Bra Flaws: How To Uncurl a Curling Cup

Edit: the photo order and descriptions have been adjusted. Hopefully Google will keep it that way this time.

One of the reasons I buy Freya is not just for their somewhat extended size range and the availability of a t-shirt bra that fits a natural tall, wide root in a 28. It's also for their somewhat better quality. I'm not going to find the same type of durability or size that fits from a bra bought at Victoria's Secret, Target or Walmart - or any American brand for that matter. Sometimes...even Freya falls short on their own quality. Perhaps their QC team is made up of a bunch of monkeys, or 5 year olds, or disgruntled sweatshop workers...or all of the above? I don't know. But if I'm paying $60+ for a piece of underwear that has a tag loaded with those wretched QC stickers that leave residue to prove they've been inspected then I expect something decent.

That being said...last year I ordered the last of Freya's "original" shaped Deco bra: Deco Honey Plunge in Jade. (Currently they are making them all with an overstarched trim that only fits women with short, narrow roots which was their only target audience with all of their other bras. The original Deco design does not have trim.) Upon receiving it in the mail I noticed one of the cups was badly deformed. Having to avoid shipping it back and waiting close to a month I kept it and figured maybe it'd work itself out. Not only that but I ordered a larger cup size because my others were getting small. Then I lost weight. Then I gained the weight back so now I can wear it again. I had it on yesterday and Luke noticed the flaw, "If I can notice it then it must be bad!". Yes, thank you!

I searched online for a fix. The most popular result, and pretty much the only one, was to iron it with a cloth to protect the fabric. I actually tried that when I first got this but it only lasts through 1 wear, and eventually the cup refolds.

Why does this happen? A couple of reasons:

1. Shoddy workmanship!
   a) The main fabric has not been cut correctly, usually because it's too short for the foam so it has to stretch over the top of the foam cup and this causes it to pull the moulding out and down. - or
   b) When stitching the main fabric to the moulding, either one of them could have been pulled too much in the process resulting in the fabric being stretched and the thread in the stitches actually keeps this shape.
2. The bra is old and has stretched out - except this would most likely happen equally to some degree in both cups.
3. The bra has been man-handled in the wash, and/or put in the dryer. Don't put them in the washing machine, unless you're careful. (See my update below) And always line dry them letting them hang from the center gore so neither the straps nor band can get stretched out in the drying process.

So why did it happen to mine? Reason 1a. There is a super quick and easy fix for this that involves chalk, thread, a thin needle, and a pair of scissors. Below are photos, pretty self explanatory but I'll briefly describe them as needed.

Yuck!

I paid $60 for this nonsense...

Shame on you, Freya!

Unsightly edges under clothes.

Cup appears too big because of the curl.

On the inside of the bra, mark the bottom of the curl with chalk, extending toward cup edges a little ways past the majority of the curling. This line will be where you insert the needle.

Use a double strand of thread. If you want more security you may wax it first. 

Beginning at the outer side of cup (strap side), insert your needle into the cup lining where you've marked it. DO NOT penetrate all the way through the foam! You may go through a little of the foam but not all the way, and definitely not through to the outside of the cup. Your second pass will be at the top of the cup. Same with this, do not go all the way through. You just want to catch a little bit of foam here. The idea is to pull the top back down. Stitches should be no more than 1cm apart.

DO NOT PULL THE THREAD TIGHT! One commenter on here said this fix did not work for their bra, and instead made it worse. If you pull the thread to tight it will create curling in the opposite direction. You only want to pull it as tight as to help the foam to lay smooth. Take your time, and check the foam after every stitch or so to make sure it's keeping a normal shape.

After completion. 

Completed.

Completed. It still appears there is a bump in the two photos above but now the other way. If you're in the correct cup size this will go away while being worn.

Much better!

This is what a t-shirt bra should look like under a t-shirt.

Update 12-29-18: mine is still holding up very well, and I carefully wash all of my bras in the machine, regular cycle, cool to warm water, in lingerie bags, line dry only. I haven't had a problem with the integrity of them, and the hand sewing on this one still looks like new. I wear this bra quite often too.

This is what my stitching looks like after 4.5 years. As you can see it's still intact. The threads have stretched a little but the foam is completely smooth. This is without waxing the thread. (And yes it does still fit  😄 I keep a very consistent weight and shape.)

Nice close up to show the integrity, and also how much fabric is really being held by thread.

List - Update/Addition

I managed to complete 22 projects last year. That's 2 less than the year previous...but in my defense I had a crap load of work that took up most of my time. Some projects were removed from the list, some were added. Altogether by the end there were 26 for Sewing, 20 for Knitting, and 1 for other, 47 total.

I've completed 12 from Sewing and 10 from Knitting. Almost half! Which is amazing for me! So below is the new list for 2014 with current projects, and again, those to come will be added as needed. Hopefully I can get this down to just a few at a time......Ha!

Completed:
01/2014 - Knitting = 3
02/2014 - Knitting = 2, Sewing = 1
03/2014 - Sewing = 1
04/2014 - 
05/2014 - 
06/2014 - Knitting = 3
07/2014 - Sewing = 2, Other = 1
08/2014 - 
09/2014 - Knitting = 2, Other = 1
10/2014 - Knitting = 1
11/2014 - Sewing = 4, Knitting = 1


Sewing:
Asian print wrap dress - mod to wrap skirt
Green floral print skirt - mod to...haven't decided
Shape FX dress - alter
Tahari dress - alter/mod
Luke's combat vest
Black Asian print skirt
Red Asian print skirt
Domino swimsuit
Red swimsuit
Bridgette thong - mod from basque remnants
Rainbow quilt - topstitch
Bambi's (Oma) embroidered pillow
Blue pleated dress
Gray/Orange Kimono
Linen pencil skirt
Asymmetrical shell
His and Hers matching Star Wars PJ's (2)

Knitting:
Corsica sweater - frog/reknit
70 yard mitts
Green Gable hoodie - frog/reknit
Striped V-neck pullover - frog/reknit
Jaywalker socks
Kitten mittens
Drop Stitch Infinity Scarf
Turquoise hat
Yellow hat
Gray vest - frog to...haven't decided
Diagonal pattern baby blanket for Nevi
U-neck pullover - frog/reknit to Featherweight Cardigan II
Tree Jacket - frog/reknit
Woodland Friends
Wolfie hat
Rocky Coast Cardigan
Bulkyweight Cardigan
Sportweight Cardigan
Anchor Cardigan


Other:
Dress form
Asymmetrical Shell pattern
Anchor Cardigan pattern
Glass buttons

High Seas

Ok, I have to share this even if it's already double linked in my List post. This is the High Seas shawl pattern by Kieran Foley. He's got some pretty awesome designs! (Camino Waves anyone? Yeah, I've got a water thing...)

For Amanda =) I'll get model shots soon.

(Oops...in way too much pain, had to stay home from the Assembly. Too bad they didn't have a tie-in line.)

List

Last year I put together a list (and bin) of all the projects I had. I was thinking there were maybe 10-20. It piled up to 69! That's not including any jobs I had either, just my stuff. 24 of those have been completed in 2012. This year I plan on finishing the list off. Or trying to at least. So here is that list. As I go through I'll be striking off or linking what's done. What doesn't have notes next to it needs to be made. And if I come across other projects they will be added.

Sewing:
Asian print wrap dress - mod to wrap skirt
Green floral print skirt - mod to...haven't decided
Shape FX dress - alter
Tahari dress - alter/mod
Orange dress - mod to t-shirt
Luke's combat vest
Black Asian print shirt
Red Asian print shirt
Brown wool skirt
Domino swimsuit
Red swimsuit
Bridgette thong - mod from basque remnants
Winter quilt - topstitch
Rainbow quilt - topstitch
Bambi's (Oma) embroidered pillow
H&M dress - alter
Summer halter dress - mod to shoulder straps
Luke's Fabulous reversible bathrobe
Monogrammed handkerchiefs
Vigoss jeans - alter
Illusion skirt
Blue floral dress
Gray/Orange floral dress
Cat print top
Shark print top
Plaid button-down




Knitting:
Corsica sweater - frog/reknit
Turtleneck tunic - reknit to Helix cable vest
FK textured tunic - reknit to Telemark Legwarmers
Matching hat for legwarmers
70 yard mitts
Burnished tunic - frog/reknit
Green Gable hoodie - frog/reknit
Luke's Leo sweater - reknit to cabled cardigan
Amanda's High Seas Shawl (also on Ravelry)
Pointelle socks
Jaywalker socks
Kitten mittens
Textured cowl
Turquoise neckwarmer
Turquoise hat
Yellow hat
Gray vest - frog to...haven't decided
Featherweight cardigan
Gnarled Oak cardigan
Diagonal pattern baby blanket for Nevi


Other:
Dress form

Freya Patsy Demi bra

It's called a Padded Half-Cup normally, but this is really a Demi since it covers above the apex by about 1.5", more or less depending on size but the apex is clearly visible if you look at the cups from the side when not worn. Demi is cut straight across for a more corset look in that it showcases the upper bust, whereas a half-cup is just that, not an everday bra because there usually is no nipple coverage. Also...this thing is not padded. The ever so thin lining is almost like a super thin quilt batting. It's about 1/16" thick at most and if you compress it between your fingers it's as thin as two layers of thin fabric put together - and with a correct fitting cup your boobs actually compress the fabric. When it's too loose there is no compression and the bra will stick out more. If you're getting a size boost from this, or any lined bra for that matter, then your cup is too large.

 

Something else to note: Demi bras are better suited to shallower breasts, so if you're fuller on top or you have a bit of volume these are not going to fit you. Some websites say these are suited for A-B cups...if you're familiar with Freya they barely have any bras starting in C, nevermind B. This is a shape specific style, NOT size!

 

 

Another alteration from a 30F to 26G. I managed to do this in about an hours time. Same alteration I did to the Freya Daphne, though I think this one came out better. The fabrics are different so this one has better stretch but without getting too tight feeling. Finished measurements are 22" unstretched, 26.5" stretched...and with room for a couple of fingers. Before it was 25.5"/30".

Update 2/04/13: Booo...this no longer fits good! I could really go up a cup size and as of now am no longer suited to Demi's because of remigration =( The only thing that could possibly fix this now is if I can manage to find longer and very narrow wires so it changes the shape of the cup some. Same goes for the Daphne.


I also, finally, put a dart in the center gore of my Panache Cleo Sadie....waaaaaaayyyy better fit. I've done this to bras in the past, some it works with, others it doesn't. This bra was a good one for it because of the way it's constructed and the shape of the cups. Normally the vertical seams kind of point away towards the sides and then in /   \ kind of like that. I took off about 1" of the band with the dart and now the seams point more like this \  /, though slightly straighter, so it gives better lift and support from the bottom of the cup rather than just smooshing you down.


Mods I have left to do for underwear include taking in the band or at least minimizing the stretch in the Freya Edina Longline, turning the Panache Cleo Jude from a partial band plunge to a full band balconette/plunge, taking in the band and center gore of the Panache Porcelain (this one I have in 30F because 28F didn't fit and I thought at the time 30 would be the sollution when I should have gone for 28FF), and I may also turn that bra into a full band style...I haven't decided yet. I still have a thong to make for the Fantasie Bridgette Basque turned Longline too.

Underbust Corset

It's finally done!!! Hip hip hooray! I got my steel busk in last week, $6.50 including shipping, all the way from China. Seriously...get your corset stuff on Etsy! I found the same product elsewhere and they wanted over $30 including shipping.

This pattern is from Laughing Moon Mercantile, #113. I did view A (Ribbon Corset). The ribbons are cut on angles, and varying degress so it mocks the curve that normal cuts of several pieces of fabric would do. The fit is pretty spot on. The only thing I don't care for is how far apart the grommets are (I used eyelets). But if you look at the back photos for this they're pretty much the same on the pattern envelope as they are on me. I made the size 8 (26-24-34), although my actual measurments are slightly different from that (the bottom of the corset is not at full hip, it's at the very top of your hips...and unfortunately I have an uber long torso so this sits a little higher up on me than it's supposed to). Basically, just go with your waist measurement. What I love about this pattern is it's so detailed. Every little step, plus inbetween, there are instructions. So much better than the crap that McCall's, Simplicity and all the others put out. It's a very easy corset, all you need to know how to do is sew, measure accurately and be able to install grommets/eyelets, boning and a busk. Those last two were my first try and they came out almost perfect. (I had to readjust the seam allowance for the nubby part of the busk because there was a visible 1/8" space between the front. And the eyelets...well I used the hammer method, so yeah.)

For the fabric I used just a black heavy twill for the inside and the outside is brocade. Too bad they're in small sections because this fabric is gorgeous! (And I rarely use that word.) The ribbons are just your standard stuff, twelve 6.5" lengths of 1/4" featherweight plastic boning, 9" steel busk with a white coating (coating is on inside only) and 6mm eyelets.

^ The inside ^

 

 

=D

Size 26" lingerie...by Freya??

It's not quite true. According to Freya and their design team, it would not be possible to make bands smaller than 28 because there is no demand for them? And also, this particular style loses all support and is not possible to make below a size 30? (words I've seen written by them) Really, Freya?? Do you guys just look for fabric and call it a day? Do you even discuss sizes with your design team? Considering they are only a design team and not a size team...this all makes sense to me now!

This was originally a size 30, measuring 25.5" unstretched and 30" stretched to it's maximum. There are some people out there who really put this last number to the test and pull with all their might to find the max stretch. BIG. FAT. NO-NO! You want this number to be what the bra stretches at comfortably without popping any stitches or turning the fabric translucent and wrinkled. Would you honestly wear the band that tight around? I say that because the people who do this wear the size they measure at and think it's the absolute maximum of stretch in a bra...Dear God, how much pain are they in when doing so??!

Before taking off the amount necessary, 1) remove the stitching from the back closure, 2) the stitching holding the ring/strap in place (or on the strap itself if yours doesn't have a ring), and 3) the stitching holding the decorative elastic that's connected from the strap and running along the top of the band. 4) Mark how much is to be taken off, first on the bottom of the band, then top (mine was 1.5") and also the height of the band at the very end (mine was .75") then make a gradual curve from point A to point B keeping the curve as similar to the original.

After removing and trimming everything away, mark the edge for where the fabric will meet on the decorative elastic. It's easier this way because it slides around like crazy in the machine. Or you can baste it in place but keep the stitches loose because you will be pulling the two together as you sew to give the stitching some stretch. I just used the typical polyester thread and a straight stitch, set at 3 for length (my machine goes up to 4, so 3 is the average for most fabrics). You'll be starting just at where the fabric folded when it was in the ring for the strap. Do 2 rows of stitching, the first one about 1/8" in from the raw edge of the band, then flip the bra over and stitch 1/8" in from the edge of the decorative elastic (about 1/4" from the first row of stitching, alternatively you can do this all on the same side, but flipping it is easier since you know you'll have both piece sewn and won't have your stitching line going off).

Sorry this is flipped upside down. Blooger (haha - give me a break, it's 3:30AM) doesn't work well with JPEG's... Below is the stitching you'll be doing to reattach the strap. Simply fold the little strap through the ring (make sure your bra straps are facing the correct way. I had a retard moment and had mine flipped!), then straight stitch across 1/8" from the edge (on the inside) then zig-zag over that twice to secure.

What it should look like after the main stitching is complete.

The band completed.

Up close.

 The difference between the two sizes. Top is the new 26, bottom is the old 30.

Firm and even, and at the proper level around back (this varies depending on torso length, mine is very long). It may look like the hook & eye closure is strained but I assure you it is not. I can very easily close this on the tightest eyes no problem. Some light stretching like this is quite acceptable and common in a tighter band. What you DON'T want is for it to be strained that you can actually see your skin through the space created, or to have it digging in at the sides to the point of flesh spilling over the edges on top and bottom = both are an all too common problem seen on many women (more specifically on Bratabase) claiming their band fits.

The cups on this will always sit lower than the band because that's the styling of it, you can see this in the photos above when the bra is lying flat. It doesn't pose too much of a problem though, as far as digging in my ribs. I get that more with partial bands, but it's a cup size issue. And...it's sitting much more level, when I move around it doesn't ride up.

THE VERDICT: I am still strongly against one single method of measuring for bras. You'll find tons of nonsense out there ranging from adding 4 to as much as 6" to determine band size, and then you'll find the complete opposite where you don't add anything at all (unless you need to round up or down because your ribcage is measuring at an odd amount). The method depends entirely on the person, and personally...with my somewhat bony ribcage and various health reasons, I prefer a size 28 hands down! For reference my ribcage measures 26" exactly WITHOUT pulling the tape tight - just as you would measure for any other part of your body, it is held around without any slack but without pulling at all. Some rules will say to measure this snug and inhale. If I do that I can get this number as small as 23.5". But, pulling the tape just a little snug results in about 24.75". Some people would argue that I can also try a size 24 band because of this measurement, but if I want to be restricted that much I'll ask Luke ;)

I did this yesterday afternoon and finished some time around 4, then proceeded to wear it out and had it on until about 10. It wouldn't have been uncomfortable had I not gone out to dinner then for a walk and over to a friend's house, but the elastic was a little unbearable with not a whole lot in me. At almost it's (the correct version of) maximum stretch (since technically compressing the flesh around me would still allow for 2.5" of ease, without compressing only 0.5") this was not a good feeling. I had slight heartburn and kept burping because I wasn't digesting as well with such a firm band, and it wasn't so much the fabric as it was the elastic on the band. As far as fit goes, it's absolutely spot on for cup and band size. But this is not something I would wear unless I'm just going out to hang out. I don't know how some women do it (and especially those that are heavier). Do they not eat? Or move?

To Freya: Yes, size 26 IS possible! And yes, this half-cup style is also doable in smaller than a 30. As you can see, none of the support is lost from a smaller band with this style of cup, and this smaller band fits on real women like myself. Because you forget about the slender and curvy much too often, pushing them off to the side as if they do not exist. How many more people and blogs will it take to get you to realize this? Please, listen to your customers. They know what is best, and you definitely have a large market for smaller band sizes.