Altering a ready-made bra

gwinity · 01-19-2008, 01:53 AM

Hi, remember me? I lurk a lot...

I bought a ready-made bedlah recently (super-cheap off ebay), with the understanding I'd need to alter it to fit me properly. It arrived yesterday, and it needs more work than I expected.

For a start, the cups are essentially FLAT, with what looks like a foam swimsuit cup tacked too high or somehow in the wrong spot. Being well-endowed, this is not a good combination for me.

The straps are also too long, and I need to reinforce the hooks on both this and the belt, but the cups are the parts that are really perplexing me at the moment.

I have a flesh-tone underwire bra that does sit well under this, and I'd like to actually sew it into the sequinned one, but I'm just not sure how to go about it. Any suggestions?

Shanazel · 01-19-2008, 03:08 AM

Does the sequined bra actually cover the underwire you wish to sew in? Wow, lucky you. My two cents worth:

Get someone to help you, first of all. Put on both bras and have the other person make sure all that needs to be covered is covered, then have your helper tack the bras together with needle and thread while they are still on you. (I'd make sure not to chose a helper who is either clumsy or sadistic!) Then you can take them off as one piece and use some kind of heavy thread to tack them firmly together in a number of places, working between the decorations. Be sure and dance provately in this before you wear it in performance to make sure it stays together nicely.

Aniseteph · 01-20-2008, 12:02 AM

Hi Gwinity - nothing much constructive to add, just sympathy looking at the inside of it...

Farasha Hanem · 01-20-2008, 03:24 AM

Or, you can just do what Ai'sha does, and use "boob glue"!

Sorry, Ai'sha, sorry, sorry! But I couldn't help myself!

Shanazel's advice sounds good to me. I'm not a very good seamstress, so I don't have any suggestions to add.

adiemus · 01-20-2008, 06:15 PM

You could also unstitch the lining and remove the other cups, because they do look just wrong!! then put your bra on and then the decorated one - get someone to check all is covered, then tack or pin both bits together.
Once its off, you can either unpick the lining on this one, and stitch the lining over your bra (a bra sandwich!), or you could just stitch your bra over the top of the lining, which might be more comfortable. You could, at a pinch, sew tape loops that you could slip over your bra straps (the ones that go around your body) and fasten with snap fasteners, so that you have a completely removable bra, might be the easiest, provided the decorated bra is quite wide and covers it completely.

Fatima · 01-26-2008, 10:11 PM

I once did what Adiemus suggested. It's a lot of work and I ended up buying similar shades beads to cover some areas that needed extra beads. It took me almost two years to complete.

da Sage · 01-26-2008, 10:49 PM

I don't have any advice, but I just wanted to say that I bought a costume with a too-small bra too, and I'm afraid even the local costume surgeon won't be able to fix it!

36D my ass!

adiemus · 01-27-2008, 05:29 AM

bummer da Sage...
I've made my bra's so far, too cheap to buy a costume at all!!

01-19-2008, 01:53 AM	#1 (permalink)
gwinity Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 357	Altering a ready-made bra Hi, remember me? I lurk a lot... I bought a ready-made bedlah recently (super-cheap off ebay), with the understanding I'd need to alter it to fit me properly. It arrived yesterday, and it needs more work than I expected. For a start, the cups are essentially FLAT, with what looks like a foam swimsuit cup tacked too high or somehow in the wrong spot. Being well-endowed, this is not a good combination for me. The straps are also too long, and I need to reinforce the hooks on both this and the belt, but the cups are the parts that are really perplexing me at the moment. I have a flesh-tone underwire bra that does sit well under this, and I'd like to actually sew it into the sequinned one, but I'm just not sure how to go about it. Any suggestions?

01-20-2008, 06:15 PM	#5 (permalink)
adiemus Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Posts: 977	You could also unstitch the lining and remove the other cups, because they do look just wrong!! then put your bra on and then the decorated one - get someone to check all is covered, then tack or pin both bits together. Once its off, you can either unpick the lining on this one, and stitch the lining over your bra (a bra sandwich!), or you could just stitch your bra over the top of the lining, which might be more comfortable. You could, at a pinch, sew tape loops that you could slip over your bra straps (the ones that go around your body) and fasten with snap fasteners, so that you have a completely removable bra, might be the easiest, provided the decorated bra is quite wide and covers it completely. __________________ He wahine, he taonga- Every woman is a treasure(Maori proverb)

01-26-2008, 10:11 PM	#6 (permalink)
Fatima Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 135	I once did what Adiemus suggested. It's a lot of work and I ended up buying similar shades beads to cover some areas that needed extra beads. It took me almost two years to complete. __________________ I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself. Mikhail Baryshnikov Blogs: Fátima Baila.

01-27-2008, 05:29 AM	#8 (permalink)
adiemus Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Posts: 977	bummer da Sage... I've made my bra's so far, too cheap to buy a costume at all!! __________________ He wahine, he taonga- Every woman is a treasure(Maori proverb)

01-19-2008, 03:08 AM	#2 (permalink)
Shanazel Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Rocky Mountains USA Posts: 4,578	Does the sequined bra actually cover the underwire you wish to sew in? Wow, lucky you. My two cents worth: Get someone to help you, first of all. Put on both bras and have the other person make sure all that needs to be covered is covered, then have your helper tack the bras together with needle and thread while they are still on you. (I'd make sure not to chose a helper who is either clumsy or sadistic!) Then you can take them off as one piece and use some kind of heavy thread to tack them firmly together in a number of places, working between the decorations. Be sure and dance provately in this before you wear it in performance to make sure it stays together nicely.

01-20-2008, 12:02 AM	#3 (permalink)
Aniseteph V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sussex, England Posts: 1,689	Hi Gwinity - nothing much constructive to add, just sympathy looking at the inside of it...

01-20-2008, 03:24 AM	#4 (permalink)
Farasha Hanem Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: In the heartland of the USA Posts: 602	Or, you can just do what Ai'sha does, and use "boob glue"! Sorry, Ai'sha, sorry, sorry! But I couldn't help myself! Shanazel's advice sounds good to me. I'm not a very good seamstress, so I don't have any suggestions to add.

01-26-2008, 10:49 PM	#7 (permalink)
da Sage V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: MN Posts: 1,088	I don't have any advice, but I just wanted to say that I bought a costume with a too-small bra too, and I'm afraid even the local costume surgeon won't be able to fix it! 36D my ass!