Zatera Ul

There is an emerging theme in my sabbatical activities: remaking my whole wardrobe. It is something that has never really gotten proper attention, especially not since I had a baby and my whole body changed, and I’m very glad that God is giving me some time and space to address it now.

I put the shoe project on hold, because nothing I can make is going to stand up to the ice, snow, slush, and salt that is outside right now. The underwear project is on hold until I buy some more elastic. So I am working on making myself a bra that actually fits.

Reading up on bra fitting, I’ve begun to understand why I’ve had so many problems with bras in the past. The biggest reason is hypoplasia (best described at this link, but warning: contains photos of weird boobs). Hypoplastic boobs have their own distinctive shape, and this explains why I’ve savagely ripped the underwires out of every bra that I’ve ever worn that had them. I did have the good fortune to have my boobs develop and grow some during pregnancy and breastfeeding, so they are not quite so hypoplastic now. I am successfully breastfeeding, but TLG has made me quite lopsided, because he has a strong preference for one side, and will hardly eat from the other one at all. So I might as well custom make one myself.

I’ve learned enough about patternmaking in the last few years to get started making my own custom bra pattern; things like draping, folding, shaping, and seaming. I do need to read up on darts a little more. I am going to give underwires another try, also I’m trying to make the bra nursing-compatible.

I may or may not be the first person to try using plastic needlepoint canvas as structural material in a bra; I didn’t come up with anything in my Google search. I made a pair of underwires yesterday, from a metal hoop that I found at the side of the road some time ago. (I had a couple of Metal Shop for Physics Majors classes in college, if you’re wondering where I learned to use a hacksaw and a file.)

So I am working on the first cup prototypes now; I did a couple of design iterations with muslin and paper patterns first. The children’s nap schedules miraculously aligned this afternoon, so I was able to make a good start on the cup structures.