A blue Watson Bra - Pattern Review

You will see from my last blog post that I’ve been delving into the world of underwear making. I never thought I would actually make underwear successfully, after years of struggling to find bras to fit I have become disheartened by RTW and was prompted by the desire to find a bra that fits without a boatload of padding and is super comfy. So far I’ve tried the Watson Bra and Simplicity 8436. I’ll review the Simplicity pattern at a later date, but today I wanted to focus on the Watson.

The Watson Bra and knickers is a pattern by Cloth Habit. It’s a soft cup bra with no underwires, can be made in lace/ jersey/ scuba - in fact, lots of fabrics with a bit of stretch are ideal for this pattern. I have now made 4 versions of this pattern and it’s fast becoming my favourite bra to wear.

The pattern comes in a range of sizes and is easy to adapt. It has a vertically seamed cup, which makes alterations super easy

The instructions that come with the pattern are great for beginners as they take you step by step through the whole process - even which type of stitch to use and how wide/ long your zigzag stitches should be. If you need even more hand-holding with this pattern there are multiple sew-a-longs on the web, including a video tutorial by Liz Sews.

As with any sewing pattern, getting the fit right is what makes a project work or not. The first Watson I made was too big in the band and too small in the cup. I did a bit of research on Bra sizing and decided to make a completely different size to the recommended size on the charts provided. If you are making this Bra for the first time I would definitely start with the chart, but be aware that you might need to make some changes to the pattern.

For my second version, I made a 30E. Initially, I thought it wasn’t going to fit, but I can honestly say it’s the best fitting bra I have ever worn. It feels slightly snug when I first put it on, but it is super comfy. For this version, I had used elastics and fabric from another unworn me made bra as it was to be a wearable toile.

Once I was happy with the fit I decided to make another version. This time I used some scraps of Rico jersey with a super cool print. I decided to use two layers which was a mistake. This fabric is quite thick and the extra bulk on the vertical seam caused some puckering - I should have trimmed the seams really close to get a smooth finish. This fabric also has a tendency to stretch out and doesn’t really have a great recovery, so while it’s a great print it’s a fail as a bra. One thing that did work on this one was the one alteration that I made. The vertical seam line was just a smidge too wide set and I altered it to bring it nearer to the centre of my chest.

Watson take 4 - powder blue jersey. This fabric was sent to me by a friend who had made a t-shirt and had some leftovers. It’s a beautiful quality cotton jersey with some widthwise stretch and very little lengthwise stretch. I decided to line this one with stretch mesh to reduce bulk and stable cotton for the band. The Powernet and elastics are all white.

I've seen several ways to construct the cups to achieve a neat finish and as I was lining these with mesh I sandwiched the cup seam, so that it was enclosed once turned the right way around and then top-stitched it in place.

I also managed to enclose the side seams so that they have a neat finish

However, where the cups meet the cradle I left raw. If I had some seam tape in my stash I would apply it here, but It's been trimmed and top stitched and I'm happy with it.

I’m really pleased with the finish on this one. The only thing I don’t like is where the straps join - I find it really bulky to thread through a ring and it looks wrong - so I added a small elastic loop. If you have a great solution to this please let me know. Failing that I’ll attach the elastics straight to the cup and put the rings and sliders on the back next time. I did notice while taking the photos That I'd twisted one of the straps. I sorted that - it only took 5 minutes.

I made a matching pair of undies - these are made with a pattern taken from an old pair of shorts style knickers that I had years ago. The band at the top is covered regular elastic - it took me ages to remember how I attached this and it's still a bit of a mess. My zigzag stitches are great in some places, but as soon as I miss the elastic or get to a thicker area they skip and are irregular. Not helped by the fact that I used white thread as I'd run out of the matching blue, so now my skipped stitches are super obvious. Oh well you live and learn.

The legs are just turned and hemmed. One thing I really need to do is get out my Janome sewing machine and use the triple zigzag stitch. I have been using my vintage Bernina, but even with the correct needles it still skips some stitches and doesn’t have the triple zigzag option.

Overall, I love the look of this set, and that it is pretty much made of scrap fabric. I am certain this will get plenty of wear and I’m sure as I become more confident in lingerie making there will be many more. I might even try some pattern hacks. I would like to try some other knicker patterns, let me know which are your favourites?