Pattern Review: The Basic Bra
Pattern Review: The Basic Bra
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The Basic Bra is one of many bra/bralette patterns by nakedknit. I had leftover yarn from yarn testing, so I used it to make a matching pink bra to my Primavera Sweater! This pattern uses so little yarn, knits up fast, and the construction tailors for a perfect fit. In my opinion it is an intermediate pattern as there are more complicated techniques used for the underbust band and the shaping of the bra cup. There are videos linked in the pattern for these techniques. These advanced techniques make for a really gorgeous, professional finish.
I had to get my mom's help for sewing the underbust elastic band, so a warning that you probably require a sewing machine to make this bra have a good fit. Because the underbust with elastic results in negative ease, it was very hard to measure things accurately. I would recommend deciding on where to start your bra cups by putting on the underbust band and measuring on your body. I wish I had started my cups even further back, because without that tension, the cups look a bit saggy.
That being said, if you actually followed the tailoring instructions carefully in this pattern, it truly allows for a lot of flexibility in getting it perfect for your body shape.
I went for a cotton yarn, which is much more comfy for my humid tropical climate than cashmere as the pattern suggests. However, cotton yarn doesn't provide elasticity for the ribbed band, so this modification made things more complicated and I had to change my number of cast on stitches. My gauge was also off as a result (a usual for me, it seems) so there was a lot of guesstimation involved.
The only criticism I have for this pattern is that there were no instructions for mounting of the straps. I haphazardly sewed my straps on the band, but I wish it looked neater. Other than that I thought this pattern is quite elegant and polished, and mostly provides the guidance you might need if you are new to undergarment knitting!
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