Jackie - The Fabulous New Zipper Front Sports Bra From Porcelynne

It’s been a while since I posted but I’ve got quite a few new patterns to share with you. As this has just been released I thought I would start with the Jackie, the new sports bra pattern, from Porcelynne. When the call went out I was eager to test this pattern for a number of reasons. The main reason was the zipper front as I’m having physio on my shoulder and using a back fastener is incredibly painful. I love the strap detail as well as the clean inside, no seams to rub or chaff. It also turns out it is interchangeable with all of Jennifer’s other sports bras as well as the Tankini Add On. So let’s see how I got on.

Starting with the pattern, as expected the size range is phenomenal. Jennifer had posted some pictures on the Porcelynne Facebook of makes with larger cups and the shape looked great so I was interested to see how this would look on me at the smaller end of the scale.

There are three pieces to the cup as well as a shaped back. The zipper has a top and bottom tab built into a hook and eye which you can fasten first to make pulling the zip up easier for the bigger cups. I chose the zipper shield option as I thought the fastener would not be necessary for my size.

Moving on to the sizing. The pattern describes the fit as “more relaxed for low impact sports or daily wear”. My measurements put me in a 32D. As I wanted more compression I went down a band and cup size as suggested in the instructions. There are a lot of pieces so I have uploaded a short video of the pieces and the materials I have used. Tailormade still has the grey fabric in stock but the Orange Soda Space Dye Poly Lycra Knit is no longer available from Fabric Fairy but they have a huge range of similar products.

As there is a Facebook Sew Along Group I am not going to go into a lot of detail about the construction. I started with the straps. For my sports version I used foam for both comfort and to stabilise the inner strap. This does make them quite bulky but my machine didn’t have a problem. My comment here would to make sure you use the correct width pattern piece for your elastic and findings and adjust the front strap placement on the side front to match.

I only had a really long zipper to use but it is relatively simple to cut it down to size. I didn’t have any silver end stops left so I used a crimp bead cover from my jewellery making stash. The instructions have you leave an extra 3/4” but I found this a little short and only just fit into the band. Next time I think I will leave cutting until the shield is in place. Also remember to make sure you have the pull in the section you are using before you cut off the excess.

I would definitely recommend reading through the instructions as well as watching the Sew Along before construction as the steps to enclose all the seams are not straightforward. So in the end you are pulling the whole garment through the shield side of the zipper and then you topstitch through the main fabric, zipper and shield to close the gap. This is a lot of bulk to sew through and I changed to my walking foot and size 16 needle.

The fabric and fit are fabulous for a sports bra. I love the clean inside and it is so comfortable. I just love it when a test make goes so well and why I like to use appropriate fabrics for every make. This pattern is particular good for scraps of fabric and the grey is what I had left from making the Greenstyle Inspire Tights Moto Add On. I put the bra through a workout and I am pretty impressed with the support from the compression without being squashed flat. Personally, there is too much bounce for a long run but pretty good for everything else.

As the pattern is interchangeable with the other sports bra patterns I thought it would be good to combine with the Laurel as I loved the hook and eye details with a heart cut out and the criss-cross front band.

For this make I decided to go with a comfortable day bra. I kept the band size the same as I like a snug fit but went up a cup size for less compression. I’ve uploaded another short video for the pattern pieces and materials used. This was before I realised I had gone a step too far without reading the instructions for the Laurel.

I’ll come to the seam ripper moment later but first I thought I would share the links to the fabrics I used. The main fabric is from BWear and comes in a number of colours but the one I have used is Lavender. The white athletic mesh is no longer available but Tailormade still have the black. Again the heart mesh is no longer available but Madalynne always has some fabulous and unusual fabric to add to your stash.

Moving on to the construction, I started with the criss-cross pieces. It was a little fiddly to get the pieces in place as you have multiple layers of fabric and elastic. I tried to machine baste in place but the fabric is very slippery so I did this by hand several times so I could place before attaching to the front.

I didn’t have much room to adjust the straps for the first make so for this one I added some length to the side front. I redrew the sides so that I had a straight tab for folding over the slider as I found the shape a little bulky on the first make. I also stabilised both the main and lining fabric at this point to stop them stretching out.

So it wasn’t until after the video when I was trying to work out how to keep the seams enclosed that I realized I couldn’t construct the Laurel in the same way as the Jackie. For the Laurel I needed to sew the back neckline and heart cut out, attach elastic and then turn through to finish. Seam ripping lightning stitches is not fun but I had to undo the four side seams. Also, the heart cut out is not as neat as I would like as I used 3/8” clear elastic and when I watched the videos on the website it said to use 1/4”. I think this is a bigger issue with the smaller sizes as there is very little distance between the neckline and where the scallops of the heart meet.

Combining the two patterns worked out brilliantly although I did have to think through the construction to put the two together. The only difference is that the band seam is not enclosed.

Despite the hiccups along the way it turned out pretty well. In conclusion the sizing is spot on and the shaping is beautiful. This is a fabulous day bra and will be perfect for long walks and cycling and trips out in the motorhome.

If you are interested you can buy the Jackie at half price until the 26th November and, in addition, on Black Friday itself (the 26th November) there is a 25% discount on all Porcelynne patterns. For my test makes I have used scraps of fabric but Jennifer has put together some kits specifically for the Jackie as well as having some sports bra knit fabric by the yard in some lovely colours. BWear has also put together some kits that are suitable for the Jackie (both the Jackie and Emily kit).

Back with a new blog soon.

Pattern Drafting, Sketches and New Year's Resolutions

It’s been a while since I last posted but I’ve had a manic few weeks of doing so many new things so I thought it was time to take a break and journal all the makes. My New Year’s Resolutions were to take time to practice sketching designs, further develop skills to take designs to patterns and explore different approaches to drafting. So here is what I have achieved so far.

The year got off to a good start as Porcelynne had a week long Draft Along which was live drafting using the method in Jennifer’s book Bare Essentials. This was drafting from measurements to create a fitting pattern that could then be turned into a sloper to create any design. Alternatively you can use your fitted Eve cup, or any other well fitting pattern, to create the sloper, which I had already done, but was interested to see how the two would compare.

What I took away from the week was a better understanding of how to manipulate patterns I already had and this set is my first attempt to take an idea through to a finished make.

Although this method is a mathematical approach to determining measurements for bra drafting, for most of us, the first draft is a starting point. My initial draft had a similar shape to my Eve but needed some work to get a good fit. I had my Tailormade TMCollaBRAtory January kit to use and an idea for the design so I thought I could make a sloper from my perfect fitting Emerald Erin Black Beauty. The first step was to integrate the strap part of the power bar into the upper cup.

I wanted to create a diagonal seam through the apex which would create a super powerbar side with a curved lace upper cup. To help decide where to place the seam I used a technique I had seen in Beverly Johnson’s Bra-makers Manual where you make up a cup in foam and draw the style lines and cut up. Using the Bare Essentials method I then had to put the curves back on. I made up a test cup to check the fit both in terms of cup size and that it fit into the frame. So I was ready to use the beautiful lingerie satin kit.

Before I decided where to use the lace on the bra I cut out the lace back for the Ohhhlulu Claudia which is a great pattern where you can use the non stretch fabric of your bra on the small front panel. I often size up with the Claudia depending on the stretch of my lace and whether the front panel has any stretch at all.

The next set came about because I had run out of regular wires and thought why not try drafting for the short/demi/plunge wires I did have and use the kit for my February TMCollaBRAtory. I sketched a few ideas for front closing, partial bands with strappy backs but then realised I needed to get the basics right first.

The band draft was straight forward but I was struggling with the cups so I decided to look through the many patterns I have and see if I could use them. The idea was a lace cup with a separate foam lower cup with a push up effect.

I first came up with using the Madalynne X Simplicity 8436 which is a partial band for stretch lace which I had made a while ago. So I adjusted the cups to fit my full band draft. Then I needed a foam lower cup piece. The answer was the Porcelynne Ariel cup which is a three piece cup for a lovely round shape. So I made up the full cup in foam and inserted into the band with the lace over and as before drew on the style I wanted. This took off most of the upper cup so I adjusted the middle piece to incorporate the bits of the upper cup I needed.

I made up the other cup from my new pattern pieces, lined the lace cup, attached elastic to the neckline and finished the rest of the bra. From this I narrowed the bridge, created a gothic arch and narrowed the band as far as I could so it would appear to be a partial band. For that push up look I also tried making some cookies from Beverly Johnson’s class but the fit was so good I don’t think they are needed.

With all the pattern pieces adjusted I moved onto the beautiful lace kit for my February TMCollaBRAtory project. As I used the lace for the back band as well as the full lace cups I only had a small piece left to make a set. I instantly thought of the EvielaLuve Chloe thong which I had adapted for a comfier fit! I checked how much of the pattern piece I could cover before I cut out the front piece in mesh. I placed the lace over the mesh so that the scallop would sit below the fold over elastic and cut around. This left a tiny piece to partial cover the back. The fit and look of this set is sensational and I have plans to make it again very soon.

Moving on to my latest make which could be a blog post on its own but I think I will include it here. It wasn’t what I planned to make next but this mustard and black kit from Diane’s Bratastic Fabrics had such great Art Deco vibes that I decided to run with it.

I had already bought some Sashiko inspired embroidery designs from Designs by Juju that I wanted to try out on lingerie satin so the idea was to try a find a design that would work with the lace. A posting on FB reminded me of the Orange Lingerie Lansdowne which I intended to revisit to get a good fit but more importantly the large lower cup would be perfect.

I started by altering the pattern to fit which meant taking a wedge out of the underarm and altering the back band. Then I stitched out a few of the designs to see which worked best with the lace. With the design chosen I had to decide how to place the pattern piece to look best with the lace and check it would fit in the 8” x 8” hoop. I was struggling to decide so I printed out the design and cut out the pattern piece. I used a low loft fusible fleece for stabiliser as this would compact well for sewing and would be like a padded cup for what is described as a “cleavage enhancing, plunging underwire bra”. I was able to get a cup and side from each square. To ensure none of the stitches unravelled I traced off the pattern pieces and then stitched inside before I cut out.

To cover the stabiliser I lined with the fabric which enabled me to enclose all the seams and still be comfortable. I did have to switch to a bigger needle and use a walking foot but I did get through all the layers and it looks good on the inside as well. For the set I made another Ohhhlulu Claudia but I didn’t have much lace so I opted for a lace overlay on the front panel and used mesh on the fold for the back. This encloses the back seam and gives a smooth profile under clothing.

Now I have the fit right this is another stunning bra and immensely pleased with how it turned out. Through out the makes I have also been working on underwear drafting but I will share this in a separate blog.