The Bra-A-Week Challenge is an open sewing challenge that I’m hosting on Instagram. It’s a challenge where you can set your own goals and timelines. These are the main rules:
- You don’t have to only make bras, it can be a bathing suit, bralette, bodysuit, garter belt, panties, nighties- basically anything that you feel is intimate apparel!
- You don’t have to make something every week! You can set your own timeline and your own goals!
- Share your projects with #braaweekchallenge on instagram! So we can all see the beautiful things you make!
My goal is to make a bra/swimsuit/undies every week, and specifically every Friday on Instagram in stories and instagram feed!
I’ve made a Project Print Out for you to keep track of your bra makes!
I’ve saved all of my making videos in my Instagram story highlights, and I share little tips and tutorials! If you want to search through them or re-watch any I have them all catalogued and organized below!
This is what I’ve made:
WEEK 20
Project: Black Beauty Bikini!
Find in the WEEK 20 highlights on my instagram page
This week we’re starting into swimwear! I went over a lot of the basics of swimwear and how to modify your bra pattern when you turn it into a swimsuit!
Pattern Used: Black Beauty Bra, Self-drafted bottoms
Fabrics Used: Plum swimwear fabric, all the right linings for a bra top, rubber swim elastic, swim lining for the bottoms
Tutorials/Tips included: How to turn a bra pattern into a bikini, talk about swimwear elastic
WEEK 19
Project: Ombré Ruffles
Find in the WEEK 15 highlights on my instagram page
Last installement in the Fantasy bra series, and I just couldn’t help myself with the ruffles! I once I made the ruffle panties, I just couldn’t resist with a matching ruffle Jordy!
Pattern Used: Jordy Bralette, self-drafted panty
Fabrics Used: Latte tulle jordy kit as a base, and latte tulle and elastics as a base for the panty. Bra tulle in Pistachio, aquamarine, peacock blue and midnight blue for the ruffles
Tutorials/Tips included: More ruffles and layering tulle to make a better ombré effect with the ruffles
WEEK 18
Project: More Ruffles
Find in the WEEK 18 highlights on my instagram page
The matching ruffle panties to the previous week’s ruffle bra, naturally
Pattern Used: Self-drafted
Fabrics Used: lavender bra tulle, latte elastics
Tutorials/Tips included: just more ruffles 🙂
WEEK 17
Project: RUFFLES RUFFLES RUFFLES
Find in the WEEK 17 highlights on my instagram page
Fifth bra in my mini series on Fantasy Bras! ALL THE RUFFLES! I wanted to make another super fun bra, and I just got a bunch of new colours of bra tulle in , including this beautiful lavender.
Pattern Used: Self-drafted
Fabrics Used: Lavender bra tulle, latte powernet & findings
Tutorials/Tips included: Making chaotic ruffles out of bra tulle
WEEK 16
In Interesting Discussion on Design Ownership
Find in the Real Talk highlight on my instagram page
Week 16 I started a bodysuit project inspired by another Bordelle design. After getting an angry threatening message from the company, who did not appreciate my posts, I thought it would be good to have a talk about design and design ownership. Remember sewists, you can make anything you want for yourself, and companies are not allowed to tell you what you can sew yourself.
Key points:
1. Sewing techniques are not subject to copyright and clothing designs are rarely subject to copyright (and copyright does not apply to you making something for yourself!)
2. You do not have to be limited to what companies will offer for sizing and pricing ranges, if you can sew it for yourself to fit your body then DO IT! that’s part of the great joy of being able to sew for yourself!
3. No company should have a monopoly on a way of clothing the human body, especially when there are only so many ways to cloth the human body!
Happy sewing!
WEEK 15
Project: Straps, and straps, and straps
Find in the WEEK 15 highlights on my instagram page
Fourth bra in my Fantasy Bra mini series, this project was inspired by the Tome bra from Bordelle Atelier.
Pattern Used: I used my black beauty pattern as the base and modified it to have different cup seaming and plan out the strap placements.
Fabrics Used: 1/2″ white strap elastic, sheer cup lining, gold 1/2″ sliders & rings, gold 1/2″ g-hook closures
Tutorials/Tips included: Working with straps and troubleshooting interesting designs.
WEEK 13/14
Project: Poofs!
Find in the WEEK 13 & WEEK 14 highlights on my instagram page
Third bra in the mini series on Fantasy bras, this one took me 2 Friday’s to complete, and I’m so happy I got to work on it that long, this one is just so fun! For this one I used materials from my stash including this designer stretch satin, and marabou from when I was a crafty kid! The poofs are detachable so it’s easier to wash and fastened with the bows- which is a perfect touch!
Pattern Used: Bra is a modification on my pattern the Black Beauty Bra, and the bottom are the super-cute Pippa Panty from Queen of Suburbia
Fabrics Used: Main fabric was a designer stretch satin from my stash, with white elastics, and foam lining.
Tutorials/Tips included: A different clean neckline finish for foam cup bras, working with marabou.
BONUS PANTIES!
Panties to match my week 11 and 12 bras! These are both great examples of how to use your non-stretch bra fabrics in matching panties!
Pattern Used: Self Drafted
Fabrics Used: Black Pair: french dot stretch mesh, black satin, 1/4″ fold over elastic, Lilac Pair: lilac floral embroidered tulle lace from Tailor Made Shop, latte bra tulle, latte light bamboo, micro stretch mesh in beige, 1/2″ strap elastic in latte, latte sliders and rings, bows
Tutorials/Tips included: using non-stretch fabric in panty designs
WEEK 12
My second bra in the mini series on Fantasy bras, this was made with lace from my good friend Ying, and was another deep-dive into the process of design and discussion on lace placement, and bows, big bows!
Pattern Used: Self Drafted
Fabrics Used: lilac floral embroidered tulle lace from Tailor Made Shop, latte bra tulle , latte powernet, bows
Tutorials/Tips included: deep dive into bra making and the process of making a new design
WEEK 11
Project: Fantasy French Dot Part 1, Part 2
I launched a new mini-series within the Bra-A-Week Challenge on Fantasy bras! I did a deep-dive in this story showing the process from inspiration photo to the final bra and all the troubleshooting and decisions along the way!
Pattern Used: Self Drafted
Fabrics Used: french dot stretch mesh, latte bra tulle , 1/4″ fold over elastic, black statin, black powernet
Tutorials/Tips included: deep dive into bra making and the process of making a new design
WEEK 10
Project: Jordy Bralette Pattern Hack
I made two pattern-hacked versions of the Jordy Bralette! One with satin fabric center pieces, and one all-over lace with a lace edge (both mini tutorials).
Pattern Used: Jordy Bralette
Fabrics Used: Bralette 1 –black fold over jordy finding, latte bra tulle, satin rose fabric. Bralette 2- latte picot jordy findings, latte bra tulle, red stretch lace
Tutorials/Tips included: Bralette 1 – How to replace the lace with a satin center, Bralette 2- How to make a lace edge Jordy
WEEK 9
This was a bra for my sister, a Black Beauty Bra hack, where I ruched the upper cup piece (mini tutorial), and moved the powerbar to the inside of the cup for a different look.
Pattern Used: Black Beauty Bra
Fabrics Used: garnet bra tulle, black grosgrain bows
Tutorial/Tips Included: How to ruche the upper cup of the Black Beauty Bra
WEEK 8
I wanted to give another pattern company a go! So I chose the lovely Darcy Bralette from Evie La Luve, which turned out beautifully!
Pattern Used: Darcy Bralette from Evie La Luve
Fabrics Used: fauna black stretch lace, black micro stretch mesh, 1/4″ black FOE, 1/2″ black picot elastic, 1/2″ black strap elastic
WEEK 7
Project: Fairytale Black Beauty for a Friend
The topic of the week was ‘sewing friends’! I had a friend with me for this week and I was making this fairytale bra for him from lace I got from my friend Ying at Tailormade Shop!
Pattern Used: Black Beauty Bra
Fabrics Used: Romantic Embroidered Tulle Lace, Black Beauty Bra findings (small, view B, latte)
Tutorial/Tips Included: Mini tutorial on mirroring lace and lace placement & we all shared tips on making sewing friends!
WEEK 6
This lace was chosen from a poll on Valentine’s day! And I decided to make this strapless style, which turned out to have a gorgeous clam-shell look!
Pattern Used: Self-drafted Pattern
Fabrics Used: gatsby lace in black
Tutorial/Tips Included: A talk-through of my problem solving process of designing/making this bra (making it a partial band bra, lace placement, underwire choice & strapless bra cup modifications)
WEEK 5
Project: Plunge Valentine’s Beauty
I was inspired by Valentine’s day coming, this pink lace and two bras that I made years ago in the last Bra-A-Week Challenge!
Pattern Used: Self-drafted Pattern
Fabrics Used: damask lace in dusty rose, plunge underwire, bra tulle in latte, powernet in latte, FOE in latte, 1/2″ band elastic in latte, 1/2″ strap elastic in latte, channeling in latte, hook and eye 30mm in latte, 1/2″ sliders and rings in latte.
WEEK 4
Batch sewing panties is the best! You can really maximize your efficiency- so I made all the undies!!
Pattern Used: Self Drafted Patterns
Fabrics Used: fauna stretch lace, flora stretch lace trim, panty elastic, 1/4″ FOE elastic, bee tulle, micro stretch mesh in black, bamboo in black
WEEK 3
This beautiful lace was a present from my friend Ying of Tailormade Shop, and I wanted to make something super special with it!
Pattern Used: Self Drafted Pattern
Fabrics Used: Silver embroidered tulle lace, white tulle lining
Tutorial/Tips Included: Talk about partial-band bras and tips on making a lace band for a partial band bra
WEEK 2
A simple addition that has such a cute effect- ruffles! This is a very simple hack on the classic Black Beauty Bra
Pattern Used: Black Beauty Bra
Fabrics Used: coral bra tulle, latte findings
Tutorial/Tips Included: How to move the powerbar to the inside of the cup of the Black Beauty Bra, and how to make a tulle ruffle
WEEK 1
Kicking off the bra-a-week challenge with this Black Beauty Bra, pattern hacked into a bodysuit, so I can be super trendy and have a cool bodysuit!
Pattern Used: Black Beauty Bra, incorporated into a self-drafted thong bodysuit
Fabrics Used: Stretch crushed velvet in Wine, microfiber foam lining, View A findings