Lining a Bra 101

A friend PM'd me and asked for advice.  She had created a few bras over the years, but had never lined one.  She was a bit stumped, as it didn't seem that very many people had covered this topic. 

She was right, for a web search turned up nothing.

So, I used the opportunity to reline the red bra I was working on.  Red doesn't photograph well, so if you need me to get another photo to better show something, let me know.

So, here is my attempt at explaining lining.  I am going to try and take the very simple approach, calling out a few places where you can get fancy as you get experienced.

PLEASE let me know if you have questions! 

You can choose to spend a LOT of money on lining fabric, or you can mind your pennies.  I personally like to use cotton, because it is inexpensive and breathes well.  I try to use lining fabric that matches the body of the bra / belt, so that it blends.  At some point, some part may start poking out, so you want a similar color to the outer body of the bra.  Also, try to use a woven cotton, not a knit.  Knits stretch, but that may cause you to sew it too tightly, distorting the cup. I found two remnant pieces that perfectly match my bedlah.  I would up only using the smaller piece for the bra. (I am a 34 C, so I only need about 1/4 yard -- larger sizes will need more.)  I can use the other piece for the belt lining and probably as a base fabric for accessories. 

I spent less than $3 USD, as this was a remnant!

Wash your fabric!  Really!  You don't want it to bleed on you!  Or shrink!  Or discover after you have sewn it in that it can disintegrate!

If you have to iron it, you can.  If it is too wrinkly, you could opt for another fabric.  I decided this one would do; but, I did iron it because I had other fabrics to iron and I decided it was a good excuse to teach Kiddo the Art of Ironing.

This shows three things: 1) how close the new lining is to the old, 2) that I kept the old liner in because, hey, it's one more barrier against sweat, and 3) how the original liner was one piece.  I consider that a more advanced technique.  For this demo, I will cut the side band liner separately from the cups.

For this post, I will be using the bra itself to make the pattern.  (This will appear in a few photos.)  But, if you are making your own bra from scratch, you can use the pattern for the side panels of the bra (as shown) to make a pattern for the lining.  Just as you would for the bra covering, cut the lining at least 1/2 inch bigger than the actual side panel.  To cover the bra, you would wrap this over the edges; but, to line the bra, you will fold this under.

If you are re-lining a bra, you can use the old liner as a pattern.  On my silver bedlah redo, I marked the dart locations on the cup for reference.  I wound up just darting where I felt like it.  Oh, and be sure to unfold where the lining fabric is folded in before you cut the new liner from the old liner's pattern -- you need that fold for clean edges.

This photo shows how the dark lines are actually simple, unsewn darts, where the tailor simply folded the fabric to make it fit the shape of the bra.  We will use a similar technique in the cup.  Keep in mind that darts mean extra fabric: a deeper cup will need MORE darts, which means MORE fabric to line.  Scale up or down your yardage accordingly.  (Where I used 1/4 yard, some queen costumes / goddess sizes may need a full yard.)  When in doubt, buy more yardage until you have experience.

I wanted to show how the original tailor used three darts to fit the cup.

Here, I am laying the bra out to make the pattern for the side panel.

If you are REALLY new to sewing and cutting, take a pencil or a ballpoint pen and *carefully* trace around the side panel, without touching the bra, move the bra out of the way, then cut 1/2 - 1" bigger all the way around.  The less experience you have, the more seam allowance you should allow.

If you are more confident and can forgive yourself for potential fringe errors, you can whip out the scissors and cut the pattern 1/2 - 1" bigger than the side panel.

The Practical Dancer is not responsible for scissor accidents.  Choose the method based on your confidence.

This shows what the piece would look like after you cut.

Now, use the same method to cut the panel for the other side.

Note: I am using a fabric that does NOT have a right or wrong side.  It also does not have a pattern with direction.  I recommend using this to start. 

If you use a fabric that has a right and a wrong, you will have to think about ensuring that the panel is upside right when you are done.  This means cutting the pattern so that the wrong side is inside and the upward pattern direction faces up in the cups . . . and that is a lot to think about.

Start simple, with a fabric with no right or wrong side and no direction, then get fancy with experience. 

Now, we are going to start to fit the cut panel to the bra.

I have learned from *painful* experience that it is best to start at the ends of the bra and pin inwards.  Fold the fabric in and under, sandwiching the extra fabric in between the outside of the liner and the body of the bra.  Pin as you go.

I learned to pin sideways from Dawn Devine's book, "Embellished Bras" which I HIGHLY recommend.  Here, I am starting at the end of the bra and working my way toward the cup, folding what will be the upper and lower edges at the same time.  I work on both sides at once, because I have learned that keeps the fabric centered.

I have now pinned one panel onto the bra body.

Instead of pins, you can also use wonderclips or binder clips to hold the fabric in place.  Clothes pins also work.  Just be careful not to put too much pressure on the beads.

This shows how far I extend the side panel into the cup.  The actual cup panel will cover the rest.  see that pointy corner, though?  I could leave it and tuck it in . . .

. . . Or, I can lop it off to remove bulk.

This is trying to show you how I "hide" the knot under the lining fabric when I sew the first stitch.  You will note that I also left the hook on.  Why not?  It works!  No sense in moving it!

Taking the first stitch.  I am RIGHT handed, so I will be sewing right to left and holding the bra with my left hand.  A later photo will show you to hold the bra with your right hand if you are left handed.

The point is you want to sew in the "easy" direction based on your hand dominance. 

Here, I take a slightly angled stitch.  Note that I am only sewing the liner to the outermost layers of fabric.  Don't try to sew through the whole bra to the other side -- it will frustrate you and not look good.

Pulling the stitch through.  It is much easier to sew around wonder clips than pins.  If you are starting out:

1) keep your thread short, use a larger eye needle to make re-threading easier, since you are not doing delicate beadwork.

2) always pull your stitches up and away from your pins

3) use your other hand to help "coach" the thread away from the pins or clips.

Taking the next stitch, again at a slight angle. DO keep your stitches loose enough that the garment can bend and flex -- you want to be able to breathe.  DON'T make them so loose they snag on things.

And again.  Repeat across the panel.

Note two things:

1) This creates an angled, loose whip stitch that holds the liner to the body and keeps the folded bits inside.

2) I am actually holding the bra up as if it were on a body, not flat on the table.  This allows my hands freedom to move AND it would allow any fringe to be kept out of the way by gravity.  This is going to be important when we get to the cups.

One token photo to show how I would hold the bra if I were left handed.  Again, note from the shadow how I am holding it perpendicular to the table, not flat on it.  If I were left handed, I would be sewing from left to right.

I am still sewing the top edge of the right side bra band, moving up toward the cup.

When I get to the cup, I sew the lining fabric far enough to completely cover the side bra band.  A separate piece of fabric will cover the cup itself.  Once again, I try to hide the knot under the fabric, to prevent it from coming loose.

Now, it is time to sew the bottom of the right bra band, again working right to left, since I am right handed. (If you are left handed, turn the bra upside down, with the outside of the bra toward the table, so that you are sewing left to right.)

Once again, I bury my knot.

I take a few stitches along the bottom of the bra band, again working towards the cups.

Then, I flip the bra band up, so that I can more easily handle the bra.  The outside of the bra was on the table, now it is facing me.  Learning to turn and handle the fabric makes a HUGE difference in whether the thread knots and catches, and can make the difference between a fifteen minute job and four hours of cussing and complaining.  If you need me to make a small video to demonstrate this better, let me know.

I continue along the bottom of the right bra band, working toward the cup until I am done.  I bury my knot, then tackle the left.

I decided to use pins on the left side, as that is what most costumers have to work with.  And, they are a pain.  They catch threads, they fall out, they stab you and jump out at bare feet.  But, when they are what you have, you have to work with them.

Hints for working with pins:

1. Keep your thread short.  Whether you double it or not, you want your thread to only be as long as your natural arm extension as you pull the stitch through.  It is better to rethread than pull out knots.

2. Learn to sew in your "natural direction" (right to left if right handed, left to right if left handed) and to turn the piece to sew what you need easier.
3. Remember that you do NOT have to sew all the way around the garment.  You can sew, stop, turn, and restart in order to make it easier.  I know it *seems* like one seam would be faster; but, it is better to turn the piece and rethread than to untangle the sweater that knotted thread made.

This is the left bra band.  The "top" of the band is actually in the bottom of the photo, the "bottom" edge of the band is on the top.  Confusing? Yes.  Just think of it as "I want to sew in my natural direction," which for me is right to left.

And, I bury my knot and start sewing. 

After I finish stitching the lining to both of the bra bands, I move on to the cups.  Each bra has a different cup shape, so you will have to vary how you do this based on the bra.  I completely "cheat" and make a cup liner by pushing the fabric deep into the cup, and cutting away the excess fabric so that there is about a 2" margin all the way around.  Just be careful to NOT cut the fringe or the bra underneath.  If this method terrifies you, I get it.  Cut a huge circle or a big old triangle (with the bra safely somewhere else) and then fold the excess under, cutting a) after you have pinned it first to test it, and b) carefully!

In this photo, I am just starting the process. You can see that there is a lot of extra fabric AND how I am ensuring I push it into the cup.

This shows you where the cup liner overlaps with the bra band liner piece.  Since I sweat here, an extra layer is good.  BUT, this only works with thin fabrics like this cotton.  If you use a bulky fabric (which I do not recommend), then you will have to much bulk here and the cup will not lay correctly.

Here, I have trimmed the excess away, and I am pushing the fabric in to ensure there is lots of room for me to fit in. 

Resist the temptation to make the fabric taught -- to make it stretch tightly.  This will make the bra "stand away" from your body, instead of hugging it.  I did that a few times.  I still need to repair some of those costumes.

This shot shows the rough shape that this bra needed.  Left Cup.

Right cup.  I cut both sides before pinning or sewing.

On to the pinning.  Having done this several times now, I can attest that I find it works best if you start pinning in the center where the cups meet, then pin along the top edge of the cup first, tucking in the fabric as you go.  Pin from the center of the cleavage to where the strap meets the cup.  THIS line needs to be clean and tight, otherwise the liner will peek out and the audience will see it.

When I get to where the strap meets the cup, I make a small point, then pin down under the armpit so that the fabric overlaps with the bra band liner.

The entire cup is now pinned.  In this case, I folded a simple dart to ensure the fabric was not tight and had room for me in the cup.  Again, each bra is different.

And, here is the thing:  The first few times you do this, you will find that you have to pin, fiddle with it, unpin, fiddle with it, etc.  This is *normal* and builds  experience.  Try not to get frustrated.  Just keep repinning until it works.  Use thin, inexpensive cottons to start with until your confidence warrants a more expensive liner fabric.  It is always easier to repin than to undo stitches.

On to the left cup!  Same as the right!  Cut the fabric a little big to allow room to fold the fabric over, start pinning from the center to the top of the cup, and around.

This is why I should post photos as soon as I take them.  I had a reason to show you this.  Maybe it was the pinning technique, which is a variant of Davina - Dawn Devine's method. Maybe it was to try and show you how pins can hide.  It probably was to remind you to ensure you can push the fabric ALL the way into the cup.  It was for something.

Again, we pin from the center to the strap, then . . .

We pin down the armpit, overlapping the side band, then under the cup.  If you need to unpin and adjust, do it.  Put darts in by folding where they fit most naturally.  They don't have to be even.  The audience won't notice, I swear!

And THIS is the intimidating part: sewing around fringe.  Relax: we have ways to keep this easy!

We will sew the way we pinned: from the center to where the strap meets the cup, and around.

Trick #1 was covered earlier, KEEP YOUR THREAD SHORT.  Seriously, if you didn't believe me before, believe me now.  You have a thorny (pins), tentacled (fringe) beast to wrestle with.  Less thread = fewer tangles.

Tip #2: Use your non sewing hand to help keep the thread UP and AWAY from the garment.  As the needle goes in, I hold the rest of the thread up and away.

As I put the needle through, I will pull up with my sewing hand, keeping the tail of the thread away as long as possible.  I keep my sewing hand extended until I can use my other hand to hold the thread tail away from the fringe.

As I move from the center of the bra up the cup to the strap, I use the same technique of holding the bra on its edge, as if an invisible body were wearing it, so that the fringe drapes DOWN.  Gravity is my friend.  I also work with the fringe AWAY from me -- the liner side is toward me, the fringe is on the other side of the costume.

These little tricks will save your sanity!

Just keep sewing, all the way around, turning the garment, holding it so the fringe is DOWN and AWAY from you, with a short thread, guiding the thread tail with your non-sewing hand.

This (slightly blurry) photo intends to show you how I modify my stitch a little bit when I am sewing the area where the cup overlaps to the bra side band.  you want to be sure that the areas are joined, bu not so tight that natural movement stresses the seam.  This area of the bra flexes a lot, so keep your stitches *a little* more loose here.

One cup done -- the left cup, and I am right handed.  So, my problem is, how do I, as a right handed seamstress, hand sew the right cup from the center to the strap, when my hands work best going left to right?

Answer:  I turn the project!

The bra is on the table in front of me, with the liner side up and the fringe safely tucked under the cups.  (It's as if I am looking down the bra as worn on someone else.)  I sew from the center to where the strap meets, just so that I know there is a good, smooth fit here with no "bubbling" or "protruding" liner.

And, the cups are done!

Now, to the straps.  One could just cut a strip of fabric 2X wider than the strap, fold it under, pin it, and sew it . . .

Or, you can COMPLETELY CHEAT like I did on the gold bra redo and use grosgrain ribbon!

Why Grosgrain?

* Well, it has a more stable edge for pinning.

* It comes in a variety of widths.

* It can have designs!

* It can be bought cheaply!

* Have you had good luck cutting straight strips of fabric?  I haven't!

* The ridges actually help the straps "grip" your shoulders.

* It wears better than plain fabric.

Note: I recommend grosgrain and not satin or wired ribbon.  Those are made of more delicate fabrics that do not wear well.

To work with the ribbon, *CAREFULLY* and *LIGHTLY* burn the edge of the ribbon to "seal" it by quickly making 1-2 passes with a lighter.  Blow on it to cool it.  (Have a bowl of water handy to dunk it if it catches fire.)  Pin it all the way around both ends, but don't cut the ribbon. Continue your same stitch to attach it to about 1.5" away from where you need to cut it. When you get both ends sewn to about 1.5 " away from the end, THEN cut, quickly burn the edge to seal it, wave it to cool, then sew it down.

When you get comfortable doing this, you can start to spend a little more on liner fabrics, as you build confidence in cutting the pieces to ensure the liner fits with the patterns going in the right direction.  I never thought of this until I saw Ozma's Costumes use pretty liners, and now I think of them as my own pretty little gift to myself.  They are my special treat inside the costume, whimsical and fun.  They show off the work I literally put into the costume.

And, there we have it!

I hope you have found this tutorial useful!

(Note: This tutorial was originally published on Facebook and has been reposted here, with slight modifications, so that it can be more easily shared.  If you like this post, you can find more like it at The Practical Dancer's page on Facebook. And, as always, let me know if you have questions!)