Maybe it’s a little too late in the year to be thinking of summer dresses with exposed backs, or extreme 80′s tank tops with giant arm holes… but I’m very excited for warmer weather! Because I made this little beauty:
…and now you can too! Normally I don’t wear bralettes, but lately I’ve been bitten by the Nasty Gal/Brandy Melville style bug and I’m stepping out of my comfort zone with this. Nasty Gal and Dolls Kill sell this very popular caged bralette/swimsuit top for around $75 or more, but I didn’t want to spend that much for just a bra. This is my first time sewing a bikini/lingerie type piece and I’m glad I did…. it turned out amazingly well for my first try.
I spent $5.22 for 10 yards of elastic from Etsy, $0.99 for the black thread (I had just recently run out), and $2 for some stretchy little girl’s dance shorts at Goodwill… for a total of $8.21.
What you’ll need:
- Stretchy black fabric for the two chest pieces
- At least 5 yards of 5/8″ fold over elastic, or “FOE.” I bought 10 yards and only used about half
- A sewing machine
- Black thread
- 2 bra rings, 2 bra adjustable sliders: I cut up an old black bra and used it for its parts
- Scissors (or rotary blade, but that’s optional)
- A ruler or measuring tape to make sure things are even
Fold over elastic can be found on Etsy and Ebay. They come in different widths but the most common is 5/8″.
There are 2 sides to fold over elastic (aka FOE). I chose to use the matte side.
You’ll be making a LOT OF STRAPS. A LOT.
Play around with your zig zag settings and tension to get the best amount of stretch in your straps.
Find some fabric to use for the cup/chest area.
Cut it up!
Let’s finish the edges with fold over elastic.
Make sure you have extra length for the straps. Just in case.
I’m a size 32, so I cut enough for a 32″ band. Sew to attach.
Close your bra band together to make a loop:
Now it’s time to work on the back straps. Find some bra parts!
Make your adjustable straps:
Now add the decorative straps to the cup area:
The loops should fit around your bottom ribcage.
It will seem very repetitive now, but we’re almost done.
When you’ve added all the straps you want… you’re finished!
Have fun and good luck!
♥ E&I
