Introducing Watson Bra & Bikini

Today I’m thrilled to release my “baby” into the world, my new pattern Watson!

Since the first time I made one of the bras for myself, I was a little bit addicted. How many fabrics could I make this in? At that time I was learning a lot about dyeing so I came up with this grand idea of mixing my own dyes for an entire collection! And so I did.

I’m a huge fan of all things 70s but especially in lingerie. It was a time of subtlety, soft fabrics, not overly stuffed or rigid looks. And then there was the skin. That glowy 70s skin! Just look at old Maidenform or Huit advertisements from the mid-70s; it’s all models in wind-swept hair, draped peignoirs over sheer plunging bras. This kind of woman-body-free feeling was my inspiration for the Watson. I wanted something playful and not too serious.

So let’s talk about the pattern…

the bra

The bra pattern is designed for stretch fabrics and has two styles. View A is a longline bra and View B is a regular length band that runs right under the cups. The cups fit into either so you can mix and match!

I wanted my first bra pattern to be a bit easier to sew and fit than a traditional underwired pattern. The Watson is a great way to dive into bra-making techniques as it uses some of the same construction methods as underwired bras, but it has a very forgiving fit.

Now a few notes about fit: this pattern has cup and band sizes! As I was developing this pattern, I had to make a big decision about sizes and grading. Most of the time soft cup bras without wires run in alpha sizes (small, medium, large, etc.) and meant to fit a broad range within each size. I wanted to offer a bigger and more specific size range.

The pattern has some measuring and fitting tips, but keep in mind that it is not meant to fit like a wired bra. If you like a little bit of lift, try the longline bra! It uses the same cup but longline bras have more of a “cantilever”. Because it wouldn’t be a Cloth Habit pattern without a bit of science in there, too!

And just as a note, since a few readers have asked: this is not an underwired pattern and you can’t use wires in this style. I did not design the cradle around wires and I can explain more of that in a fitting post!

the bikini

This is a really simple and straightforward bikini and totally inspired by 70s bikinis. Something you can cut and make in under an hour.

fabrics

Both the bra and the bikini are designed for stretch knit fabrics. I wouldn’t recommend wovens or non-stretch fabrics. The only area that needs a non-stretch lining is the cradle at the front of the bra. Fear not, these fabrics are easy to find and I promise I’ll go into more details about material choices next week. The pattern also has several tips and tricks for choosing appropriate fabrics.

the name

The Watson is inspired, of course, by Sherlock’s pal, and more specifically Lucy Liu’s take on Elementary. I. love. this. show. And must have rewatched all the episodes three times while on the finish stretch of this pattern. I love almost any detective show (and every version of Sherlock) but Liu’s Watson is such a beautiful counterbalance, and nearly every episode I end up rewinding to look at her groovy outfits.

So that’s it for today. I’d love to hear what you think, or any questions you have!

Watson Bra & Bikini is available at my new shop.

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