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  Bra-makers Manual Contents  
 
1) History of the Bra.......................1-12
- The Bra Family Tree
- So Who Invented the First Bra?
- The Twenties and Thirties
- The Rise of Elastic
- Wartime and the Boomer Years
- Burn That Bra!
- That 70's Look
- The Feminine Mystique of the 1980s
- The Return to Cleavage - 1990s		  
     
 

 

  
  2) Terms and Definitions.................13-23
- Parts of a Bra
- Types of Bras
- Cups
- Frames
- Bridges
- Straps
- Bra Findings 		 
     
 
 
  3) What is Good Fit?.......................24-33
- What "is" Good Fit?
- Characteristics of a Well-fitting Bra
- Measuring for Ready-to-wear (N. American)
- Measuring for Ready-to-wear (International)
- Calculating Bra Sizes by Measurement
- The Underwire System
- International Bra Sizing Conversion Chart
  
     
     
  4) Making Fabric Choices...............34-50
- Knits or Wovens
- Knit terms
- Percentage and Direction of Pull
- Beefing up the Fabric
- Fibre Content
- Fabric Pull and How it Affects Design
- Fabric Quantities
- Elastic Terms 		 
     
     
  5) Obtaining the Pattern...................51-73
- Home Sewing Patterns
- Cloning a Ready-to-wear Bra
- Breast Moulds
- Bra Drafting Software
- Drafting a Bra Pattern from a Sloper
- Professional Bra Blocks
- Terms used in Bra Design
- Relating the Bra to the Pattern Pieces
- Evaluating a Bra Pattern
- Observations about Bra Grading
- An Easy Way to Grade a Bra Pattern
- Grading One Size Larger
  
     
     
  6) Birth of a Bra....................................74-88
- Tester Cups
- Designing a Bra One Piece at a Time
- Fabric Selection
- Framework
- Closure
- Seamline Variations
- Bridge and Band Detail
- Straps
- Bra Design Sheet
  
 
 
     
  7) The Construction Process.............89-122
- Setting Up to Sew
- The Equipment
- The Tools
- Preparing the Fabric Before Cutting
- Construction Sequence of a Full Band Bra
- Construction Sequence of a Partial Band Bra
- Alternate Methods of Construction
- Alternate Methods of  a Front Strap Attachment
- Alternate Methods of  a Back Strap Attachment
- Choices for Wire Line Treatments
- Alternate Band Construction
- Common Mistakes Everyone Make
  
     
     
  8) Fitting to a Live Model...............123-145
- Fittings Prior to Sewing
- Assessing the First Fitting
- Alterations to the Straps
- Alterations to the Band
- Alterations to the Bridge
- Alterations to the Cups		  
     
     
  9) Style Changes for Fashion...........146-182
- Minor Style Changes
- Major Style Changes
-The Strapless Bra		  
     
     
  10) Style Changes for Special Needs...183-222
- Support Challenges
- Support Bras
- Nursing Bras
- Mastectomy Bras		  
     
     
  11) Appendix..............................223-230
- Suggested Futher Reading
- Wire Chart
- Client Information and Design Sheet
- Fitting and Style Change Drawings
- List of Sample Providers		  
     
  12) Index........................231-235