seamless molded foam cups
Beyond halloween costumes outlet Foam-Dome For those that still crave foam enhancement, you can still set yourself apart from the pre-molded crowd via foam that has been fitted to your contours. Yes, this is possible via a custom bra and occasionally I make bras using this method, especially when some extra support is called for via strapless styles. So while I don't use foam as a rule, it does have its place in my set of tools to make the best bra for each client.
I am just going to come out lingerie manufacturer china and say it. I don't like foam. Foam cups, that is.
The other argument for foam comes from women who say they want foam to conceal their nipples and aereola. Well, I have found that a fitted cut and sew bra can also accomplish this depending on the fabric choice of course since the cup seam directly passes over the bust apex.
To me, seamless molded foam cups underwear manufacturer china give all women the same rounded shape. Not only is it boring but it is unrealistic and not a good look for everyone. In defense of manufacturers, it is much easier to fit a wider variety of breast shapes using foam cups. Any fit issues with the cup of the bra are disguised under the "foam dome", as I call it, making it easier to sell more bras to a wider variety of shapes.
Foam is a relatively recent phenomenon in the history of bras. It started in the early 60s with advances in knit fabric fabric technology. It was not long before the process to produce seamless molded foam cups was perfected in the mid-1970s. Seamless molded foam cups came at a time when women wanted a smooth look under the fitted knit clothing of the time.
I have never really liked the "foam dome", I prefer the lightness and beauty of bras made from laces and silks compared to fabric wrapped around a sometimes weighty foam cup. There are more design possibilities with fabric bra cups (called "cut-and-sew" bras) as well, which from a designers perspective is much more interesting.
I completely understand that many women like the enhanced profile that can be achieved when the breasts are given a padded boost. However, I think a properly designed and fitted cut-and-sew bra should be the first step. Many women are surprised to find that when a bra fits properly and is put on the body correctly scooping the breasts out of the armpit and into the cup natural assets are enhanced. Also keep in mind that bra makers have several tools in the their design arsenal to help enhance breast size and shape without the use of any padding. Of course for a bigger boost strategically built in padding can do a lovely yet subtle job.
around here but I do actually have a couple of very good reasons
Sewing corsets wholesale By The Book Now I truly understand why even intermediate to advanced sewists shy away from bra making.Good news on point two: I think my book solves this problem since I wrote it from a beginning bra maker's perspective. On point one, well, time will tell, though I have some ideas!
It may seem to have been quiet wholesale halloween costumes around here but I do actually have a couple of very good reasons.
First I have been hard at work on my upcoming book, wholesale christmas costumes "Demystifying Bra Fitting and Construction". After a lot of work, the book is nearly ready and it will be released this April. If you want to be alerted when my book is available, you can head over here and add yourself to the email list.
The second thing keeping me busy also has to do with the book. Over the last few weeks my book has undergone testing by an amazing group of sewists and as this lovely group was testing my book, so was I!
To test my book I worked through a selection of commercially available bra patterns to see what it was like to sew a bra from a beginning bra maker's perspective. It was fun to work with some different styles but there were two main problems:
1. Bra pattern instructions leave out a lot of important construction details. In some cases they make construction more difficult or just dont make sense. There is also a lot of missing information such as the fabric properties that the pattern was drafted for.
2. A beginning bra maker would not know how to adjust the pattern to get a good fit or to how fill in the missing instructions to get a professional looking result.
I know some sewists swear by the Pilot Frixion pen
Tips long gown dress and Tricks for Marking Fabric Let's dive right in with my top recommendation, the Clover Chacopen. It washes right out, even from white Duoplex fabric and does not reappear after washing. Easy marking and removal make this marker a winner.
Continuing on with the swimwear manufacturer summer pro tips series, today is about marking tools and how to mark your fabric. Marking lingerie sewing pattern pieces is important, especially for bras, since it is not always obvious how the pieces fit together. Accurate marking also makes it much easier to assemble your garment.
First costume manufacturer things First
When it comes to markers, I believe in thorough pre-testing. To truly test a marker, you need to mark the fabric, remove the marking then wash and dry the test swatch, exactly as you will treat the final garment. It sounds like a hassle but it is even more of a hassle to have a marking reappear in a visible spot on your finished garment after its first wash!
Marker Recommendations
I know some sewists swear by the Pilot Frixion pen, a gel pen that uses heat to remove its markings. I do not use them since they failed my wash and dry test on white Duoplex. The markings faintly reappear. The pen's marks will also reappear if the garment gets cold. It is worth noting that, Frixion pens are designed as erasable gel pens, not as removable fabric markers. You are actually putting gel ink on your fabric when you use these pens.
On darker fabrics, I like to use chalk in the form of the Clover Pen Style Chaco Liner (in yellow above). Depending on how quickly I will be working with the garment, I may even use disappearing tailors chalk, a chalk that disappears on its own over the span of a few days. Clover also makes an air erasable marker (the pink marker pictured) but I find those markings disappear too quickly!
Some of my students like to use Hera markers (the white plastic tool pictured above). I find the markings too hard to see but if it works for you it is a great option since you don't apply anything but pressure to the fabric to make a marking. I would still test this marker first to be sure it does not cause any long term damage the fibers of your fabric.
When it comes to larger projects like my couture camisole or this chemise I mark construction details using cotton basting thread as pictured below.
Marking
Now you know which markers to use, so what should you mark?
If you are not used to sewing bras, the pattern pieces and how the pieces fit together can be confusing so I recommend placing a marker to indicate the top (and/or bottom) of each pattern piece for your reference so you know how the pieces come together. You may even want to label what each piece is (e.g. lower outside cup) I like to use small adhesive labels as pictured below.
Of course you also want to be sure to transfer construction markers onto your fabric. Another tip do not snip any notches! Think about what happens when you cut into a knit garment or snag a pair of stockings – the fabric unravels. Even when using a woven fabric for lingerie the small seam allowances make snipping notches is a bit dangerous! To make it easier to transfer notches to my fabric using a marker, I notch my pattern pieces.
Do you have any tips for marking fabric? Feel free to add your tips to the comments below!
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