Initial Preparations

Contents

This first week is about preparing to create the bra sloper mold. During this time you should think about what type of support you may need to create the Bra Sloper Mold, see pages 107 through 114.

• If your breasts are self supporting, you may not need any additional support. The posture you assume while you create the Sloper Mold can change the initial shaping of the bra cup.
• If your breasts are not self supporting and you have a bra that fits you well and provides an acceptable shape, this is a good alternative.
• One technique women have used in previous classes is to use Press'n Seal to hold the breasts in place while the Sloper Mold is created. You will see videos of how to use this technique in Week Two.

Support and Shaping

The first video is an overview of the different ways you can support the breast while creating a bra sloper mold. The second video shows how your posture, whether you are upright or laying down, can affect the initial shape of your breast tissue.

Shaping Support

Posture Variations

Bra Making Notions

Conventional underwire bras require specialized bra making notions detailed on page 112 of the book. The list can be printed out from the Bra Making Notions pdf file. For a list of online resources for these notions, go to my Bra & Corset Making Resources page.

Underwire Size

Determine the size of underwire that you will need to establish where your breast tissue meets your rib cage as described in the video below and on page 113 of the book. If you don't have an underwire that is the correct size, or you avoid underwires, use a copper wire to determine where your breast tissue meets the rib cage.

Determining Underwire Size

Duckbill Scissors

Bra cups are commonly finished by top stitching seam allowances to the body of the cup close to the seam lines. The excess seam allowance is then trimmed off. An optional tool, duckbill scissors, can be used to trim seam allowances close to this stitching. The scissor is shaped to hold the seam allowance away from the body of the bra cup so that you don't cut theinto the body. Regular scissors can be used to do this so using duckbill scissors is strictly optional.

Using Duckbill Scissors