Simplicity 8228, Racerback Bra

I've made two of Madalynne's Free Lingerie Patterns available from her website and I have been really pleased with the outcomes so far. I thought it only right to purchase a pattern from her collaboration with Simplicity patterns and see if this was as good as the freebies!

This bra had been on my to-make pile since I got the pattern for my birthday in May last year. I'd been put off by not having any 8" wide double galloon stretch lace in my stash. I recently had a big stash busting session and listed things I had, and things I needed to make those things I had into actual things. Turns out all I needed to make this bra was some lace, so I added it to my Abakhan list then I was away!

I can't lie, the reason I decided to make the racerback version of the bra was simply because there was no fastening... Is that cheating? The pattern came together quickly though so will definitely be making the halterneck version next time round.


The pattern pieces are cut so that the galloon lace edges the cups and the back band, so you have to make sure you line everything up following the pattern lay plan. The mesh lining is then cut a little smaller - using the same pattern piece but without the scalloped edge. The pattern suggests using a spray adhesive to stick the two layers together so that you can work with them as one. I didn't have any spray adhesive though, so I went about it the old fashioned way and loosely tacked the lining to the pattern pieces. This was the most time consuming bit of the project! But totally essential in getting my fabric to behave.

Once everything is prepped putting the bra together is pretty fun. I love how it instantly transforms the moment you sew the first seam! Suddenly cups appear! The key to making this bra look super profesh is to really nail the topstitching. Basically every seam is topstitched. I would recommend using a straight stitch for any vertical seams and a little zigzag for any horizontal to allow for stretch. As the lace and the mesh don't fray nothing needs overlocking (this makes for flatter seams/less rubbing etc), but then extra care needs to be taken to keep the edges neat, then the topstiching can kind of keep things under control.


The pattern suggests pushing the centre front seam allowances of the cups to one side and the centre front seam allowances of the band to the opposite side to reduce bulk. I chose to press all the seam allowances open, as the asymmetry of pressing the seams in opposite directions just didn't seem right! This just meant two lines of topstitching (one each side of the seam) on the centre front, the top back pieces and the straps.

Stitching the bottom band to the cups really takes the shape of the bra. I was so excited when the bottom band curves really started to resemble actual bra-shape.


The top and bottom back band pieces are the same, just one has the scallops at the top and the other at the bottom. The central seam joins with the underbust seam at the side seams, so pay attention when stitching together!


Making the top back is fun. It's really important to make sure all the lace it cut symmetrically, then it makes a really pretty shape. The top back neck is edged with some picot elastic which is sewn to the front and then flipped to the back and stitched again, with the picot edge peeking out. This is the only area of the bra that requires picot elastic so you don't need much (great for sewing leftovers! ❤️). I used a narrow zig zag stitch to attach.

To attach upper back to the band you have to lap the band over the triangley bit and stitch from the top. As long as you made sure everything is straight and symmetrical looking, and take care pinning this is quite simple.

I thought the bra seemed a little bit too small, simply as I'd be lifting over my head as there was no fastening. I decided to stitch the side seams up with 0.5cm seam allowance- so I will be adding this onto the paper pattern for next time. I may try cutting the C cups just to test the difference in size. The B is a good fit and there is definitely no gaping but would be interested to see the difference.

Once the side seams are stitched and topstitched (I pressed these to the back, not open) it's time to sew the elastic around the top of the cups and the top of the back band. This attaches the lining to the lace at the outside edge. I didn't add any tension to the elastic as I stitched- just sewed it down flat to the edge of the lining using a zig zag stitch so that it would stretch but not pucker. The support comes from the shape and structure of the bra, not super tight elastic.


Straps! The final step! Again, I made sure they were cut symmetrically so that both straps and both sides of the straps look the same. They are first sewn to the back- my back piece seemed a little lager than that strap width, but I snipped into a couple of the scalloped edges so that the strap blended into the back nicely.

Now is a good time to try on and check the strap length.

The pattern suggests lapping the strap under the front cup but I decided to sew wrong side to wrong side as in this instance it seemed like a neater seam. Check everything is lined up nicely by making sure the central seam of the cup matches the central seam of the strap.

Fin! I love how professional handmade underwear looks just by adding a lining to the pattern. I would like to experiment with different coloured linings - this bra would be totally different if I'd used a flesh tone for the mesh. I'm also very much in love with the yellow version on the pattern packet (Angela, don't forget this would mean buying yellow elastics too!). There's lots to play around with and all you really need is some pretty lace! I'll definitely be making the halterneck version before long

x

Location: Sheffield
Currently listening to: Downtown Lights, Frankie Lee