We love sewing and designing lingerie. We create top-notch lingerie patterns.
We love sewing and designing lingerie. We create top-notch lingerie patterns.
We continue with the easy pattern adjustment series. Shortening the wire curve at the arm area is one of the most asked alterations. The steps shown adjust the Afi Chic pattern, but they can be easily applied to any other bra pattern. Let’s get started.
When do we need this change?
Answer: when the wire that fits your body, is a bit shorter at the underarm than the pattern uses AND the design of the pattern allows a small alteration in this area.
And how do I know that?
Answer: it was a long answer, and the whole rationale is explained in my previous article about bra underwires and bra patterns.
When you’ve determined you can and need to change the pattern get the pattern pieces out and follow the steps bellow.
First steps
- Measure the difference. Do not forget to account for the wire play. Note the value
- Get the A1 and B2 pieces because those are the ones we need to adjust: the outer cup and cradle. Remove the seam allowances.
Shortening the wire curve at the arm area
Step by step
Click or tap images to zoom in
- My pattern pieces are ready to be adjusted
- Apply the value from step 1 on both pieces, measuring from the edge down along the curve. Mark the pieces
- Now redraft the new edges of each piece. A line on the cradle. A curve on the cup
- That’s the amount we need to chop off
- These are the adjusted pieces
- We are not done. We need to put back the seam allowances
- When adding seam allowances, pay attention to the amount. Pink areas are where the allowance must match the band elastic width. The green areas are joining pieces allowance.
- Put back the marks on the pieces. And there you have it, the pattern is now adjusted to match your shorter underwire
In an underwire bra, most of the fit problems have a direct impact on the underwire.
- If the wire is too small, the band slides down and the metal sits very uncomfortably on our tummy.
- If the cup volume is too small, the underwire digs in our breast tissue, ouch, painful.
- If the band’s direction is wrong, the underwire position is rearranged, and again the metal feels uncomfortable.
In order to sort things out, we have to have the underwire and underwire curve right FIRST! And this article is here to help you with that.