Shortening a bra band for the scared!

I wanted to write this post for the people who say they can't sew.

Here's a story that is very long and barely on topic.
In Secondary School, I was an excellent Home Economics student. I loved the subject! If you have the option to study it or learn more, I would recommend it! The subject combines sociology, consumer studies, food science, cookery and even a bit of crafting! It's very broad, but very rewarding as a subject. I swear it overlaps with pretty much everything I've done in college so far, and at the oddest times! As I adored the class so much I was excited for sewing classes.

Only I was terrible.

Sadly, a portion of the exam was based on a sewing project. And I couldn't sew. I have very poor hand eye co-ordination. I can't tread a needle. I kept on tearing fabrics. I nearly broke the school's sewing machine (I was banned from touching it.).

My teacher took my aside and told me I was doing the Childcare Project (I didn't get a choice!), a written alternative assignment for the exam, otherwise I would sabotage my chance of getting my A.

I got an A in both that Junior Cert and my Leaving Cert exams (which thank God had no sewing part!) in Home Economics, and I acknowledged I couldn't sew. Just couldn't. Incapable.

If it hadn't been for the bra fitting community, maybe I never would have tried again. But I've tried. I'm still pretty bad, but I can do it. I thought myself using books from the library and guesswork.

So, I'm going to show you that someone who has been repeatedly told to back off from the needles that you can do it! It feels great! I've patched up some of my clothes already.

I am shortening a bra band in the same way as MsMandrakeRoot is in her tutorial here:
http://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/comments/1ffet8/as_requested_a_picture_tutorial_of_how_to_shorten/

I am not adding anything to her tutorial, I'm just showing myself doing to to show it's possible even for the challenged sewers. So I would look at her tutorial!

Here is my victim!

An unknown Freya Bra in 36F that I found in a charity shop for 4 euro! My mum is a 34FF, a sister size.

Quite a mystery. I couldn't find this lovely bra on Bratabase. If anyone does know the name, please tell me. I'd love one that is a little smaller in the cup for myself.

Okay, first we need sewing stuff. You only need the basics:

A needle

Strong thread (I used red polyester thread)

A seam ripper

Scissors (I have this little fancy thing you can use to cut thread with that allows you to use one hand, but scissors will do!)

Big old fabric scissors for when you get angry and have to hack through elastic.

A ruler or some of those fancy ones you get in a sewing box you use for hems (something I have yet to master). Mine's clearly from a geometry set...

Fabric chalk

Pins

Optional:

A pencil

Paper. I recommend using highly confidential stuff flipped onto the other side.

A needle threader, if you're not like me and constantly breaking the damn things.

If you wish, using your paper and a pencil that poorly shows up on a camera, trace around the bra shape.

Okay, how much are you going to take off. Oh God this is scary. I mean, I've done this before and it's still scary. Be brave. It's only 4 euro down the drain.

I opted for 2 cm. Which turned out to be too little. So I erred wrong. Oh well. But regardless, stay with cutting off a little bit. 

Mark off the amount you are going to cut off. Then you can trace around the shape so the bra wing will stay the same shape. Also you can compare the sides before cutting them off so they are the same amount.

Okay, I've marked of the amount I'm going to cut off. I can do this.

Use the seam ripper to detach the eyes or hooks at the end.

ARGH I gave up and used scissors. Too hard. The sewing at the end of this was very hard to cut off.

Well. It could be more mangled. At least I'm cutting this end bit off.

At least this bit looks okay.

 Now for the elastic at the side and the strap.

I found that reaching under the stitches and moving forward actually worked quite well.

Looking good!

I've accidentally ripped out some elastic here

This is very hard to take off, so I resorted to cutting.

Finally free!

Look, I'm using the pattern I made earlier. :)

I shouldn't be trusted with these.

No going back now!

Pin the elastic back into place.

Sew! Use a non-straight stitch or it'll rip. It should be a zig-zig stitch according to my books but alas I don't own a sewing machine... Here's the top. Leave room to put the strap back!

Now the strap! Just slot it back into place. Not backwards though!

Now the hooks or eyes. Make sure it's not backwards! I drew the right attachment on the paper so I would remember.

Make sure to do both sides!

Hey, that wasn't horrific! Barely any sewing and nothing too complicated! Check out the tutorial by MsMandrakeRoot and have your own go!

Now, who needs Home Economics lessons? I need money for bras.

How To Stop Bra Straps Falling Down!

Before I was fitted into my bra size (based off something crazy like my measurements), New Look were the only shop that actually had bras that were unpadded (sometimes), not designed for old women and I could squeeze myself into (sometimes). I had a balonette that was deep pink that wore until it fell apart. The straps were always falling down - because the bra was far too small and it was so old the straps had forgot what elasticity was.

I remember I was after this guy and the most common thing he used to say to me always arrogantly, (except perhaps concern over how I knew his schedule off my heart!) was: "your bra strap is down again".

Were you looking another girl's bra straps.. not that I care about that anything... (Me when I was 16)

I wonder if he thought that I was trying to seduce him with my weird and tattered pink and purple straps. In a fit of frustration I used overweight baggage tape to hold the straps together.Yes. Overweight baggage.

This is the most frequent bra fitting problem I see. In fact, my friends have asked me to fix their bra straps, because I am the mysterious lingerie expert and that's where my skills lie. Every time I suggest they should also tighten the back. The ALWAYS whine that makes no sense and make it worse.

Actually, tightening the bra straps makes the problem of loose bra straps worse.

Yes! A bra is a system - every part is linked. Here's the real solution.

A bra's back should be tight. Really tight. Think how tight a bra should be and forget that. Tighter. Very tight.

This keeps the straps in place. When a bra is too loose (i.e. all my friends bras) the back crawls upwards. This makes the straps rise of the shoulders. When you tighten your straps, the bra back crawls upwards... then your straps fall down.

The solution is to tighten the back of your bra. Well, this isn't usually enough. The solution is a bra that is much larger in the cup and tighter in the band. Try tightening your back band and then tightening your straps. Then scoop yourself into your bra. Are you everywhere from Cork to Derry (think that was a metaphor)? Yeah, that bra is wrong.

A second reason is that cup is too small. Coupled with loose bands, the weight of the breasts drags up the band... and the straps fall down. Those friends would refuse to believe their breasts weigh anything because they believe they have no breasts... errr no. I've seen you trapped in clothes because of your breasts just like me... ;)

I know some people have sloping shoulders, and yes that does effect bra strap security. But when I refitted my mother and my best friend they both told me their bra straps mysteriously stopped falling down.

Anyways, if you want to learn more check out the Bra Matrix and My Wife is Busty Fitting Guide. I won't be making my own fitting guide because I believe these two are great and I don't think at the moment I can do anything better. But I implore you to check it out! You WON'T regret it. Overweight baggage tape is not something that can look cute with a frilly dress. Go on. Go on.

If I wrote an intro post it would look like this

What you actually need to know about me:

BRAS!!! *goes up a to lingerie shop's window and licks it*

Every time I walk past a beautiful specialist lingerie shop. I am so mad about bras and I look in the window and I ream off every full-bust bra they stock (sadly, I am less of an expert of their maternity range). My friends find my talent a tad disturbing so I have decided to bring my love to the internet.

I am saddened that through my year of adoration of bras and lingerie in general that I have came across there no Irish bra blogs. At least where I am based, Dublin, the retail sector, while expensive for a college student like me, is there and thriving.

I have seen blogs from Russia to Spain to Brasil and so many British blogs too. I am taking this into my own hands. I hope I can inject some 'craic' into bra knowledge and lingerie adoration. I don't want to keep my interest as something I cannot express. I am going to seriously ask the question Dougal posed: "how's your bra"? (I hope that didn't alienate half my readers right there).

Here are my aims:

1. Further bra fitting knowledge. (I am not going to post my own instructions, all I can say is take all measurements without a bra on and fuck everything you think you know about bra fitting)

2. Research into and analyse the Irish bra and general lingerie industry in Ireland, particular from a youthful perspective - all lovely lingerie is marketed to older women, while young women it's all beige foam domes!
 2.(a). My first project will be an assessment of bra shops on the North and South side of Dublin.

3. Post clothing and bra reviews.
 
For the sake of reference, at the time of posting my measurements are 5 foot 7, 38/27/35 - with 27 being both my waist and underbust. I am usually a 28GG bra - though sometimes I would need a 28H or a 26H. I would rather someone burn my skin than be shoved in 34DD hell.

Finally, I would like to say this is not a place for the following things:

1. Smut. Fuck off. I don't desire it.

2. Body snark - I am not too thin/not curvy enough, nor is anyone else. This is not a place for that. My readers should respected.

3. "You should be happy to have problems with bras". I will smother you with a bra if you say that. As you sleep.

4. Saying that your bra is okay as it is. Perhaps it is but I severely doubt you couldn't do better. Please keep an open mind. No one knows or cares what kind of bra you wear. A lot of I know think I'm small chested because I like covering them up and are surprised when I make jokes about giving other busty women boob-hi-fives! ;)

Yours,
Street