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Beginning Bra Builder Bundle

Beginning Bra Builder Bundle

Regular price
$73.88
Sale price
$72.00
Quantity must be 1 or more

This bundle of fabric and elastic will start you off right in becoming your own custom lingerie maker. You'll want to make a few tries at your fit, and this bundle gives you the ability to iterate your fit a number of times. A wire size of 44 should be able to couple the fabrics, the elastics and the water soluble thread (so you can disassemble your muslin quickly and easily) into 3 tries with many patterns. For your final project, you can add a bit of lace to give your final first project a bit of personality. 

After you purchase your kit, you can use or purchase your extended access membership to The Great Bra Sewing Bee to help you in your first forays into the world of me-made lingerie. You can also hop on over to Monica's website, Bravo Bella, to purchase her instructional videos Bras 101 and Bras 102.  With her great instruction you will be ready to make your first bra as soon as your kit arrives. Please note that Monica's videos are using the Bravo Bra #2 pattern, which is designed for larger cups, and is available on this site. 

You'll have a few options for base fabric with your bundle. If you choose the Microduoplex or Super Simplex, the bra will be easy to dye to your choice of color with any acid dye. This is more difficult to do with the Cotton Jersey bra. To help you navigate these options, we have a helpful video for you.

The cotton jersey kit is very easy to cut and sew. You'll want to make sure that the stretch is going in opposite directions between the outside and the lining of the bra cups. This base fabric is best for more self-supportive breasts.

The Microduoplex, which includes Sheer Cup Lining, is a truly luxurious, buttery, wonderful bra fabric that requires a bit more special handling. The strength of the fabric, which makes it so wonderful for bras, also makes it hard to puncture with needles and pins. Use either fine silk pins or Wonder Clips to pin (I find mini-Wonder Clips work best), and a Microtex 80/12 needle with a smooth thread like Superior Threads So Fine or Mettler Metrosene to make it easy to sew. In my testing, the So Fine thread and Microtex 80/12 won the challenge of the nicest stitch on Microduoplex, and I found it just as easy to sew as the jersey. We offer all these items here on our site. 

You can also use our new Super Simplex fabric as your base fabric. This fabric combines some of the best features of the other 2 fabric choices. It is smooth, opaque, substantial, easy to sew and relatively supportive. Line with Sheer Cup Lining to make it fully supportive. 

You Beginning Bra Builder Bundle includes:

  • Cup fabric in Frost (the BBB is not available to be dyed)-
    • 3/4 yard of cotton jersey or, 
    • 1/2 yard of Microduoplex plus 1/2 yard of Sheer Cup Lining or,
    • 1/2 yard of Super Simplex plus 1/2 yard of Sheer Cup Lining or,
    • 3/4 yard of Tricot
  • Band fabric - a kit cut of Regular Power Net, Firm or Stabilized Firm Power Net in Frost
  • Lace - a yard of stretch lace in Frost
  • Elastics in Frost- 
    • 4 yards each of upper and lower band elastic
      • Choose 5/8" lower band elastic for larger sizes and more support, 1/2" for smaller sizes and good support
    • 3 yards of Frost plush channeling
    • 3 yards or 18" of Frost strap elastic
      • Choose 3/4" for larger sizes and more support, 1/2" for smaller sizes and good support. Do not choose the Self Strap (18" of elastic, no rings and slides) option unless you are making the Bravo Bra #2.
    • 1/2 yard of cotton twill tape in Frost
  • 3 sets of hooks and eyes
    • Choose 2 hooks for smaller sizes, 3 hooks for average sizes and 4 hooks for larger sizes. Consult your pattern for guidance.
  • 3 pairs of underwires. Indicate your target size and we'll send that plus one size up and one size down. Return the ones that don't work for a free exchange. See our Wires page for guidance on choosing wire size.
  • A spool of Water Soluble Thread
  • A spool of So Fine thread in white