Need to line a bra top for your belly dance costume?
In Part 1 of this How to Line a Bra series, our alteration expert, Chani, shows you how to reline a bra top using the old lining that came with it.
In Part 2 (this post), Chani will show you how to line a bra top from scratch, so you can add lining to ANY belly dance bras you have! Enjoy!
In this post, we will talk about relining an asymmetrical bra, a Dina bra, or a bra with no existing lining. For detailed information about relining a bra in general, please refer to Part 1. In that tutorial, we covered all the steps you will take to remove an old lining, cut and stitch your new lining, and some sewing terminology. We will not review those topics here, so if you read something here that you do not understand, go back to Part 1.
In this post, we will focus on making a pattern using the bra itself. Once you have that pattern made, you will return to Part 1, and follow the instructions starting at “Now Back to The Yardage Question”.
How to Line a Bra without an Existing Lining
You may have a costume that you have purchased, used, or have simply loved to death, in which the lining is too worn out to use as a pattern – or perhaps there is no lining. This will require an extra step as we will need to make a pattern in another material before you cut into your lining fabric. If you are an experienced sewer, you can probably go straight to your new lining fabric, following these same ideas. However, if this is still pretty new to you, I suggest you add this additional step to ensure a good fit once you cut your actual fabric.
For suggestions on choosing the fabric for the final lining, I refer you back to Part 1 where color and content (i.e., cotton, poly, etc) and type (knit vs. woven) are discussed.
We are going to use either paper towels or scrap fabric to make a pattern. Fabric, of course, will be sturdier through this process, but if you work carefully paper towels can work just fine.
Pro Tip: Don’t throw old sheets away! Old sheets make great scrap fabric for exactly this type of project. I even purchase old sheets at second-hand stores to have on hand. In the garment industry, making a test run of a garment is called a ‘fit muslin.’ The pattern can be refined and tweaked before expensive fashion fabric is cut into. You can do the same when creating a pattern for a fancy skirt or dress as your next costume. (In that use, however, be aware that your cotton sheeting is not a stretchy, nor drapey material, which your fashion fabric may be – unless you are lucky enough to score knit sheets, which are more and more popular).
Old sheets are great for our application here, too. You can mark and cut without worrying about making a mistake in your final fabric. You also have lots of fabric to work with if you make a mistake.
Making a Pattern
The cups on a bra are, of course, very three-dimensional. The larger the cup size, the larger the dart(s), and the stranger the fabric shape will be. This is one of the elements of sewing I love: taking something 2-dimensional (fabric) and manipulating it into a 3-dimensional shape. So cool! Anyhow, by using this method, we can make sure we allow for sufficient fabric before we cut into our actual lining fabric.
Most back bands and shoulder/neck straps are fairly flat and therefore pretty easy to pattern. However, if there is any shaping to them, I suggest you create a paper towel or sheet pattern for them, too.
If there is any old lining, carefully remove it with a seam ripper, avoiding any embellishment threads.
How to Make a Pattern for Bra Cups
Let’s start with the cups. Cut a piece of fabric that is at least 12 inches by 12 inches (if you are large busted, say E and up, you may want to cut a 16×16 square) or take your length of paper towel. Now, fold a triangle into the fabric, creating a cone shape. For a large cup size, create two triangles of roughly the same size, about ¼ of the way around from your first triangle (for instance, you can create a triangle at the bottom center of your square, and then make another triangle on the left side of your square).
You can pin these in place to assist with moving the fabric into the bra cup. Place the cone shape into your bra cup; while holding the fabric in place, use the other hand to feel inside the cup. Is your dart too big? Release some of the folded triangle; if the dart is too small and the fabric is not ‘sitting’ into the cup, you may need to increase the triangle/dart size. If the dart seems really big (you have a lot of fabric folded inside), you may consider reducing the size of the first dart and adding a second dart about ¼ of the cup away.
Play with your fabric until it fits smoothly inside the cup. Once you have a good fit, pin the dart(s). By manipulating and playing with the fabric, you can also determine if you can get away with a straight-sided dart, or if the cup shape requires a curved dart.
Next, pin the test fabric onto the bra, enough to hold it in place. Check the outside of the bra to make sure the test lining is not pulling anything out of shape, and that you like how it looks from both sides. Once you have a good fit for your test lining, mark the edges of your darts with a Sharpie or pen (carefully – you don’t want ink to transfer to the costume), and then draw around the entire cup leaving a 1-1 ½ ” margin. We will cut this down later, but again it is good to leave a little wiggle room.
Be sure to mark which is the ‘right’ side of your new pattern piece – the ‘right’ side being the side you will see once it is sewn into the bra, the side that will be against your skin. It may be apparent from the Sharpie marks along the edges of the dart, but when in doubt, put an ‘R’ or something for this side of your fabric.
(The above video showed up to here.)
Once the outside edge of the cup is marked onto your fabric or paper towel, remove it from the bra, remove the pins holding the dart, and lay it out flat. You can see more accurately how much fabric is required to create the three-dimensional shape of the cup. Large darts require a lot of extra fabric in the seam allowance.
If your bra is symmetrical, you only need to pattern one side. If your bra is asymmetrical, see below.
How to Make Patterns for Shoulder and Neck Straps
To pattern the shoulder/neck straps and back band, simply lay the pieces on your sheet or paper towel, and draw around them with the Sharpie, leaving about 1” all the way around for seam allowance and ‘wiggle room.’
The cup end of the back band will be underneath the cup lining, and therefore does not need to be turned under when you sew it in. For more information, step-by-step instructions, and clarification read Part 1.
How to Make a Pattern for Center Strap
If your bra has a centerpiece between the cups (see Part 1), make sure you pattern it as well. It can be harder to get since it lays between the two cups and it can be a challenge to get it flat enough. If need be, take basic measurements and draw that shape on your fabric or paper towel. Cut it out with a large margin, and pin it to the inside of the bra. If it is too big, unpin, trim down, and try again. If you made it too small, try again, cutting a larger piece.
This can be challenging, so I have put together a series of photos to help guide you.
Place the center of the bra on a piece of fabric or paper towel
Mark the center at the top and bottom, and horizontally about an inch above and below
Remove bra; fold in half along your center marks; mark a cutting line to create your middle ‘triangle’
Cut while folded; my ‘pattern’ is much larger than needed; I measure the height of the actual triangle from the inside of the bra; it is 1 ¼ inches; transfer that measurement to the pattern. I measured up from the lower edge of my pattern piece, leaving my seam allowance at the bottom.
Leaving seam allowance at the top, cut off the extra fabric; fold under the seam allowance at top and bottom, and pin inside the bra; the sides of the triangle will be covered by the cup lining, and therefore do not need to be turned under. Mark new cutting lines for the sides inside the cups. Remove the pattern piece, and fold on your center marks.
Mark the rest of my cutting line; cut; unfold and you have your new pattern piece for the center triangle of your bra.
From here, you are ready to refer back to Part 1. You now have a pattern, be it in fabric or paper towel, from which to measure for yardage and cut a new lining. If you used a paper towel for this process, handle it carefully. It is, after all, a paper towel; it can tear or distort more easily than fabric.
As you sew the new lining into the bra, you can trim down your seam allowance to ½-5/8 inch – or leave the extra folded under. That’s what the costume makers usually do!
How to Line an Asymmetrical Bra
Generally, you will follow the same steps as outlined above; however, you will need to create different pattern pieces for each asymmetrical element. For instance, if only the cup shapes are different, you will need to create a pattern piece for each. If the shape of the shoulder/neck straps are affected by the asymmetry, you will then need to pattern each of those separately as well.
Remember that you will need to make sure your pattern is placed on the correct side up for both pieces before you cut! You do not want to cut your two different fronts, and then realize they should both be the right cup.
I recommend placing your final fabric right side up, then place your pattern pieces next to each other, and also right side up. Remember that the lining faces you as the right side – the wrong side of the fabric will be next to the bra. With an asymmetrical bra, you want to make sure you cut the pieces facing the right way. (Of course, with many fabrics it won’t really matter as your fabric is generally going to be a solid color. But if there is an obvious right and wrong side to the fabric, bear this in mind before you cut.)
If you have a really challenging asymmetrical bra and need help, please feel free to reach out to me.
How to Line Dina-Style Bras
Dina bras are generally a single front piece that includes both cups and the middle strap, and then stretchy elastic shoulder/neck and back straps. The cups are usually quite curved at the top edge and are often pretty firm. My recommendation would be to line the front of the bra as if the cups and middle connecting band were in fact three pieces. While you can certainly use the steps above to create a single pattern piece for the entire front of a Dina bra, there will be little room for error. If you make a pattern for the cups, and a pattern for the joining middle band, there is a lot more ’wiggle’ room as you set the new lining into the bra.
On every Dina bra that I have seen, the shoulder/neck straps and the back straps are covered in the exterior fabric which wraps all the way around a piece of elastic. This being the case, there is no need to line them at all. They are also very stretchy; if you decide you do want to place a lining along these, you will need to use a very stretchy hand-sewn stitch. See the stitch glossary on how to create a stretchy hand-sewn stitch.
To create a lining piece, stretch the band as long as you can, and have someone measure the length fully extended. Measure the width (they generally seem to be about 1” wide), and cut a long skinny rectangle, being sure to add your desired seam allowance (I suggest 3/8” since you won’t want to add a lot of bulk by turning under a lot of fabric). Slide as much fabric away from your starting end as you can, as you will want your lining sewn flat against the flat exterior fabric. As you move along, shift the extra fabric to either end; occasionally stop and stretch the band to make sure your lining is laying smoothly against the strap.
I highly recommend, however, not lining the straps unless it is really necessary. Your other option, if the straps are really worn, are the following:
- Replace the Exterior Fabric.
If the elastic still has a lot of ‘life’ in it, you can remove the straps from the bra, and simply replace the fabric sewn around it. With the amazing array of lyrca fabrics out there, it should be fairly easy to find a suitable replacement, even if it is not a perfect match.
If your local store does not have a broad selection, look online. If you really cannot find a good match, cut a small piece of fabric and ask a salesperson at a retail store if you can mail it to them to match something to it. If a clerk finds out how seriously you take your project, they are more often than not ready to go the extra mile to help you out. There are great fabric stores in the New York and Los Angeles garment districts if you are in the US. For those abroad, search the internet for stores in the fashion industry city in your home country.
Be sure to purchase sufficient fabric.
To create the new lining, you will need to stretch fully and measure the length of each band you are replacing (neck/shoulder and back bands, usually made of two pieces that join into one at the center back). Cut long narrow rectangles of your new fabric, and, right side together, stitches each strap on a serger with a stretchy stitch. Attach a large safety pin to one side of one end of each tube, and turn the tube right side out. Next, place the safety pin to one end of your elastic, and thread that into the tube. Be sure to grab the elastic end before you pull it too far into the tube! Secure the elastic at the end of the tube with a safety pin (or stitch it in place) and then thread the rest of the elastic into the tube until you reach the far end.
If you do not have a serger, you will need to pin the fabric around the elastic and stitch with the stretchy hand-sewn stitch. To make this easier than sewing around the elastic, cut yourself a piece of lightweight cardboard (poster board or cereal box cardboard work great) at the fully stretched length of the strap. Make sure your cardboard is the width of the elastic. Pin your new fabric around the cardboard form, and sew your fabric closed with the stretchy stitch. Once done, remove the cardboard form and you have a tube of fabric. Use the instructions above to thread and secure the elastic inside each tube of fabric.
- Replace Both Elastic and Fabric
If you determine the elastic should be replaced, I recommend using a non-curling elastic. Most stores carry a variety of widths, weights, and types of elastic now. Non-curling elastic is thicker, and generally looks like it has stripes running from edge to edge. These ‘stripes’ prevent the elastic from folding over on itself. It is a good weight for costumes as it is very substantial.
If the fabric covering the elastic is sewn to the elastic, but you determine it can be reused, you will need to remove the old stitches and preserve the fabric. If it is a tube when it comes off, all the better. If not, you will need to follow the steps above to re-stitch it for your new elastic.
If the fabric is shot and you plan to replace it, there is no need to remove the fabric at all.
Do not throw away your old straps until the new ones are made, sewn to the costume, and you are happy with the end result. Keep them as a backup until you are certain the costume is done.
Note that the old elastic may have become permanently stretched out, and your new elastic may need to be a little longer. I suggest cutting the new elastic an inch or so longer than the old elastic, pinning it onto the costume, and trying it on. If you have extra elastic, you can always cut it off. But after so much work, it would be a shame to discover your new straps are too short.
Once you have the elastic cut to the appropriate length, you will use the same steps above to cover them with your fabric whether it is a re-use of the old fabric or new fresh fabric.
If you redo the straps, these will be sewn to the front of the Dina bra before you add your new lining, so that the ends are under it. I recommend sewing them on twice as much as you think you need, and I also recommend using thread the same color as the exterior of the costume so that you can stitch all the way through to the front (hiding your stitches as much as you can under embellishment). This will create the strongest attachment. Remember those stretchy straps get a LOT of torque applied to them, just putting the costume on and hooking it – much less dancing in it. Once attached, pull on them to make sure they are really solidly attached.
If the front of the Dina bra is molded or very stiff, it may be challenging to sew the new lining in. That can be the case for any bra, actually, particularly older Egyptian costumes. I have seen bra cups made of molded plastic or very heavy vinyl. These can be hard or impossible to sew through. If this is the case, your lining will need to be attached to the exterior fabric where it is folded into the inside of the bra. Since you do not want your lining to show from the outside anyhow, it is okay for the lining to be recessed from the edge of the bra.
Again, this can be a daunting project if you have not done it before. Feel free to reach out to me with questions!
Hope you enjoyed another comprehensive tutorial on how to line a bra from scratch by Chani! If you did, please share this post with your dance sisters!
If you’re curious about more Sparkly Belly tutorials, make sure to sign up for the Sparkly Belly newsletter below so you won’t miss them!
Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling!
P.S. Pin this image for your future reference 😉
Like what you read? Want to make more costuming bits yourself?
Learn more and sign up for my free email course, Belly Dance Costume Making 101 here!