Jordy Bralette – Materials Guide & Inspiration
Hi everyone! I’m excited that Tailor Made Shop will be the supplies sponsor for the August Edition of #SewMyStyle2019! The theme for August is Lingerie, which is a perfect fit for the shop.
About #SewMyStyle2019
#SewMyStyle2019 is a monthly sewing challenge that’s held on Instagram and Facebook. Each month, there is a specific theme and participants will make a garment that’s related to that theme. Usually there is a choice of 2-3 discounted patterns (or in some months, participants can choose their own pattern in addition to the discounted patterns!). The finished garments are all then all revealed on the same day. Prizes are also given away to make the challenge even more fun!
To learn more about #SewMyStyle2019 or Project Sew My Style in general, I encourage you to check out the following posts:
I have put together a materials list for the Jordy Bralette, one of the two selected patterns for the Lingerie themed sewing month! The other pattern is the Power Sports Bra Pattern by Greenstyle Creations.
Erin of the Emerald Erin already has a fantastic materials suggestion list published on the pattern itself, but I thought it would be fun to expound on the materials list and give you more ideas/inspirations to get more out of your Jordy Bralette pattern! In particular, I wanted to focus on the foam-lined view and its versatility!
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Fabric
Lace Overlay View & All-Fabric View
The Jordy Bralette can be made in three views: the lace overlay version, the all fabric version, and the foam-lined version. The fabric options for the lace overlay version and all-fabric version are pretty straight forward.
For the lace overlay view, it is recommended you use bra tulle (soft nylon tulle with hexagonal shapes that is stable in one direction and has mechanical stretch in the other) or sheer cup lining (lightweight nylon fabric that has little stretch in both directions and is typically used to stabilize the bridge of an underwire bra).
For the lace overly pattern pieces, you can use a lace with scallop edges that is either stretch or non-stretch.
For the all-fabric view, you can use bra tulle or sheer cup lining without the lace overlay pattern pieces. Other materials you can use are non-stretch lace and other non-stretch knits. It is recommended that you line non-stretch lace and other non-stretch knit fabrics with bra tulle or sheer cup lining.
Foam-Lined View
In my opinion, the foam-lined version of this bralette is what makes this pattern shine. It opens up the pattern to a lot of fabric choices AND the foam offers extra coverage. With the foam-lined version, you can use all sorts of fun stretch knit fabrics!
To make the foam-lined version, you will need cut and sew foam to make the cups. You will then cover the foam using a stretchy fabric of choice for the main fabric pattern pieces.
The foam acts as a stabilizer for the stretchy fabrics so you can cover the foam with anything from cotton lycra to stretch silk charmeuse to scuba knit fabric and more!
Below, I’ve provided a few examples of Jordy Bralette makes in the foam-lined version below and some of my favorite fabric choices for this view.
Cotton Lycra
Cotton Spandex Jersey or Cotton Lycra is my favorite fabric choice for sewing panties! So it’s natural that I would want to be able to make a matching bralette for my underwear. Pictured here is a cotton lycra Jordy Bralette and Binky Panties set that I made for a friend.
Cotton lycra is easy to source and often comes in all sorts of prints! Chances are you have made garments from this fabric and have leftover scraps that can be used for the Jordy Bralette. The pattern uses very small amounts of fabric. Bonus: your innerwear not matches your outerwear. 😉
Scuba Knit Fabric
Scuba is gaining popularity as a fabric choice in bra making. It’s a double knit fabric that is typically used in garments (think dresses, skirts, shorts, and jackets in RTW!) but it makes a great fabric cover for foam cups because it’s easy to sew and handle. For a knit fabric, it is very stable and well-behaved.
It’s also getting easier to find them in really fun prints! One of my favorite sources for buying Scuba Fabric is Fabric Styles in the UK. (They ship internationally.)
A general tip about using scuba fabric in lingerie sewing. They come in all sorts of weights–from light-weight to medium to heavy. I suggest using light-weight to medium-weight scuba for lingerie. It can get rather bulky–especially in areas where elastics have to be turned under.
Swimwear Fabric
Another stretch knit option is swimwear fabric! It comes readily available in many colors and prints. Typical swimwear fabric content is nylon/spandex or polyester/spandex and many fabric shops will list that the fabric is suitable for sewing swimwear, activewear and dancewear. The Jordy Bralette shown here is made with a lemon print nylon/spandex swimwear fabric.
If you fancy making yourself a Jordy bikini top, Erin (the pattern maker) actually has a video tutorial on how to make your Jordy swim appropriate!
Stretch Galloon Lace
Stretch galloon lace is another fabric option you can use to cover the foam cups! Galloon lace refers to laces that have two scallop edges.
When using stretch galloon lace, I prefer to preserve the scallop edge of the lace but feel free to use it like a regular stretch knit to cover the foam cups.
Notes:
These are just some of the fabric options you can use with the foam-lined version! Some other fabrics you can use are: stretch velvet, stretch satin, activewear knits, bamboo jersey with spandex, all-over stretch lace and more! Just have fun with it and don’t be afraid to experiment.
Elastics
In this section, I will talk about the elastics required to make up the Jordy Bralette and their characteristics.
Strap Elastic
Strap elastic is usually a firm elastic that has a shiny or decorative side and a plush underside. The shiny or decorative side is the one we see and the plush underside lays against your skin when the bra is worn.
Strap elastic can come in a variety of decorative finishes and width. Pictured here is black satin elastic in 1/2″ and 3/4″ width. For the Jordy Bralette, the pattern calls for 1/2″ strap elastic but you can totally go for 3/8″ wide straps or 3/4″ wide straps or anything else as long as you have rings and sliders in matching sizes.
3/8″ Picot Plush Elastic
For the lace over-lay view and the all-fabric view of the Jordy Bralette, you can choose to use foldover elastic or 3/8″ picot plush elastic to finish the neckline and armhole edges of the bra.
Picot plush elastic typically has one plush side (although some suppliers may make it with two plush sides) and it has a decorative edge, which can be a series of little loops or scallops. The pattern pieces will already allow for the 3/8″ picot elastic allowance so you don’t need to make any adjustments to the pattern!
Foldover Elastic
You can use foldover elastic to finish the neckline and armhole edges of all three views of the Jordy Bralette. Foldover Elastic (commonly abbreviated as FOE) is a stretchy elastic with a groove down its center to make it easy to fold in half. It typically has a shiny and a matte side. Some people consider the shiny side to be the “right side” and the matte side to be the “wrong side”. You can actually use either the shiny or the matte side as the “right side”.
Pictured here is FOE in 5/8″ width and 3/4″ width. If you can, I highly recommend getting it in 3/4″ width because it is easier to sew/handle!
To use foldover elastic to finish the armhole and neckline edges, you just trim the 3/8″ picot elastic allowance off the pattern pieces as it is an edge finish. This means it’s applied directly to the raw edge and no elastic allowance is required.
Wide Plush Elastic
The Jordy Bralette is drafted for a 1 3/8″ (35mm) wide band elastic–you can use other width wide band elastics as long as you have hook and eyes that match in size.
I recommend using one that is plush and soft so it feels nice against the skin when worn–some wide band elastics are plush only on one side so make sure that the plush side is against the skin when you sew up the bra!
Notions & Findings
In this final section, I will talk about the notions and findings you’ll need for the Jordy Bralette.
Rings & Sliders
The Jordy Bralette requires two rings and two sliders. The recommended strap width is 1/2″ so you will need 1/2″ width rings and sliders. But if you are using another width strap elastic, just make sure you have rings and sliders that match your strap width.
Rings and sliders can come in a variety of finishes. Some are plastic. Some are metal. And some are nylon covered metal. I prefer the metal ones over the plastic ones for durability. It also looks more luxe in my opinion!
Hooks & Eyes
For the Jordy Bralette, you need 1 set of hook and eyes that will fit the wide band plush elastic that you choose. I typically use the 1 1/2″ (38mm) wide 2-row hook and eyes with the 1 3/8″ (35mm) wide plush band elastic.
Final Notes
There you have it! This is a pretty long post, but I hope some of you guys sewing the Jordy Bralette for #SewMyStyle2019 or in general will find this helpful! I hope it has also given you some ideas and inspiration of what you can do with the pattern.