Fashion Fabrics for Bra-Making?

Is anyone able to discuss fashion fabrics for bra-making? I'm
interested in going further than the typical solid tricots. It sounds
like organza is a fabric of choice for sheer lining. Does it do well
as the fashion fabric too? I'm also considering georgette, crepe de
chine, charmeuse, and cotton-poly eyelet. Also, is rayon cooler
overall than polyester? Pros and cons anyone? It occurs to me to
consider nylon, too....

Thx,
Pora

wurstergirl wrote:
Is anyone able to discuss fashion fabrics for bra-making?

Just curious, are you going to have a message forum on your web site?
If so, it seems to me that maybe you might want to postpone these types
of extensive discussions until you can preserve them there, because you
can't copy from NG discussions wholesale onto your web site.

I know this is totally off the wall, but I'm very, very sick and my
brain is fuzzy and when you asked this all I could think about is how
some talk show host said in his memoirs that he never spoke with his
guests before they came on the show since discovering that the few times
he did that, the best parts of the discussion never made it to the show.

In article . com,
"wurstergirl" wrote:

Is anyone able to discuss fashion fabrics for bra-making? I'm
interested in going further than the typical solid tricots. It sounds
like organza is a fabric of choice for sheer lining. Does it do well
as the fashion fabric too? I'm also considering georgette, crepe de
chine, charmeuse, and cotton-poly eyelet. Also, is rayon cooler
overall than polyester? Pros and cons anyone? It occurs to me to
consider nylon, too....


This is a great topic for discussion. Personally, I think you should
try any fabric you want! The best way to tell how it will feel against
your skin, before using it in a bra, is to cut a square (after washing
it) and put it inside your bra for a time to see if it itches or is
otherwise uncomfortable.

I think rayon is more comfortable than poly but I have no idea how it
would hold up in a bra. I bought some very fine emerald green rayon
challis last week for other things and it has a very soft, light hand
after washing. So it seems like it might make a *comfortable* bra.
OTOH, rayon can hold a lot of water so that would also be a
consideration. Durability is definitely a factor with bras for women
who are more than adequately endowed. Those bras must be able to take a
lot of strain.

Nothing wrong with plain old cotton either--- especially if you want
that plaid or Island print bra. I saw a lot of polka dots on Denver
Fabrics' page the other day... I've used a very wide variety of
fabrics for lingerie. If I was going to do this by mail order, I'd get
large samples of a bunch of different fabric types. For myself, I
generally draw on my own stash. Did you ever try Logan Kits? She sells
lingerie fabric remnants by the pound too--- or used to--- very cheap.
Not just kits. She gets factory remnants IIRC but it has been more than
a few years since I bought anything form her. I recommend writing to
her and telling her you are looking for bra-making fabrics to see if she
has anything that you could use. She always had a lot of nylon tricot
as I recall. I still have some gorgeous laces that I got from her.

http://www.logankits.com/

Phae

--
I fear me you but warm the starved snake,
Who, cherished in your breasts, will sting your hearts. (Henry VI, Shakespeare)

In article
,
Phaedrine wrote:

Did you ever try Logan Kits?


I forgot to say, have a look at her brochure... you can download it.

--
I fear me you but warm the starved snake,
Who, cherished in your breasts, will sting your hearts. (Henry VI, Shakespeare)

On Sat, 29 Apr 2006 09:39:13 -0500, Phaedrine
wrote:


I think rayon is more comfortable than poly but I have no idea how it
would hold up in a bra. I bought some very fine emerald green rayon
challis last week for other things and it has a very soft, light hand
after washing. So it seems like it might make a *comfortable* bra.
OTOH, rayon can hold a lot of water so that would also be a
consideration. Durability is definitely a factor with bras for women
who are more than adequately endowed. Those bras must be able to take a
lot of strain.

Nothing wrong with plain old cotton either---

After having made corsets, includeing overbusts, for a while now I
finally got around to trying a plain bra.
I am never going to buy one off the shelf again!
Custom fit is sooooo much more comfy! As in most clothes.

For fabrics I totally endorse cotton. For comfort it is hard to beat.
Plus, since I am generously endowed I want something sturdy. Cotton
does the trick.
But I am vain and one of those pretentious goth people, so I want
attractive with my functionality and comfort.
I have taken to basicly making the straps (except for the spandex
triangles for movement in the back straps) and at least the lower half
of the cups in plain cotton, then covering it in something prettier.
Since I do much of my own dyeing and surface design I can make the
pretty part out of silk quite cheaply.
I highly endorse renaissance lace or similar techniques for
embellishment, it is by far the most comfortable as well as being easy
to do and very attractive.

NightMist
--
The wolf that understands fire has much to eat.

For plain cotton, do you use batiste , flannel or just muslin? Are
there wrinkling issues after every washing? I'm inclined to go with
cotton-poly blends for the durability. I'm all for layering fashion
over function too, especially since I'm going to be making bras for my
I-cup friend as well as for myself. There's no reason one can't
enclose the seam allowances between the cups, right? Thanks for the
renaissance lace tip.

POra

I hear you, Melinda. (She's referring to www.theBraConnection.com, my
site on bras for the hard-to-fit woman.) In fact, the forum is up and
running right now, but the rest of the site is not looking good. I'd
prefer to invite you all over once I'm sure that the frustration factor
is low enough that y'all won't leave in a huff, never to return.


Yeah, I should be saving this up for our forum, but I'm so impatient.
I'll only ask a few questions and then hold off so we can continue
later. I'm guessing we still have another month or two before I'd feel
comfortable having you guys over.

Pora

Good idea about wearing a swatch inside your bra.

I've been eyeing the Logan Kits grab bags. As soon as I feel like I've
got one great bra under my belt (?!) it will be great fun to try one of
those out. My I-cup girlfriend who I'm going to try to sew for will
love to see something other than beige tricot!!

And hey, I'm taking that plaid cotton as a challenge, girl! ;-) lol

Pora

Yes, rayon challis would be soft. If layered over a cotton or organza
lining perhaps it wouldn't absorb a lot of moisture.

Pora

wurstergirl wrote:
For plain cotton, do you use batiste , flannel or just muslin?

I used lightweight poplin for one, and it was great.