There are some things I just don’t want to spend money on. I know what you are thinking, what is $30?!! Just go buy a dang sports bra! But it is one of those things that just gets to me, I don’t WANT to spend $30 freaking dollars on a sports bra! So I have been rotating my 2 old trustees for years now. When you do laundry literally every single day, it is no big deal to simply wash and hang dry. I hit a snag though this Summer while traveling….those 2 bras got rather stinky. I managed to gross myself out.
It was time.
But I still didn’t want to part with my $$$ moola, so after careful consideration I figured out that I could make my own dang sports bra! Using the leftover lycra material from my high waist bikini bathing suit post, I got to work…
How to sew a sports bra || Sports bra DIY, with free pattern.
Fitness update: 4 months ago I posted my yoga mat DIY and talked a bit about my past weight issues and fitness goals. I have been running / exercising for 7 months now, and have lost a total of 13 pounds. I went from 149 to 136, and am feeling GREAT. With a steady exercise routine of running, biking, and swimming this Summer – I have managed to stay healthy and fit – while not having to drastically change my diet. It is hard work, and there are days when I seriously need to talk myself into it, but it is worth it.
MATERIALS:
- Sports bra pattern – CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
- 1/2 yd lycra / spandex fabric for exterior
- 1/2 yd heavyweight knit fabric (ponte, interlock) for lining
- 1 yd 1″ elastic
- Ball point sewing needle
- Coordinating thread
- Basic sewing essentials
HOW TO:
- Place exterior front and back right sides together, matching up side seams. Pin and sew, using a 1/4″ seam allowance. Finish seams with serger or zig zag stitch to reinforce. Repeat for lining.
- Place exterior shoulder seams right sides together, pin and sew. Finish seam and repeat for lining.
- Slip lining inside of exterior bra, right sides together, matching up side seams. Pin all around the bottom edge. Sew around, using a small zig zag stitch and 1/4″ seam allowance.
- Turn bra right side out, and make sure your bottom hem is pushed out and flat all the way around. Pin around the bottom hem of your bra, 1″ up from the bottom. Sew using a small zig zag stitch, leaving a 1.5″ opening at the side seam for inserting elastic.
- Measure around your chest, directly underneath your bust with the elastic. You want it to be REALLY snug. The amount of elastic you use all depends on the stretchiness of your elastic. For example, my elastic was extremely stretchy, so I ended up using a 20″ piece. Attach a safety pin to one end of the elastic, and slip inside of the elastic casing along the bottom edge of your bra. Pull elastic all the way through casing, not letting the opposite edge of your elastic get pulled inside. Once all the way around, overlap and pin elastic ends together making sure the elastic is not twisted. Sew. Pull elastic fully inside the casing, and sew casing opening closed.
- Match up the armhole and neckline raw edges wrong sides together and pin. Finish the raw edges with either a serger or zig zag stitch. Fold edges 1/4″ towards the inside and pin. Sew around using a medium length zig zag stitch, stretch stitch, or double needle to secure.
And you are finished!
Things you now know about me, that you definitely did not know before this post:
- I have a tattoo, I got it when I was 17 and have regretted it ever since because it has no meaning to me.
- Subsequently, I have to talk about said tattoo to my kids anytime they happen to catch sight of it. Always fun.
- I had to spray tan my belly in picmonkey for these photos because it still does not match the rest of my body.
- I also airbrushed myself. Because nobody needs to see all of my pores in a photo. Not even me.
- I am secretly screaming inside that I have photos of myself in a sports bra on the internet. Thanks Mia Hamm.
- I also asked my neighbor to take photos of me in my sports bra running, trying to get an ‘action’ shot. They came out all blurry and unusable, but we had a good laugh about it together.
- And I have NO IDEA how Kim Kardashian takes so many dang selfies of her butt. The few that I did take were quite terrifying, I assure you.
For more fitness DIY posts, check these out:
Thanks so much for stopping by, and until next time…
Happy Sewing!
You are so adorable, and totally brave, and I love your list at the end. Keeping it real. 🙂 But REALly, you look awesome! You inspire me!
Lol – thanks Delia! I was like…am I really doing this? And then I realized, this is way less revealing than a bathing suit post. Still – just like, I AM IN A SPORTS BRA!!! Eek.
You’re SO funny!! PLEASE!, your trunk looks just fine & I also do NOT get the KK thing. LOVE this idea, thank you SEW much for sharing & keep up the AWESOME work! Lookin’ GOOD Jess!!
You rock Chelle! Thank you so much for always leaving the best comments, you totally make me smile every time I see your name pop up!
LOVE your commentary at the end. Thanks for sharing this pattern. I hate buying sports bras as the fit is always awkward . But was given a sports bra that has the best fit. So now I am thinking why not take a pattern off of it.So thanks!
That is EXACTLY what I did! I laid old trustee down for a proper trace around, and got to work. You should totally do the same thing!
Awesome! I also kinda resent how much you have to lay out for a sports bra in the shops, but I need more as otherwise things do get a little smelly! Great idea to make your own from leftovers. How do you find the support in the pattern?
Thanks Rebecca!!! Since this post, I have worn it while running, washed it, and worn it again – both times the support was just fine. No flopping anywhere – LOL. I am very happy with it!
You look totally awesome! Can you please tell me how can i make the pattern in a smaller size? ):
Thank you for posting this. I am excited to try making the bra and your photos are very helpful too. I am glad you overcame your bashfulness. You are real and anyone making this pattern is really. We don’t want to see someone who is perfect. We want to see us so we will know how we look when we try to make this. You look great. Keep up the good work and thank you for posting this.
Thanks for this pattern and the courage of your pics of yourself as the model. Nice job! Thanks, too, for the opportunity to pin it.
I have very large breasts. I need a very supportive bra for running. Will this provide me enough support? Of the sports bras I have seen in the stores, I would need to pay mega bucks for adequate support. How could I adapt this pattern to provide me with enough support. I don’t want to wind up with 2 black eyes and a concussion.
Hi Jess – I favourited this post when I first saw it and only got around to making my own yesterday! I’m about a full 36C and had success. I used the ‘wrong’ fabric purely because I was impatient so it didn’t end up with the expected stretch but the, um, firmness of the fit will be perfect if I do anything bouncy or if I progress from walking to running 🙂 Ponte for the outer and an odd kind of thin unfleecy sweatshirt fabric for lining. The only change I made to the pattern was adding a generous inch to both the bottom hem and the top of the strap on both pattern pieces. So happy with how it turned out. Thank you so much! (just joined a ladies gym after 10 years of lazing!)