I don\’t know about you but sometimes, when I\’m nervous about something, I\’ll sign up to pattern test for it, or something like that, so that I am forced to just do it already! This is how I ended up making today\’s project. When Maddie reached out and offered me a bra kit in exchange for a post on her new free(!) bralette pattern, I jumped at the chance to do some bra sewing with stretch mesh, a fabric I\’m not at all comfortable sewing. If I had just purchased the kit myself, I would have avoided sewing it for ages, which would have been such a bad idea–as usual, I had psyched myself up over nothing and was pleasantly surprised by how simple it was to make this bralette, even in mesh!
Having the kit was super nice since all the fabric and elastic and rings are all collected for you, so there\’s no need to track them down yourself. It\’s also really fulfilling to make something that looks just like the instructions. I have lots of fabric left, but not enough elastic to make a second bra. I\’ll probably snag some lingerie elastic at my Joanns and make another one since this one is so nice to wear and relatively simple to make. Alternatively, I think I might have enough to make some matching undies, so that\’s another possibility!
As far as fit, I really have no complaints! I will say that I made a size medium, and the size range is XS-XL, so it isn\’t super size inclusive; the XL bust measurement is only up to 38.5\”. Since I don\’t have much experience with either larger busts or lingerie sewing, I\’m not sure how much of that is just that this type of bralette isn\’t practical for larger busts. I do think that this style is flattering on smaller busts like mine (although the models in the anthropologie shoot are very busty wow).
The construction is very clever and leaves you with a nicely finished bralette. The center cut-out requires a little bit of precision sewing but nothing too tricky; actually, I thought it was going to be a lot more confusing than it ended up being. I also appreciated a few of Maddie\’s little informational tidbits included in the instructions, which are very chatty, as if you are sitting next to her at one of her classes. I\’ve always been confused about elastic application–do you stretch it? how much? etc–and she made the great point that for a lot of knit patterns with elastic, the pattern already includes negative ease, so you don\’t need to worry that much about stretching the elastic. Um hello that is so obvious in retrospect but I had never thought of it that way!
I actually have a few other patterns that call for this type of mesh that I\’ve been avoiding–the Orange Lingerie Berkeley bra (for which I also have a kit) is in lace and mesh and maybe now it\’s finally time for me to tackle it! Or… maybe not.
You can download the Barrett PDF pattern here for free and pick up the same kit as I used (and the one seen in pattern instructions!) here for $38.
xoxo,
It was such a pleasure seeing your Barrett bralette. Cheers to lots more lingerie in 2018!
Hi Allie, loved reading about your experience sewing the Barrett. It looks gorgeous. I've downloaded the pattern and just waiting for my supplies to arrive – can't wait!