I have made quite a bit of lingerie in the past two years – I have at times been addicted to making it!

Specifically I wanted to create several pretty underwire bras that had no padding. For some reason retailers in this country can’t fathom that those of us with a smaller cup size would not want maximum padding. I detest padding, but I do like an underwire, so I have always settled on my RTW…until I realized that one could make one’s own, to spec! I have tried a couple patterns, but the one I wear the most is the Harriet by Cloth Habit.

Here are the two I have made:

Both are size 36B – the top version is sage green with lavender detail – that was my first Harriet. I got this beautiful lace from Mint Frog in Latvia (on etsy).  Her selection of laces is just beautiful and it was fast considering Riga is a long way away! The outer cradle and bands are made of gray PowerMesh (two layers going opposite directions). All the elastics and strapping have come from a variety of sources (I plan to add a page on the blog that outlines all my favorite sources). But Porcelynne and Bra-Makers Supply have been great!

My biggest struggle has been fitting the right underwire. I feel like I may have wider set cups than most, as well as a wider “root” as they say, so the wire does have a tendency to dig into me at the sides. As a result I have tried using more of a demi-style underwire, but it left the wire channel empty for about 1.5″ on each side, which felt comfortable but didn’t look quite right (you can see that in the close-up below).

For the blue and purple version, I felt comfortable enough with the assembly of the pattern pieces to make a couple adjustments. I made the outer cradle a little lower and I also shortened the upper cup width to tighten up the cup a bit. These were great adjustments but I think I could have made them even a little more drastic. And again, the wire I’m using still doesn’t reach the end of the channel, but it’s comfortable.

The midnight blue lace and the deep royal purple are from Lace and Trims on etsy. I backed the lace with black PowerMesh, and I used black strapping.

Just FYI, the wide, shallow U underwires I found that I liked are from EmeraldErin on etsy and are called “France.”

I guess I should try a pattern drafted specifically for a demi style wire next time, but I do like the styling of this pattern.