If you have been frustrated with trying to force straight, flat channeling (wire casing) around the tight curve of a bra cup, this short tutorial and video clip might be just the answer you were looking for. Most bra patterns such as London, or Paris, use channeling to hold the wire in place.
When we first get into bra-making, everything is straight forward enough. We cut out the fabrics, and prepare to sew it up. the first challenge comes in the form of opposing curves between the upper and lower cups. OK, we can deal with that. The rest of the bra assembly seems vaguely familiar, especially the part where we sew the cup into the wire line. It reminds us of a sleeve cap, although truth be told, it is actually somewhat easier than a sleeve cap. That’s because there is no ease – it just sews in end to end with hardly any effort at all.
Then come the application of the band elastics. Again, there is something almost comforting in the way elastics are sewn on – the method actually makes sense when you think about it. You sew it on so it can flip over and the nice soft side is against your body. OK, I get it. It was a bit of a learning curve at first, but now it is as easy as apple pie. Am I right?
But then, comes the channeling…and you are expected to sew what is essentially a flat piece of tube to a very curved seam. Not only that but the resulting curve is supposed to lie flat. How can channeling lie flat when one side of that curved seam is smaller than the other side? Isn’t that bound to lead to problems? Yes, it can…if you do not pre-curve your channeling before you sew.
So, what is pre-curving? That is the process we use to bend the flat, straight tube of wire casing into a curve that will fit nicely, and sew properly around the wire line curve. We can achieve that by pressing the channeling into a curve. There are actually two way we can press channeling: one is by pressing and curving the shape with our hands, and the other is by inserting an underwire into the tube and pressing over the metal shape. Either way works well.
For myself, I usually do the wireless method only because I never seem to have wires at hand when I am ready to press it. So I curve the channeling with my hands, and help it along with the steam of the iron. I have even spritzed the channeling with water so I can shrink it a little at the same time. I find this especially helpful if I don’t really know the source of my channeling. I have purchased channeling from AliExpress, as well as some from Temu and some from Etsy, plus the channeling I have left over from when I owned Bra-makers Supply. Sad as it sounds, that source is dwindling at a rapid pace. The stuff from BMS I have had in my bras for years, with no problems, but lately the “other” channeling is allowing the wires to pop through, after 6 months or so.
So pre-curving the channeling is the way to go: whether you do it by hand or with a wire to shape the curve, lots of stream, and a pressing cloth will help that flat tube curve into something curvy that will be much easier to sew on, and will lie flat all around the wire line.
Please watch this YouTube video to see this channeling curve just like magic!
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