Continuing on my quest to make my perfect bra, I decided to give the Watson Bra, by Cloth Habit, a try.

I may be the very last seamstress on the planet to make this bra, I know.

This is the first non-underwire, non-foam cup bra I have worn for more than a day in years.  Padding has always been my friend.  While the shape this bra creates is not my most flattering and it’s not the most supportive bra I own, it is more comfortable than any of my other handmade bras so far.  I can definitely see wearing this on days when I don’t leave the house (most days when you work from home) but bother to change out of PJs or workout clothing (less often than I’ll ever admit) and days spent puttering about, running errands, etc… Oh! and I wore it to sewing class last night, of course, since it is my most recent make.

I made this bra using: the Trio Dijon bra kit from Bra Makers Supply; pink underarm elastic that I had in my stash; plus sliders, rings, hooks, eyes and light pink straps that I cut off one of my ready-to-wear bras.

As you can see, the straps I salvaged off one of my RTW bras are just barely long enough – I have them fully extended without a millimeter to spare.

I did not like this bra kit. The fabrics included were unlike the fabrics I’ve received with other bra-making kits, even from Bra Maker’s Supply. There was no sheer lining. Instead, this kit included a stretchy and almost cushy fabric in addition to the lace and powernet.  As a result, the bra feels a bit thicker than I had intended and the insides are downright unattractive since said fabric refused to stay flat for topstitching. Plus, I think a non-stretch lining would have lifted the girls up a bit more.  I went back to the website to see if I maybe ordered something incorrectly or at least get details on what this fabric is (I am still  new and learning about the array of fabrics one uses to make bras) but this kit is no longer listed.  Oh well.  Lesson learned.

That said, if you are new to bra making, or just want to avoid the headache of tracking down all the supplies, I still think bra kits are a great way to go.  I just ordered five — yes five — from the best of the best in bra kits, Tailor Made Shop (my argument being that I *saved* money since I qualified for free shipping).

After following the measurement guidelines included with the pattern, I made a 34B. This is the same size as my Orange Lingerie Boylston Bras, but a different size than the Cloth Habit Harriet Bra I made at Camp Workroom Social in October (size 30D, but that band is just far too tight for me; I’ll be lengthening that the next time around).  I recently measured myself for a Madalynne 8229 – which I’ll be making at one of her workshops next month – and I measured a 36A.  Perplexing.  And further proof that the number (and letter) on your tag does’t mean a whole lot.

Here is my one and only flat shot.

As for visible seam lines under clothing — an important factor for me when considering underpinnings: the scalloped lace around the neckline definitely camouflages that edge under clothing, making that line invisible.  But the cup seams still show through a well-fitted t-shirt.  That may be due to the somewhat bulkier than normal lining fabric. More research is needed, but this bra is definitely less visible under fitted clothing than either of my Boylstons so far.  Am I the only person considering creating an Excel table showing the pros and cons of each bra style I try?

I will be making more of these, for sure.  But, I have a couple different styles to try before that in my queue.

Pattern: Cloth Habit Watson Bra
Fabrics: Trio Dijon bra kit from Bra Maker’s Supply, plus elastics, hooks, etc… from stash
Modifications: None, this was essentially my muslin
Photo Location: Visual Arts Center of Richmond Fibre Studio