Alrighty, this tutorial has been a long time comin’! I’ve had many requests for a tutorial on how to move the straps on the Harriet. This adjustment can help improve your strap comfort if you have narrow or sloping shoulders, or if for any reason the straps feel too close to your underarm. Let’s get those straps moved inward!

But first let’s talk about bra strap positions in general…

The Harriet is designed to have a wider neckline. In full cup or triangle-style  bras, straps can be quite centered over the breast. In bras with a demi/half cup or balconette neckline, straps are typically wider apart. Sometimes that helps create a certain silhouette, but sometimes this is just a natural consequence of the height of the cup:

(For more theory behind necklines and strap positions, see Is that Bra a Demi, Balconette or Full Cup?.)

Here are some examples of the Harriet’s cup seam style in ready-to-wear:

(one, two, three, four, five, six)

Obviously these are model bodies and the patterns behind the bras all slightly different, but they give you an idea of the various strap positions that are often found on this cup style.

When trying the strap alteration you don’t want to aim at centering the straps, which will change the fit in the cup and possibly create a funky cup shape that pushes down on your breasts. Instead aim at getting them to a comfy spot that doesn’t fall off or irritate the skin around your arm.

Onto the alteration!

Step One

Take your upper cup and outer cup piece and line them up at their seamlines. Draw a straight line following the neckline all the way through the strap:

It might help to remove the seam allowance from the upper cup to help with this. You can trace it back in later.

Step Two

Along the line you drew, cut off the strap extension and slide it inward 1/4″ (6mm). Tape your pattern to a new sheet of paper and draw a new seamline (yellow line) and add the seam allowance:

If you feel like you need to move it in more, try up to 3/8″ (10mm) but no more  than that until you’ve tested this. Small adjustments really add up in bra patterns! It’s all about little tweaks at a time.

Step Three

Mark in 1/4″ (6mm) from the point of the neckline, and draw a new seamline with a smooth curve going all the way to the notch. Re-draw your new seam allowance.

Step Four

This is just a “double check” step, but it helps to walk your pieces after adjustments to make sure notches and points match. Walk your upper cup piece from the notch toward the point, and put a dot or notch on your outer cup where the new “meeting point” will be.

What this adjustment changes

This adjustment moves the strap, but any time you move straps inward on a bra it changes the fit of the neckline. If you need to remove length from the neckline AND want to move the straps inward, I’d recommend trying this adjustment before taking out any length along the neckline.

The j hook

Lastly, I can’t leave this tutorial without talking about the clever invention of J hooks!

(J-hook on the famous Panache sports bra)

If you are one of those people for whom straps on any bra are always slipping, a J-hook and a corresponding plain ring can be sewn into each strap and connected together for a more controlled strap position. They’re also great for getting your bra straps to hide under racer back styles (if you are in the ‘hide the bra straps’ camp!). Many bra supply shops carry these–too many to list here, so check with your favorite stockist on my bra supplies page.

Happy sewing!

The post Tutorial: How to Move the Straps on the Harriet appeared first on Cloth Habit.

Hola, my friends!

As I sit here on my front porch on a sizzling of a July day (it’s afternoon, the concrete is fuming and the mosquitoes are outta control), I can think of nothing else but a big, fuzzy cardigan of thick insulating yarn.

Right.

I’m just sweating thinking about it! Buut back in February I practically lived in it and it happens to be one of my favorite finished pieces of the last year. It’s been a long time since I posted some projects around here so I thought it was about time I checked in with my project queue.

A couple years ago I finally got into the knitting game and it gave me something to do that I’ve probably always needed–a way to create without the pressure of finishing. Unfortunately it doesn’t take long to amass a yarn stash, and in a matter of six months from taking on my first knitting project I ended up with more yarn than I knew what to do with.

So I decided to put the kibosh on yarn and fabric purchases and if I saw a pattern that caught my eye, I was determined to force myself to use stash. This plushy cardigan was one example of stash busting!

This is Stonehaven, a Brooklyn Tweed pattern designed by Veronik Avery. And I can’t believe more knitters haven’t tried this! As soon as I saw it I kept coming back to it. I love cocoon-y, drapey, wrap-myself-up-in-it cardigans, and I liked how uniquely boho it was compared Brooklyn Tweed’s preppier styles. And lucky me, it called for the same amount of yarn in my stash, yarn which I originally purchased for Snoqualmie before ditching it for another yarn.

Firstly, I think this sweater is a pretty easy knit. Or at least Brooklyn Tweed makes everything easy; their patterns are written extremely well with thoughtful techniques that teach me something every time I knit one. But this one is particularly easy as in–you’re knitting the same stitch pattern for long stretches or row after row, give or take a few short rows and decreases. (So in case you ask me, can a beginner do this? I think yes, as long as you choose the right yarn.)

Secondly, I really dig the yarn and definitely recommend it as opposed to anything remotely heavier. I didn’t think I would like it at first. Quarry is a woolen-spun yarn which means it is it is light and lofty. It’s also a bit “crusty” (what the yarny-types call “farm wool”)  but I’ve learned to appreciate what this means. And that lightness and loftiness means that when you knit a cardigan this big, you aren’t going to get a massively heavy garment, or a garment that grows to twice its size. The fabric almost floats. It’s very warm without being cloying.

But guys, I’m so out of practice taking photos of myself. Most of the time I’d rather be on the other side of the camera – this is what you get when my phone is my remote camera control!

project Bits and bobs:

• Link to my project in Ravelry.
• I finished the ribbing with a sewn bind off much like how you end a tubular bind off. I had to make 3 swatches to figure this out, but it turned out much stretchier than a typical bind off that always seems to make the ribbing curl.
• Quarry breaks if you use too much force. I had to slow down in a few spots and had some breaks but thankfully it splices beautifully back together without looking like a splice.
• As a patternmaker, I really appreciated the sophisticated shoulder shaping on this pattern. Beautifully thought through.
• Current yarn queue: it’s long, but I’m alternating between crocheting a blanket and knitting a cape in the evenings. (What is it with me and knitting winter stuff in summer time? I knit the Stonehaven at the end of last summer.) Also, I really need to update my Ravelry project page with some of the fun blankets I have made.

And on a different note, I miss my blog! Like I miss breakfast tacos when I’m away from Austin.  Over the last year I have added quite a bit of help content around the website, but most of it is not in blog format. I have missed journaling personal anecdotes and creative projects. I’m working on how to incorporate that more often into my weekly routines.

Happy weekend!

The post Belated FOs: Cuddly Stonehaven appeared first on Cloth Habit.

I’ve been on a little bit of a Harriet binge lately, in part motivated by a desire to use up a bit of my precious lace stash. While recently sorting through some of my bins, I had my first experience of supplies gone bad–I found a few rusted rings and sliders and elastic that actually crumbled when I pulled it out of a bag. Despite my careful inclusions of silica gel packs in tightly sealed rubber bins, I’ve discovered that “aging stash” isn’t always a good thing!

Anyway, this week I made the pattern in a 32G, and sometimes in the larger cup sizes I like to switch out to a wire with a narrower profile. The narrow wires I have happen to be a bit longer than the “regular” wires around which I drafted the pattern, so that also means I had to make some changes.

I get a lot of questions about substituting wires so today I want to share a few tips on choosing and underwire–and what to do when the wire you want doesn’t fit into the size you choose.

Choosing an Underwire

Harriet was drafted around regular length wires from Bra-makers Supply, and I suggest buying these if you don’t want to be bothered with cutting wires or making adjustments. These wires are a good everyday-wear length for many women, they are very good quality, and were perfect for the kind of coverage I wanted from the Harriet.

If you look at the back of the pattern, there is an underwire chart. This will show you which wire to use for your size:

The length on the right of this chart will tell you the maximum length your wire can be to fit into the bra channeling. I included this because I know many people will buy their wires from a different source, or perhaps prefer to use a different size or shape of wire. In all these cases, it’s important to measure you wire to ensure it will fit.

Something to note if you are new to bra making: there are no standards to shape and length for sizes in wires. So if you purchase a wire from another shop, even if it is the same size as your suggested wire size, it could have a very different length.

(I’ve also written previously about underwire styles and fitting, if you’d like more tips on wire fitting.)

HOW TO CUSTOMIZE THE WIRE LENGTH

1. Find your wire size

First find the wire length in your chart. For example, I’m making a 32G and the recommended wire length is 11 3/4″.

2. Measure the length of your preferred wire

Trace the inside of your preferred wire from tip to tip.

Now measure the line with a measuring tape. I suggest doing it twice to make sure you are getting a correct measurement, since measuring tape can be finicky. I like to use one of my fave measuring tools, the Curve Runner–this thing is genius for measuring curves on a sewing pattern!

3. add some length for wire play

Finally, add 1/2″ or 15mm to that measurement–this is how long your channeling seam needs to be in order to fit your preferred wire.

The extra 1/2″ is for wire play, which allows the wire to move a little bit during wear. Otherwise, the wire will cause some stress and possibly tear the channeling.

My new wire length is 12 1/4″ which is 1/2″ longer than the recommended length for the 32G.

4. ADJUST FOR A LONGER WIRE

If your new wire seam length is longer than the wire length in the pattern chart, add the extra length to the pattern itself OR cut the wires to the proper length. In my example of the 32G, I’d need to add 1/2″ in length or cut 1/2″ off the wires.

You can add length to the underarm or the front (or both). This will depend on your preference in fitting, but if it’s a small amount I tend to make the change at the sides. To change at the underarm, add the length to outer cup and the wire seam on the outer cradle.

Once you lengthen those areas, smooth the line from strap all the way to the back. As demonstrated in the bottom illustration, line up the outer cup, outer frame and band along their stitching lines and true this line.

To change the front:

The other option is to cut your wires. You can cut just the front or just the side or both.

Cutting wires is my preferred method. It’s incredibly easy–takes less than 30 seconds! If you plan to make this pattern more than once, I highly recommend you get yourself some cutters. I use these Knipex mini bolt-cutters (they cut through every wire like butter) and 1/16″ heat shrink tubing to cover the cut tip. (Both will last you forever.)

5. Adjust for a shorter Wire

If your new wire length is shorter than the length in the wire chart, usually you can cut the pattern as is. No adjustments needed!

However, if the difference is more than 1/2″, I recommend changing the pattern by lowering the bridge and the seam at the underarm a bit. Otherwise the bra’s edges are going to fold over your wire (it’s really annoying to wear, trust me!). To lower the seam, make the exact opposite alterations as illustrated above–take out length on all the same pieces and smooth the edges.

On combining sizes

One of the questions I’m often asked is along these lines: I want to use 34F in the cup, but need a wire that fits 34E. Should I cut a 34E size in the cradle and band and adjust the 34F cup to it?

This is possible, but in my experience adjusting a larger cup to a smaller cradle can have unintended fit issues and run into wrinkling in odd places. Part of this is because you end up with a different cradle width as well as length. I recommend the above alterations before messing with franken-sizing.

a note on plunge wires

The only wires I don’t recommend for the Harriet are plunge-style wires. These wires have a very short and splayed front “arm”. Adapting the pattern for these would require significantly changes to the front and sides. This changes the bra’s silhouette but more importantly you’ll lose some of the pattern’s support in the front.  (If you really want to play with plunge wires, cups with a vertical dart or seam/s work really well with plunging styles, and there are also plunge-specific patterns!)

I hope this post clarified how to substitute wires. (And convinced you that wire cutters are awesome.) Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments!

The post How to Make Underwire Adjustments for the Harriet appeared first on Cloth Habit.

My favorite kind of sewing book is a patternmaking book, and I collect many, even in languages I don’t read. Every patternmaking book has a slightly different way of doing things so I hunt through them to find tidbits I might not see in another book.

One thing I have always wished for in any textbook is more insight into production patternmaking–and what I mean by that is the process of creating patterns according to how they would be sewn in a factory. The seam allowances and markings (if shown at all) are generic in most patternmaking books, and I suspect a large part of that is because these are specifics that are learned on the job, not in a university where most textbooks have their market.

However, I love making home sewing patterns a little more “production pattern” ready, if only because it often makes my sewing so much easier. And this is the kind of subject that deserves its own book.

Enter Design Room Techniques, a hunk of a workbook that fills the nichest niche for those wanting to learn more about production sewing and patterns.

Author: Laurel Hoffmann
Publisher: self-published
Paperback or hardbound: paperback with comb binding
Pages: 455
Additional content: CD insert includes pdfs of the patterns and sample pages (to document samples)

(Note: since I purchased this book it has been updated to include new information and has a new title, Sewing Techniques from the Fashion Industry. The new version can be purchased here. I am reviewing the previous version.)

about the author

Laurel Hoffman is an instructor with experience in home sewing, custom bridalwear design and production patternmaking–all three of which have very different practices. She offers books and private training through her website and business Contemporary Fashion Education.

While there have been other educators that have made a business adapting industry techniques to home sewing, such as Margaret Islander and her niece Janet Pray, Hoffmann’s focus is a bit more technical–a bit more for the patternmakers, which I like!

who is it for

I’m not entirely certain who the main audience for this book is–custom patternmakers, indie designers, production patternmakers, technical patternmaking students? All of the above? But I’m positive anyone in those fields could pick up a thing or two from this book.

If you want to re-engineer a pattern for easier sewing of lapped openings, fly zippers, lined sleeveless dress–all of which tend to have tricky or (ahem) hacky methods in home sewing patterns–this book is your guide. But it’s more than just a collection of “how-tos”; it’s really an instruction manual in how to create procedures.

The point of industrial sewing processes is to make things as clean and steamlined as possible, and that almost always leads to great looking results. For example, here’s the first page of the 6-page explanation for welts with an inset pocket, and as you can see this is a bit different approach than home sewing:

I’ve used a variation of her technique for drafting fly zippers (top photo), and I’m hooked on doing it this way. I’m able to cut, sew and topstitch a fly fast and clean–with no pins, basting or trimming. And it looks mighty fine:

My dislikes?

On the visual side, this book ain’t sexy and while I don’t expect it to be, it could have used a graphic designer. (Yes, even technical books benefit from good technical design.)

And my second complaint is about its binding. I have a thing about crap bindings. So public service announcement time: Plastic comb bindings are better for seminars, not for books that are meant to be opened and used over and over. Nearly any book I have with a comb binding falls apart quickly. (Self publishers: please pretty please, spend the extra money on spiral bindings.)

Regardless of packaging, the information here is gold and anyone with a particular fascination with industrial sewing will get some kicks from trying out a few of these techniques.

The post Book Review: Sewing Techniques from an Industry Perspective appeared first on Cloth Habit.

Do I really need to use underwires? And can I just leave them out? Or: Can you help me find a pattern that doesn’t use underwires?

I get these questions quite a bit. Many women don’t want to wear underwires for health or other personal reasons, but so much bra advice and bra making tutorials online focus on underwired bras. I hear ya!

And here’s my short answer: many soft bras are designed exactly like an underwired bra, just without the wires. So yes, you can leave out the wires, and no, you don’t need a different pattern.

Include the Underwire Casing

When sewing a pattern that calls for underwires, you’ll want to sew everything as normal, and that includes adding the wire casing (also called channeling).

Underwire casing isn’t absolutely necessary but it does a couple of great things: It finishes and hides the seam that joins the cup to the frame of the bra. And more importantly, it stabilizes that seam, which helps to prevent your cup from wiggling around to places you don’t want it to go. Most underwire casing is soft against the skin but also very stable, far more stable than simple seam tape or a serged finish.

Wired vs. Wireless

I personally love wearing a mix of soft and wired bras. I designed the Watson exclusively as a easy going, wireless bra. It’s soft and stretchy with a very forgiving fit, but that also means it’s not going to do the same things as a very supportive wired bra.

There are advantages to wired bras, especially for fuller busts:

• Underwires help control the shape of the cups and how much they lift, simply because they are the strongest component in the entire bra.
• It’s hard to keep breasts fully in a cup without wires. (In other words, your breasts might slide down into the bra frame a bit.)
• Wires, along with a firm-fitted band, can help balance the weight of your breasts, which is particularly good if you experience shoulder pain.

If you find wires uncomfortable, it may just mean that you haven’t found a wire than actually works for your body! Thankfully, there are many different underwire styles and options available to home sewists, so if you haven’t given up on wires yet, I recommend trying different styles to find what works best with your body. (And you can also cut wires, in case the wire you are trying feels too long!)

Underwires are entirely a matter of your preference. Your bra is very close to your body so it is up to you whether you want to wear wires or not. (And yes, it’s up to you whether you want to wear a bra or not! I’m not a person of “musts”.)

Happy fitting!

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