afi chic Archives – AFI Atelier

Everything that talks about Afi Chic Bra: inspiration, experiments, finished bras, pattern news or updates

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Afi Chic Bra – Underwire length adjustment

23 June 2020/0 Comments/in Sewing, Tutorials /by AFI

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.

Afi Chic Bra - Underwire length adjustment

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.

Afi Chic Cup – Adjusting the strap position and the armhole

19 May 2020/3 Comments/in Sewing, Tutorials /by AFI

When I have designed the Afi Chic, one condition was to accommodate a deep armhole and the strap position more toward the center front. But, there are so many bodies and so many particularities, this is why there’s always going to be someone that has to adjust a pinch here and a seam there. I thought I can guide you to adjust the pattern and make it the best it can be for YOU. And I said, let’s start easy and progress in time. The easiest alteration I want to address is adjusting the strap position. Going hand in hand is the armhole adjustment for the time when the cup cuts into your arm.

If I come to think of the alterations, I believe the easiest of all possible adjustments is to alter the bridge width, but let’s address that some other time. Today we concentrate on the cup.

First steps

So, you’ve made a bra. You put it on. Maybe there are visible problems. You note them. Then you wear the bra. This time you discover the invisible problems. You note them too. This list is what you need to change.

Having identified the problems, you have to identify what the solutions are. Maybe choose different fabrics, or change the notions, for instance, use a wider picot elastic. Or, maybe you need to adjust the pattern. Turning to the adjustments, you select the pieces you need to alter.

For the strap position and the armhole on the cup, the adjustments will be carried on the A1 piece – that is the outer cup. Having done it on the main cup piece, you can later do the same for the C1 which is the foam piece.

The key thing to remember is before altering any piece, remove the seam allowances!

I did try my best to make some sketches to help you identify the problems. Inspect the models carefully and see if that applies to you.

Moving the strap more to the center

This lovely lady is modeling a bra where the strap position sits in the armpit. First, it’s not comfortable when you’re moving your arms to the front. And a consequence of the strap placement is that the strap may tend to slide off. Please notice, the armhole of the cup is deep and curve enough. It’s just the strap you want to move more to the center.

So this was the step where you identify the problem. Next is to select the A1 cup piece and remove the seam allowance. Then, we proceed onto the drawing, cutting, and putting back the seam allowances. Click or tap images to zoom in

Measure how much to move the strap in.
Apply the measured value to the A1 piece starting from the arm along the neckline.
Following as much as possible the original curve, redraw the curve slightly moving it away and ending it in the point you measured in the previous step.
Cut the excess along your curve.
This is the adjusted piece.
We need to add back the seam allowances around the piece. If you’re altering the foam piece C1, you’ll need to add seam allowances only on the wireline.

Pay attention to the width of the seam allowances. They are NOT the same across all the edges! The armhole – the pink one – is where you sew the elastic. This means the seam allowance has to have the width of the elastic. The green allowance is where you join this piece with other pieces. I call it joining pieces seam allowance. This is standard in the Afi Chic bra and has a value of 8 mm which most of the time fits the sewing machine needle position.
Put back the marks on the upper side. The seam allowance edge is for Style 1. The dashed line (no seam allowance on the neckline) is for Style 2 and 3.

And this was all for moving the strap on the cup.

Moving the strap more to the center and cutting deeper the armhole

This lady is modeling a bra where the strap is also in the armpit, but to her sorrow, the armhole is not cut deep enough. It is like the cup is trying to run more to the side but it’s stopped by the arm. And yes it’s uncomfortable. But it is also when you bring your arms to the front, the arms push the cup fabric and the cup opens at the neckline. Some might be tempted to take a pick of what’s in the cup

To fix this, we will move the strap but we will cut the cup deeper. Get the A1 piece out, remove the seam allowance, and follow the steps. Hover over the images to see the next slide buttons if you’re reading this on your computer or a laptop. Swipe the image left or right to advance to the next image.

Measure how much to move the strap in and have an idea of how much to cut the armhole.
Apply the measured value to the A1 piece starting from the arm along the neckline.
Draw a curve moving away from the original one from the start point to the endpoint. You do NOT follow the original curve.
Cut the excess along your curve.
This is the adjusted piece.
We need to add back the seam allowances around the piece. If you’re altering the foam piece C1, you’ll need to add seam allowances only on the wireline.

Pay attention to the width of the seam allowances. They are NOT the same across all the edges! The armhole – the pink one – is where you sew the elastic. This means the seam allowance has to have the width of the elastic. The green allowance is where you join this piece with others. I call it joining pieces seam allowance. This is standard in the Afi Chic bra and has a value of 8 mm which most of the time fits the sewing machine needle position.
Put back the marks on the upper side. The seam allowance edge is for Style 1. The dashed line (no seam allowance on the neckline) is for Style 2 and 3.

And this was all for this adjustment. Now you may ask me, hey Ana, but the alterations look kind of the same. Well, yes, sure you draft a new curve for both adjustments. It is how you draft them that’s different. Because they fix two problems that may or may not be connected. Let’s have a look at them side by side

Comparison of the above adjustments

The first pair of ladies like the armhole of the cup, they just want the strap to move more to the center.
The second pair, besides the strap is displeased with the armhole. Her cup bothers whenever she moves her arms. And here’s the side by side difference on the adjustments for each problem.

Afi Chic - Cup piece adjustments comparison

I hope you can see how the first adjustment only changes the end where the strap is attaching. Half of the curve is almost the same as the original one.

The second adjustment redrafts the curve entirely and shaves off pretty much from the cup. This is where we eliminate the excess that’s bothering in the armhole.

Most of the time, people need to make the second adjustment. But on some occasions, you only want to move the strap in. Being able to distinguish between the subtle difference is one step closer to having a better bra.

If you find this article helpful I might think of writing more. Would you like to read more about fitting and adjusting? Asking you this, because, I admit, it’s a nightmare to draft and prepare the pictures.

Oh, and one little funny thing. If you look from a distance at the last picture, do those two circles resemble … two nipples? Giggle, giggle.

Afi Chic Bra – The cup

12 May 2020/4 Comments/in Patterns, Sewing /by AFI

I wanted to show you a few details about the cup and its seams. This may come in handy for those sewing and fitting the Afi Chic bra. It will sketch an idea of how the seam lines flow and where the bust point should sit.

I did a similar post for my free Maya Bra pattern and it proved to be useful over time. It is also a reference for fitting questions that pop up once in a while, especially when you are not sure about your bra size

Sewing the Afi Chic bra cup is easy. Fitting is what usually raises some questions. And the instructions do not cover these particular details. Although there aren’t many things to know about the cup, the ones that are presented here are the most important. In the future, I may update this article with a few more.

Let’s get started

STRAP POINT – The strap point should be quite high almost running to your shoulder; the Af Chic cup is a high one
THE SEAM UNDER THE CUP – The vertical seam under the cup is more to the center front
CUP SEAM – The first cup seam does NOT end in the vertical seam from the band; it runs just a bit in the direction of the side seam

Please carefully note the numbers 2 and 3. The seams do NOT intersect! The top-stitches do intersect.

This is a tricky thing in the Afi Chic bra. This alignment is what creates a beautiful aesthetic cup.
When attaching the cup to the band, don’t worry, the cup has a notch. And the notch is where the band seam should sit. Nothing is complicated once you take it step by step and follow the sewing steps.

Cup seams

Moving onto the fitting the Afi Chic bra cup. The above picture is a rough sketch of the cup on a model to help you visualize how the seams arrange on the breast. The thing I wanted to point out with this is that the nipple should be somewhere in between the seams. This is how I designed the cup. But, yeah, there are many breast shapes. For some, the bust point may be looking down, for others more to the side. But as a checkpoint on the fitting list, with rare exceptions, the nipple should find its place between the seams.

I hope this will be of help and guide for you when trying the Afi Chic pattern.

The Afi Chic Bra Pattern is available on Etsy as a digital product

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And as a side note: I started working on the next package sizes. The one with larger cups. And I want to express my gratitude to the people testing it!

I would also like to thank everyone who applied but did not get selected (if you did not get an email from me). I am thinking of a way to better thank you. And I am keeping your ALL applications if I decide to design some other things. Isn’t it time to think and actually finish a panty pattern?

Afi Chic Bra – Style 1 in detail

5 May 2020/5 Comments/in Patterns, Sewing /by AFI

While I am slowly working on the next sizes I want to show you all about Style 1 of my new bra pattern. All the small things many of you might wonder. Inside of the bra, anyone? Yes, and not just the inside. It’s Afi Chic Bra Style 1 in detail.

Main Afi Chic view features a lined bra with simple cups fitted into a curvier cradle. I love bows on lingerie, I hate sewing them. It’s not hard to sew the decoration. It’s when you have to sew it. Because you sew the bow almost if not in the last step. And that is when my patience runs out. I simply want to finish the bra faster and try it on. Am I the only one in this category of people? What forces me to have that patience and sew it, is that bows, as small (and insignificant as they are) give a bra that professional finished look.

The Afi Chic Bra Pattern is available on Etsy as a digital product

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That’s the short deviation from the main subject. But back to the Afi Chic and Style 1. Laid on a surface, the cups distort unless you use a stable fabric.

But when the bra is on, the shape takes that beautiful round form due to the two vertical seams.

For some of you, the straps may look more to the center front. For others, they are more to the armpit. This is a matter of taste, and it is in fact an easy alteration if you decide to change the strap position.

But enough with the presentation. Show me the juicy stuff! First on the table, the cups on the inside. My bra here uses a woven fabric. I think it’s a taffeta, but I am not sure. All the seam allowances are hidden. You get no raw or unfinished edges.

In fact, the only raw edges you get are where the strap joins the band on the back and the ends of the underwire casing.

You get beautiful finishes on any section of the bra. Under the cup, side seams, oh, oh, and the ring

Afi Chic Sewing Pattern - Underwire casing

I value very much how a bra looks inside. Maybe you don’t. Maybe you see a garment as an item you’re going to wear and then through it away. No need to invest in having it beautifully finished. And maybe you are right!

I’m going to tell you a story dated many-many years ago when I was a child cutting through all the adventurous sewing projects. I had some interesting ideas and made some courageous garments. One day, a professional seamstress asked me about an item and the origin of the idea. And then she looked inside of my garment. I was perplexed at her expression. All my proud face changed into shame about all the raw and unfinished and overall messy inside of my garment. And from that point, I understood that it’s not enough to express an idea. It’s how you do it that makes it stand out! It’s those fiddly seams and lined cups that bring quality to your work.

So, ever since I started sewing lingerie, a professional look was high on my list of priorities.

But remember you can think of quality only when you achieve the perfect fit!

Don’t waste beautiful fabrics, don’t waste your time and your energy when you are trying a new bra style or a new bra pattern. Work on the fit first, then the quality!

And when you have the fit, invest in making your bra look outstanding from either side. And you can dress the mannequin in the bra turned inside out as if it’s the right side. If it wasn’t for the hook and eye, I could have fooled you this is another bra

But this is why I wanted to create separate posts for each style, starting with the first one. To show you all the neat techniques this bra teaches you – again – when you have perfected your fit. So you can sew your own professional looking on any side bra. Just like pictured on the cover.

The Afi Chic Bra Pattern is available on Etsy as a digital product

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Afi Chic Bra Inspiration – A catalog of ideas

21 April 2020/4 Comments/in Patterns, Sewing /by AFI

Let’s make amends for all the silence that happened in my virtual atelier – that is, the blog. It’s time to tighten the belt and enjoy the ride. Hm, no, not the ride. The bras! Here comes the cohort. Or in other words, a catalog of ideas for my new pattern, the Afi Chic Bra inspiration.

The Afi Chic Bra Pattern is available on Etsy as a digital product

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I won’t talk much in this article, but there are a few things I would like to list. Before that though, I need to highlight the goal of this article. Well, yes it’s about inspiration, but when you see a finished garment, you rarely think of what makes that item, for instance, fabrics or ribbons. Don’t be afraid to experiment! In the instructions booklets, the Afi Chic lists various fabrics you can make the bra from. But none of them is a woven type.

The most important thing I want to say is, ALL these bras were made by me. An inspiration with me-made bras!

The shiny ones are from woven satin. Yes, the cheap ones that can be found everywhere. The satin has stretch in one direction and always covers a foam cup. It’s tricky to sew, you need to pay extra attention. But I think they look gorgeous. Imagine how a mirror satin would look. Even better! Can’t wait to see your ideas and your Afi Chic bras. Woot-woot!

I care not about the uneven stitches here and there. In time I know my hand will get better. Practice is what refines our skills.

Onto the list, I have promised you

You will notice some details in some of these bras are not as described on the Afi Chic product page.

these bras were sewed while I was developing the pattern
some backs are different, some cup seams are different
I also experimented the techniques and fabrics, and pieces

You can sneak any detail and try on your own bra!

Fun facts for your curiosity:

don’t ask me how many bras I had sewed until I came up with the final pattern; many!
these are all wearable and I love them all
my favorite one? The beige one with small ruffles at the neckline

Now, I told you my secrets, except one. Can you guess which one is the first-ever Afi Chic?

The Afi Chic Bra Pattern is available on Etsy as a digital product

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As the end-note, I would like to say a BIG thank you to my first buyer!

Afi Chic Bra Pattern – Now available!

15 April 2020/15 Comments/in Patterns, Sewing /by AFI

My dear readers and followers, can I surprise you with something I am ready to share with you? I have designed a new bra pattern. It’s called Afi Chic Bra Pattern because it is chic in every way. The pattern, instructions and the ready garment made from it. This is my first commercial pattern. I poured all my efforts and energy into creating something truly unique. This is a downloadable PDF sewing pattern.

The Afi Chic Bra is designed to have a beautiful round cup created by the two vertical seams. Since many will wonder about the coverage, this is a full cup with a high front. The frame is also a full-frame featuring a leotard back and somehow wide band. The bra is designed to use underwires for shape and support.

The Afi Chic Bra Pattern is available on Etsy as a digital product

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Sizes

This release is for the main sizes. We call it Package 1 Sizes. And the included sizes with it are:

EU 60-85 A-E
UK 28-38 A-DD
US 28-38 A-E

These sizes work with our Bra Size Calculator which calculates your size based on the measurements. See the calculators page for more info. Always use the calculator to determine your size for our patterns! Although our sizes should match most of the RTW sizing, do not rely on your good known RTW (Ready To Wear size) from lingerie stores or other patterns. Measure yourself, fill in the calculator form and know your size for OUR patterns.

Styles

The Afi Chic Bra Pattern includes 3 styles. Style 1 is a basic one. Cups are fully lined as well as the cradle. One notable feature of this style is its double backwing. Yes, doubled. But why has the main style to be so complicated? The reasoning behind this has two key points.

First, many of us can easily get hand on a lighter powernet which I call powermesh.
Heavier powernet is harder to source. One layer of the lighter powernet often does not offer much support. Double it and the band becomes wearable and comfortable. While larger cups can do the same but with doubled heavy powernet.

The second reason for the double band is that many of you know how to sew a single-layer back band. Among many goals I set for this pattern, sewing professionally a bra is one of them. Teaching you how to sew a double-layer band is part of this goal.
But don’t worry if you do not know how to sew a bra. Single-layer back is taught for Style 3.

Style 2 is more advanced, but with more delicate finishing. The cup uses foam. The neckline edge is completely hidden by the lace decoration. Also, lace decoration is used for hiding side seams.

Afi Chic Bra Pattern - Style 2 - Side view

Style 3 uses lace to cover the foam cups. The lace on the band features an asymmetrical cut. It starts from the front, almost hides the side seam, and ends elegantly on the back. Yes, you can also make the bridge from lace. I chose to model one that does not use the lace as the bridge just to give you an idea of what the pieces of this pattern are, and what you can make with them.

Afi Chic Bra Pattern - Style 3 - Back view

Afi Chic Bra Pattern - Style 3 - Side view

But this was merely a summary of the styles. For each style, the instructions show you all the interesting details and techniques used. This way you can choose more wisely which one you want to sew: because you like it, or because you want to learn new sewing techniques.

The Afi Chic Bra Pattern is available on Etsy as a digital product

Purchase Now

Instructions

But this was merely a summary of the styles. For each style, the instructions Speaking of the instructions and the package. This pattern is … well, it is very detailed. You get an introductory instruction booklet that helps you get started with bra making in general, and how to work with the pattern. It walks you through sizing, wires, printing, bra information. Then you get separate instruction PDFs for each style.

I debated for some time if instructions should be mangled together or have them separate. And the reason I went with separate files is: if it were me that used the pattern, I would choose one style and sew that up. I would like instruction to tell me what supplies are needed only for that particular style and not get lost among the lines and at some point say “oh wait, this is not needed because it’s not for my style”. I would like sewing steps to walk me from A to Z and not interrupt me with sections where notes say “for this style sew that with that”.

I apologize in advance if you wanted to save paper and have it all in one place. I know printing is not cheap. But with all the details like illustrations, and the chapters, and the techniques included at some point I thought of this pattern as a … small book. Beginners learn to sew a bra, while more advanced seamstresses can learn neat sewing techniques to make truly high-end finished bras.

The Afi Chic Bra Pattern is available on Etsy as a digital product

Purchase Now

Key features

IT’S DIFFERENT

from other similar styles on the market in at least two ways: the curves on the cups are different (oh, by the way, the easiest curves to sew), and the band has a special shape

FULL PATTERN PACKAGE

there will not be separate add-ons to drain your pockets; the pattern already has lace pieces + full A to Z instructions for each style and where and how the add-on pieces are used

METICULOUSLY WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS

are accompanied by an abundance of well-designed illustrations; not photos

Last but not least. This pattern was built with many personal sacrifices. I gave up all my holidays, any recreational sewing or any other activities not sewing-related. All my weekends became working days. And I’ll admit, it was a challenge to see it here available. But I do hope you will enjoy the Afi Chic Bra Pattern. We openheartedly accept feedback. But please, if you’re going to throw tomatoes (we accept those too) and before judging, please think of the tremendous work that was poured into making this. And think if you would have done it.

The Afi Chic Bra Pattern is available on Etsy as a digital product

Purchase Now

Portfolio Items

Afi Atelier

Posts

Afi Chic Bra – Underwire length adjustment

First steps

Shortening the wire curve at the arm area

Step by step

Afi Chic Cup – Adjusting the strap position and the armhole

First steps

Moving the strap more to the center

Moving the strap more to the center and cutting deeper the armhole

Comparison of the above adjustments

Afi Chic Bra – The cup

Let’s get started

Cup seams

Afi Chic Bra – Style 1 in detail

Afi Chic Bra Inspiration – A catalog of ideas

Onto the list, I have promised you

As the end-note, I would like to say a BIG thank you to my first buyer!

Afi Chic Bra Pattern – Now available!

Sizes

Styles

Instructions

Key features

IT’S DIFFERENT

FULL PATTERN PACKAGE

METICULOUSLY WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS

Portfolio Items

Afi Chic Bra Sewing Pattern

About AFI

Images Credit

Bra making help

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