's like putting an orange in the rim of a glass, when the glass mouth is too small the whole orange cannot go in the glass.
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: BrendaP on September 01, 2017, 00:22:35 AM
Apart from being more comfortable a bra that fits will make whatever you wear on top look better.
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: Francesca on September 01, 2017, 11:12:43 AM
Yep my favourite bra gives me a much pointier shape than I normally am and it looks so much better under clothes (Panache Envy if you're curious!)
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: Sewingsue on August 19, 2020, 12:43:35 PM
A bit off topic but it's worth checking out A Bra That Fits to do a fit check and calculation every now and again. They have a different method to most bra fitters. https://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/wiki/beginners_guide I refuse to get measured on the high street any more, Marks & Spencer and Bravissimo etc are all too likely to fit you into a size that they actually sell. I was wearing a 40B and now I wear a 38FF.
I knew there had been a thread on bra measurement and sizing (didn't realise how long ago though  :| ).

Thanks for the link @Francesca. I used their measurement instructions and came out as 32E which was a bit of a surprise, but I see that you found quite a difference from what you had been wearing.
Still as long as I use a site which gives free postage I can just try and return.

ETA: Putting the same measurements into the Triumph on line sizing calculator gives me 36E ?

How can one say 32E and one 36E?
Now even more confused  :S
Title: Re: Orange lingerie Marlborough bra
Post by: Lachica on August 19, 2020, 14:10:04 PM
@Sewingsue look at Boob or Bust (aka BOB) on Facebook. There's a size calculator & explanations of the way breast tissue can migrate to armpits (& even to your back). I went from 38 C which were uncomfortable to 34 E which I can get very affordably from Asda. According to BOB I should be 32G. After a while wearing the new size, breast tissue migrates again, to where it belongs, and ridges of 'fat' - really breast tissue - no longer bulge over straps at the back. I should really try a 32 band again but they're not available in cheap shops.