TUTORIAL: HOW TO SEW A BUILT-IN BRA

For the past year, I’ve been sewing built-in shelf bras, with cups, into maillots (unitards), t-shirts, and tank tops. My original inspiration for this came from several vintage garments—a dress and bathing suit—that I wear regularly, which have built in bras. For me, there are several advantages to building a bra into a garment. I like to design shirts with dramatic, low back lines that would usually show a traditional bra.

Built in bras also just happen to be comfortable.  And in contrasts to the simple shelf bras in sports tops, adding cups to a shelf bra also provides a pleasing silhouette (no tube boob!).

A few other bloggers have asked me to share my technique. I can’t say that it’s the prettiest or most sophisticated. I’m sure that some of you out there with lingerie sewing experience could add a few pointers on materials and techniques.

What I can say is that this tutorial is relatively easy, and you can do it on a home machine. My tank top pattern happens to be self-drafted, form-fitting, and  low-backed.  If you were to do this technique with a looser tank, you’d just need to make the bra section tighter/more form fitting. I sew most of my seams with a serger, but you can easily sew a stretchy tank on a regular machine using a stretch stitch.

Here’s how I do it:

Tools

 I like to use a soft cotton-lycra blend knit (it won’t pill like rayon or bamboo knit), 1 inch wide elastic, and sew-in bra cups. Make sure the bra cups are your appropriate cup size and that you like the shape they give you. Slightly padded cups will keep your girls from “tuning in Tokyo.” I buy cups in the garment district, where there are lots of different shapes to choose from. If your resources are more limited,  Dritz makes cups sold at JoAnn’s.

The elastic should feel comfortable against your skin. I like to cut everything out on a cutting mat with a rotary cutter and sharp scissors (but of course!). For my pattern, I drafted a simple sloper based off of my maillot pattern.

When cutting out striped jersey on the fold, I line up my stripes and pin them before cutting out my pattern. This will ensure the stripes on the shirt are indeed horizontal, and not listing to one side or the other.

Step 1: Cut the pattern pieces

 Cut out your front and back pattern pieces (3, 4). For the bra pieces (1, 2), I use the same tank top pattern, but just use the top third portion. Measure from your shoulder to under your chest (or to where you want the bra to hit) to gauge how long to cut the bra pieces.

Note: I generally use the same jersey fabric as the shirt for my built-in bras. This results in a very soft, cami like bra that stretches exactly like the tank top. When the fabric stretches, the bra usually ends up hitting me around the lower rib cage. If you want the bra to hit you right under the boobs, adjust for length. For more support, you could use polyester swimsuit lining or another lining fabric with more structure

Step 2: Position the cups

 Hold the front bra piece up to your chest, stretching it across your chest as if it were sewn to the back piece. Take note of where your girls land on the front piece; this is where you’ll want to position your bra cups. (I realize that’s not very scientific!)

Lay your front bra piece on a flat surface, wrong side up. Position your bra cups on the front bra piece. Make sure the bra cups are positioned so that they’ll nicely fit your boobs once you have the bra on. I always hold the cups up to my girls  to get the right angle, and then mimic that placement on the front bra piece. Generally, I place the top of my bra cups about 1 inch below the neckline; the center of the cups generally fall about 2 inches below the V of the neckline. I place the cups 1/2 to 1 inch apart. (I use a B to C size cup.)

 Experiment with the placement of the cups and pin them in place. At this point, you can again hold the bra front to yourself to see if the cups are close to where they need to be. Just remember that the cups will stretch away from each other, once sewn in, so it’s sometimes better to have them closer together (so you don’t end up with bra cups on the side of your body!).

Step 3: Sew the cups

 Sew the cups onto the front bra piece, just around the edge of the cups. If you’re not sure about placement, baste them on with a long straight stitch, and then hold the bra piece to your chest again to make sure the cups are falling in the right spot. Sew the cups on with a stretch stitch. And don’t be afraid to cop a feel on the cups! It’s the easiest way to rotate the pattern piece as you sew.

 When you’re finished sewing the cups, your pattern piece should look like the above.

Step 4: Cut away the excess fabric

 Cut away the fabric that’s covering the inside of the bra cups. I like to snip a section toward the middle of the cup and cut away from there.

 Step 5: Sew your bodice and bra pieces

 Right sides facing, sew your front and back bodice pieces together, and your front and back bra pieces together. At this point, it’s a good idea to slip on the bra to see if it feels like it will fit snuggly (keeping in mind that you’re still going to attach an elastic band around the bottom). Step 6: Attach the elastic band

 Wrap the elastic around your ribcage, just below your breasts, stretching it slightly, so that it feels snug but comfortable. Cut the elastic to this length. Butt the ends of the elastic and use a zigzag stitch to secure them.

Divide the elastic into fourths and mark with pins. Divide the bottom of the bra into fourths and mark with pins. Pin the right side of the elastic band to the wrong side of the bottom edge of the bra (at the four pin marks). Using a stretch stitch or zigzag, sew the bottom edge of the elastic band to the bottom edge of the bra, stretching the elastic between the four marks. Fold the top edge of the elastic to the right side of the bra, so the elastic band lays flat. If the band doesn’t lay flat, use a hot iron to press the fold where the band and bra meet. Sew the top edge of the elastic band to the bra.

*Note: This explanation for sewing on the band is a little simplistic. You may already have a preferred method for finishing the band in a more professional way. Just note that sewing the top and bottom edges of the elastic to the bra will make the bra more secure. You might also want to try the bra on at this point to make sure it fits the way you want it to. If it’s not tight enough, and you feel you won’t have enough support, take in the side or shoulder seams to tighten everything up.

Step 7: Pin bra to tank

 With the tank top inside out, and the bra right side out, slip the bra over the tank top. Line up the shoulder seams of the bra and tank and pin in place. Line up the under arm seams of the bra and tank and pin in place.

Step 8: Baste bra to tank

 Baste the neckline and arm holes of the bra and tank together. This will keep the tank and bra from slipping apart as you finish the neckline and arm holes.

Step 9: Finish the neckline, arm holes, and hem

I like to finish all edges with folded strips of fabric. I find this gives the cleanest look that I can achieve on my home sewing machine and serger. For this tank top, I cut the bands so that one white strip runs down the center of the band. Once the band is folded in half, there’s just a thin peep of white at the top edge of the band.

For more information on finishing edges with fabric bands, check out this great Threads tutorial video on a neckline binding. The same technique can be used for finishing the arm holes.

Step 10: Wear with attitude!

We have a cosplay company. We have been making cosplay costumes for worldwide costumes since 2003.

If you want to buy movie costumes or some other anime cosplay costumes, just contact me.

Email: info@cosjj.com
Website: http://www.cosjj.com/
Costumes: http://www.cosjj.com/costumes

How to make cher bloomers?

 Warning :: photo-heavy post ahead!  Sorry, Trace!

We should learn how to make bloomers by ourselves as long as you have enough time and you have got the materials.

Alright.  The bloomers.  For now… I offer this mini-version, which will help those of you who are ok with sewing on the fly.  Making it up as you go.  Seeing pictures and running with it.  If there’s interest, then I’ll sit down and draft out a real pattern with different sizes and such. Input is welcome here.

For those of you not interested in sewing (what?), I offer you a joke:

Q :: Why did the motorcycle fall over?

A :: Because it was two-tired!!!  TOO TIRED.  A MOTORCYCLE HAS TWO TIRES.  Get it?   I love it.  There’s your shout-out, Pap.

Bloomers / Pantaloons / Jams for the new-millennium

Introduction :: The gem of these capris is the leg hem.  It’s very wide, which allows you to make a channel for elastic.  It finishes your pants neatly, so the underside of your ruffle is easy on the eye.  These are super simple pants… the body is straight if not baggy and the legs should hit just below the knee.  This is a great project for beginner sewers, as baggy clothes for kiddos leave a lot of room for error interpretation. Don’t be afraid!

Materials ::  1/2 inch elastic for the waist, 1/4 inch elastic for the legs, 1/2 yard of fabric, thread, sewing machine, scissors, pattern or pants to copy, an hour or less of time… or, if you’re like me, 5 minute intervals of non-potty training peace and quiet.

Process with Photos :: I’ll try to be as detailed and simple as possible.  Let me know where I’m not, as this is the first sewing project I’ve attempted to explain.  I also don’t have any spiffy software- no photoshop or anything 🙂  This is grass-roots simple, Baby.

1. Make you pattern on a paper bag by loosly tracing around a single leg on a pair of pants you already love. I used a pair of Ry’s capri’s, which are an Old Navy 24 months.  ‘Loosly’ adds a seam allowance for you.  I especially added on to the bottom and top  for folding down and hemming.  My pattern measures 7 inches across and 16 inches from top to bottom, but seriously.  No need to be exact.

 

 2. Fold your fabric, trace, and cut. Your fold should be along the straight, long side of the pattern.  Repeat.  You should now have 2 pieces.

 3. With right-sides of your fabric (or sheet, in my case) together, sew the two outer ‘J’s (the yellow arrows).

 4. Now, match up your two seams so that they are now front and center. It looks like a pair of pants, No? You just need to sew across the bottom, giving you the legs and crotch area. I hate the word crotch.

 5. Working with you pants inside-out, fold down the top of the waistband 1/4 of an inch. Press. Now, do it again, but make it a whole inch this time. Press and then sew along the bottom edge, leaving a gap to slide your 1/2″ elastic in later.

  6. [photo above] Same theory on the legs… but that second roll is going to be bigger. It makes your ruffle, so make sure you have about 2 inches from the top of the hem to the bottom of the pants. I added dotted lines to my pattern to help me know where I wanted the finished hem to be. I’m thinking these pants are super cute without elastic in the legs… look at those up there! Maybe for boys? In navy shirting fabric? JTP, get all over that.7. Here’s a close-up of leg hem. You’re going to sew two lines in each leg: the first is at the very top of the hem… up the leg. Leave a small gap to insert you 1/4″ elastic later. The second line is a presser-foot’s width off the first one, or about 1/2″. The black line in the photo is showing you the gap for the elastic. Everything below becomes the under side of the ruffle. Remember, you’re working with the pants inside-out.

8. Insert your elastic in to the waist and legs. This is where you need to measure. I measure around Ry’s waist and then subtract a couple inches for the elastic. For the legs, you DON’T want this to be super tight. You want the legs to gather but not prevent them from riding up over the knee when your kiddo bends down.

 9. Attach your elastic, making a complete circle. Close off your gaps if you like. Personally, I leave the waistband gap open so I can adjust the elastic as she grows. If she grows. This child will be 25 pounds forever. But I’m prepared, just in case.

10. That’s it, peeps. Seriously. It’s not hard. It’s harder to explain than do, and I hope I haven’t confused you… but they’re really simple. Send me pictures of what you come up with!!! I’d love to see it! Notes :: All seam allowances are 1/4″ unless otherwise noted. My sewing machine is an old, borrowed Kenmore. I do not have a serger, but if you’d like to buy me one I do accept donations. This tutorial is for personal and gift use only. If you’d like to make these to sell, please contact me about a hard-copy pattern. Gracias!

Cosplay Skills with Silk, Taffeta, and Satin fabrics

Leveling up your sewing skill IRL is a series of short articles with tips, tricks, and things you should know before working with different types of fabric. We hope these help level up your skill and save you some tears as well as time. Please refer to the XP requirement bar for the difficulty rating of each fabric.



Sewing with satin, silk, and taffeta can be very challenging. They are such beautiful fabrics and perfect for so many cosplays. There are a few things you should know before working with them that will save you some heartache, tears and most importantly time.

One of the first things is to make sure you are using the proper sized needle. Satin doesn’t “heal” around needle holes, so if your needle is too large you will have very visible needle holes as well as possible puckering from the fabric giving way. We wouldn’t recommend using very many pins on this fabric as it spreads apart the threads and can sometimes still be visible after the sewing is complete.

Secondly,you should use a short stitch while keeping your fabric taut and smooth. The last thing you want is puckering on your seam. If you are getting pucker on the underside of your seams you may need to switch to a smooth presser foot to keep it from grabbing the fabric too harshly.

When working with fabrics like these you want the least amount of seams possible, since the grain on the vertical seams can pucker over time no matter how perfectly you sew them. To help with this you can add a little interfacing to your seams, but experiment with it to see what works best for your machine.

If you found this article helpful, have questions, or have an article you’d like to see be sure to let us know in the comments below.

10 Practical Cosplay Tips From the Amateurs

Cosplay is becoming more and more recognized as an art form. It’s even a viable occupation for the growing number of people who now make the convention rounds, with some gaining celebrity status as “professional cosplayers.”


At the same time, there are many cosplay shops offering high quality of costumes. For example: cosjj.vom

I applaud those who have brought this pastime into the spotlight. However, some part-time and beginning cosplayers may feel a little out of their league among these living, breathing photo opportunities—some of whom have spent thousands of dollars and countless hours in the gym perfecting their look.

To those afraid of how they will size up compared to the pros: Never underestimate the passion and creative mind of an amateur.

I recently spoke with several cosplayers at the Las Cruces Anime Days convention held every winter at New Mexico State University. The five-year-old event attracts a bevy of anime, manga, and gaming fans, many of whom arrive in full cosplay splendor to take part in manga costume contests, “pose-offs,” karaoke and dance competitions, a masquerade ball and dance, and cosplay, prop-making, and makeup workshops.

Some of the cosplayers have shared 10 of their own costuming tips, based on their own interests and experience, from saving money to keeping comfortable:

1. Stance is as important as wardrobe. “Look up different poses from the character and know your posture,” says Lorenzo P.

2. Don’t worry about perfectly matching every last detail. “Look at the ‘image’ of the character [not just how it looks exactly on page or screen],” says Julian F. “As long as you get the overall image, that’s what counts.”

animesmall
Experimenting with looks, using light-safe materials for props, and keeping it simple are just a few of the tips fellow cosplayers have to offer. Photo: Rick Tate.
3. Don’t go crazy with body makeup. “Less is best with makeup,” says Sonya G. “If you layer it too much, it will crack.”



4. Materials make the difference in prop-building. “To really get a good metal look, PVC pipe and silver paint works fine. I prefer PVC, because some conventions don’t allow certain types of metal,” says Adrianna B. “I’ve also learned bakeable clay is you best friend [in making props].”

5. Don’t try to always go too skintight. “Always buy pants one size larger than you actually wear,” says Ashlyn V. “Otherwise, it will be too tight and uncomfortable.”

6. Experiment. “Have fun and play around with your look,” says Katherine G. “I do my own makeup and make my hair [wigs]. Some things we make and some I buy.”

7. Don’t let details take the enjoyment out of dressing up. “Never be too nit-picky,” says Melissa D. “As long as you feel confident in yourself and what you’re wearing, that’s what matters.”



8. Expensive, commercial costumes aren’t always best. Look for places you can find items for less money. “If you don’t know where to start, go simple with singular pieces of clothing,” says Derek B. “I’ve even found some things for my costume at places like Goodwill.”

9. Take advantage of online resources. “Find your favorite character and see what you can find online,” says Joaquinn P. “YouTube helps a lot, and just look at different images—a lot of different images.”

10. Above all, you’re supposed to be having a good time. “The main thing is having fun,” says Jennifer B. “Find something you like and go for it.”

Cosplay Tools 19 Sewing Hacks You Should Know

When you are making your cosplay costumes, the following tools would help you a lot.

1. Hem the easy way!
Print the hemming template to get a uniform and easy hem, every time.

2. Save money on thread!
Stop using the tiny cones of thread. Use a mug to house your giant cone of thread.

 3. Sew buttons on with your sewing machine.
Stop hand sewing buttons.

 4. Use rubber bands to keep a uniform seam allowance.

 5. Store bobbins in pedicure toe separators.

 6. User washers as pattern weights.

 7. Use two pencils to add a uniform seam allowance.

 8. Use a regular sewing machine to sew knit fabric.

 9. Use the cheater method for gathering fabric easily.

 10. Use a pin to get your buttonholes right every time.

 11. Use a bodkin to insert elastic into a casing.
12. Print a bias tape template.

 13. Learn how to lengthen or shorten anything.

 14. Learn how to use elastic thread

 15. Learn how to make continuous bias tape.

 16. Keep your scissors sharp.

 17. Grade a pattern larger or smaller to fit.

 17. Save the skirt length chart.

 19. Never get frustrated threading a needle again.

18. Cleaning tricks to keep your iron clean.

Cosplay Tips: The Benefits of networking

Knowing some cosplay tips would help you a lot 

Today’s edition of “Cosplay Tips” is a little different from most. It doesn’t follow a list, or a “how-to” kind of model. Instead, I’m going to give you a little tip that has worked out wonderfully for me several times–build a network of cosplayers.

Now, this network can comprise of those “professional” cosplayers, as well as your own internet friends of acquaintances that cosplay as a hobby. If you are going to include the pro cosplayers, though, you should recognize that you won’t always get an answer, and will never get unsolicited help.

“But Amanda!,” I hear you say. “Networking is so boring!” You’re right, it can be pretty dull. But it’s also a really, really valuable source of information while cosplaying. Also, Twitter and Tumblr make it ridiculously easy to build an informational and instructional structure.

I spend a good amount of time researching for my cosplay enterprises. Not only do I grab as many reference pictures as I can (which I talked about in my article on cosplay planning tips), but I spend a ridiculous amount of time researching different methods of building props, sewing techniques, fabric recommendations, and materials. Even with all the research I do, though, I wind up with questions. Sometimes that questions are so minor that I feel like I can go forward by myself. Sometimes, though, the questions make me too insecure to delve into the construction phase.

In such a case, I will pose these questions to other cosplayers. If I know that someone worked on a similar costume or use a similar technique, I will ask them directly. If I don’t know anyone, I will put out a random tweet or pose the question on Reddit (check out r/cosplayers for what I think is the friendliest community). Sometimes, just discussing varying approaches to cosplay will prompt helpful input from other cosplayers!

If you do not want to make costumes by yourself, please visit our website: Cosplay Costumes , we have several talented designers and tailors and years costume production experience.

Dyeing Suede Nubuck

When we make our own costumes, we need to know some Dyeing Suede & Nubuck tips.

Dyeing Suede & Nubuck

Dyes are great at returning suede & nubuck back to new. We have a range of colours available.  The colours vary in shades and the original colour of the shoe plays a part in the end result. So it's important to note that often you cannot determine the exact shade of colour until completion. When choosing your colour remember that you can only dye from light to darker colour.

To get started follow the steps below.

STEP ONE: PREPARING
Brush the surface with a Suedette Brush to remove dirt and to bring the nap up.
For dirty shoes view full cleaning instuctions in the Suede & Nubuck page.

STEP TWO: DYING
Use the brush provided with the Suede Dye and apply the dye in long, even strokes. Make sure that the colour remains even.
Let the first coat of dye dry for 1 - 2 hours.
Apply second coat until you achieve the desired shade.

STEP THREE: BRUSHING
Allow to dry thoroughly, and then use a Suedette Brush to bring the nap back up.

Shoe Dying Tips
The more time you spend preparing your shoes the better the results will be.
Each time you apply dye to your shoes make sure that they are completely dry before applying next coat.
Stuff paper in your shoes or place them on a shoe tree for easier application.
Try not to apply to many coats as this can dry the leather out.
Red suede & nubuck can sometimes be very difficult to dye, even to black. Not sure why this is, it may have to do with a proccess used in the tanning of red suedes.
When choosing your colour remember that you can only dye from a lighter to a darker colour.

Ironging:
For most materials, we could use iron to flat the costumes.

Winter Solider Metal Arm Tutorial

How to Make Mei's Belt from Overwatch?

Need to make a belt that's simply a-mei-zing? We've got you covered.

My Mei cosplay debuted for the first time this year at Blizzcon 2016. I should have taken a lot more photos during the assembly process of Mei's belt, but hopefully, this helps someone. Please ask me any questions you may have in the comments below! In order to get the proper sizes, I used Photoshop to overlay Mei's photo onto a photo of myself holding a ruler. This gave me approximate measurements, sizes, and scaling for everything that I needed to make.

Foam Pouch Base

I started off with the basic size I wanted for my pouch. I made a simple pouch with a flap from 8 mm foam. As you can see in the second photo, I didn't like how the top looked. It was cracking from being opened/closed and it was standing up too much. I decided to just cut the foam flap off, and make a flap out of the vinyl I purchased to cover them in.

Vinyl Flap and Covering

I made the flap out of outdoor vinyl and stitched on the details. I also roughly covered the rest of the pouch in the same vinyl, attaching it to the foam with Hot Glue. Hot Glue probably wasn't the best choice, but I was working with what I had at the time. I folded over the edges to give it a clean look. When gluing this, avoid trying to glue the finished sides of the vinyl together because they won't hold very well. If you're going to use something to keep the pouches closed, you should attach this now. I didn't think about it until it was too late and I had to hot glue velcro onto the pouches.

 Weathering and Painting

Using Oil Paints and a makeup sponge, I started weathering the back of the pouches and around the edges. I used an iridescent blue fabric paint for the blue strip on the front of the pouches. It took a few coats, but it came out looking amazing. I weathered over the blue a bit afterwards to make it blend in a bit better.

Sealing, Attaching the Flap, and Mod PodgeI made all 3 pouches and started to weather them. Once the back was dry, I added Matte Mod Podge to "Seal" the Oil Paint. After that dried, I added Chicago Screws (using an awl to punch the holes) to make sure the fabric flaps would stay attached to the foam pouch with repeated opening and closing. The lines you see on the back are me finding the center of the pouch so I can line it up with the belt when attaching the pouches later.

Why Mod Podge? I coated the entire belt with Mod Podge to seal it because I knew it would wear, chip, scuff and add to the weathered look. Also, if too much chipped off, it would be easy to repair and repaint.

Belt Base

Once the pouches were all made, I started working on the actual belt. After measuring it to my size, I used 8 mm foam for the base and then added 6 mm strips to the top and bottom for detail. I then made the front flap and canteen holder which I (unfortunately) didn't take photos of.

 Attaching Front Flap and Covering Belt

I glued one side of the vinyl that will cover the belt itself down along the very edge. That would have been difficult to do after attaching the front flap. I attached the front flap and canteen holder with Chicago screws, and then glued the belt vinyl over top to hide the Chicago screws that were holding the front flap on.

 Attaching Pouches to Belt

I used Chicago screws and an awl to punch holes through the belt and pouches to attach them. I attached Velcro to the pouches with hot glue to hold them closed. I should have sewn them on, but I didn't think about it until it was too late.

 Creating the Canteen

I carved the canteen out of 10 mm foam layered and glued together. I used 3 mm foam to add the small details like the circle on the front and the black grips along the sides. I sealed it with a few layers of wood glue and sanded it smooth. I then painted it with a few "Pearl" acrylic paints to give it a frosty metal look.

Attaching the Canteen

I used Chicago screws again to attach the canteen straps to the belt flap and then one to close the straps around the canteen.

Making it Wearable

I used plastic clips on and webbing straps to close the belt in the back. I ended up having to hot glue the clips flat so that it stayed in place. Be careful if you decide to do this, because you don't want hot glue to get inside of the clips so that they don't clip together. It wasn't the prettiest, but it stayed put without an issue for two days.

The Finished Product

This is what the belt looked like completed. I hope this was helpful to anyone wanting to cosplay as Mei, or anyone that just needs help with a belt. If you are also interested in this, please contact me. Also if you want to buy more costumes, please visit my website: cosjj.com