Do you like those little bows on the front of your bra? Maybe you don’t like bows because they appear as a bump in your t-shirt. Or maybe you just don’t have any bows for the front of your bra. Maybe you are also rubbish at tying wee bits of ribbon into bows. Don’t worry! We hear you!
I’ve prepared a quick little video that might inspire you to use a short length of ribbon (or two) instead of the traditional bow you’ve always used. You can use a bit of fray stopper liquid on a 4-6″ (10-15 cm) length of ribbon with the ends cut on the bias to keep it from fraying. So the actual bow treatment doesn’t take much ribbon, and sometimes having the two colours together makes a better colour match for the fabrics than one single colour of ribbon. As you can see in the close-up photo below, Diane Harold of Temperance Swimwear and Intimates in Saskatoon, used both a lime green and a turquoise ribbon colour to make bows that better co-ordinate with her bra fabric. So easy to do and so pretty!
And in case you were a bit puzzled by the fabric texture, she used sheer cup lining over a printed wickable fabric in order to keeps things stable during her work-outs. That way, the wickable fabric is next to her body and the strength layer is on the outside. The softness is next to her skin which makes this sports bra extremely comfortable as well as a joy to work out in.
I like to use double-faced satin ribbon for any type of bow I am making, so that both sides of the ribbon look equally good. I don’t know about you, but I was never able to tie the perfect bow and have the one good side showing, so for me, the double-sided satin ribbon made all the difference in the world. That way, no matter how I tie it, the facing side always looks good!
Simply fold the ribbon in half after sealing the ends and stitch it to the centre front of your bra. The tails are kept deliberately longer than “normal”. The ribbon can match, or almost match in colour, coordinate with a print, or you could use two ribbons that suggest the colours used in the rest of the bra, which is what Diane did for this bra.
The new London and Paris classes use either 1 or 3 bows on the front. You can substitute ribbons on the centre front, but also where the strap joins the upper cup. I always think that looks so feminine and pretty.
The bra samples are courtesy of Diane Harold of Temperance Swimwear and Intimates. Inspiration for her came from the use of ribbons to cover garters on vintage foundations, such as corsets, girdles and garter belts.
If you are interested in joining our private Facebook group, please feel free to do so. Just agree to the group rules (no mean comments, or selling etc.) and we will let you in. That group is full of wonderful bra-makers just like you who struggle from time to time getting the perfect fit for themselves or for their friends, family or clients. We love to share our successes and there are many professional fitters in the group who are happy to help you make the perfect bra for yourself.
I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial. If you did, please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel! The short video on using this bow technique can be found here: YouTube video
