24/7 Tank Hack

If there is something I am always looking for a little bit more of in life, it’s comfort! I started making all my own bras a few years ago, and a soft and comfortable knit bra pattern is something I just love. When we made the 24/7 Tank in testing I couldn’t get enough of the integral bra with it, and knew I had to hack it to make the perfect everyday undies for me too.

I used a lovely athletic jersey fabric from Crafty Baba, here in the UK, with a 95/5 cotton lycra from my lining. You need a stable fabric with good stretch and great recovery. This honestly couldn’t be much easier to do. I started by tracing the bra pieces from the 24/7 Tank pattern, and then added 1/4″ seam allowance onto the neckline and armscye curves of both the front and back bra pattern pieces. In my pictures below, the original pattern is traced in black biro and the extra 1/4″ seam allowance is drawn in a permanent marker, to make it a little easier to see.

Then I cut out the following pieces:

FRONT

1 x Outer

1 x Lining

1 x Inner lining in powermesh (optional but gives better support)

BACK

1 x Outer

1 x Lining

1 x Inner lining in powermesh

ELASTIC

1 x under bust elastic cut to measurements provided in pattern.

Sew your outer fabric together at the shoulder seams, right sides together using your regular 1/2″ seam allowance.

Optionally, for your lining you can baste the inner lining to the wrong sides of the lining fabric before you sew the shoulder seams together, this helps make sure everything gets layered together properly. I didn’t in this example as I was comfortable handling everything without but it’s easy to get confused.

Then sew your lining together at the shoulder seams, right sides together. Your fabric should be layered as such: back inner lining power mesh, back lining right sides up, front lining right sides down, front inner lining power mesh.

Next lay the lining fabric out flat, right sides up (the attached power mesh inner lining will be at the bottom). Lay the outer fabric right sides down on top. Pin or clip the fabric together around the neckline. Sew together using your favourite stretch stitch using a 1/4″ seam allowance. I sew 1/4″ clear elastic into the seam as I go using my overlocker/serger. This helps recovery of the seam and gives greater support for a larger bust.

Next you will flip the garment right sides out again through the neckhole. Press carefully.

We will now finish the armscyes using a burrito roll method. You can follow this video tutorial for the Boundless dress which guides you through step by step, just remember we are only using a 1/4″ seam allowance for the armscyes. Burrito Roll Method – P4P You Tube

Or the written instructions are to lay the fabric out flat, rights sides out. Then roll one side of the bodice up towards the other side.

When you get near the top, flip the bottom of the open edges out under the roll and up over the top of it to encase the roll inside the open edge.

Then pin or clip along the length of the curved armscye. Stitch with a 1/4″ seam allowance being careful to keep the roll of fabric inside the shoulder strap well out of the way of the stitches.

Pull your garment right sides out through the finished shoulder strap. Here you can see the left side is finished and the right is not.

To finish the right side too, lay the garment out again and roll the finished side up towards the unfinished side. Then flip the bottom fabric on the unfinished side out under the roll, and up over the top to encase it again, like before. Stitch again.

Pull your garment right sides out through the shoulder strap once more and give it a press.

Now we just have to finish the side seams. To do this we open out the main from the lining on both the front and back, and clip them right sides together, matching main with main and lining with lining. Then sew the side seam with a 1/2″ seam allowance. Repeat on the other side.

Your bra is now almost finished, you just have to stitch the elastic to the bottom. Butt the edges of the elastic together and sew them together using a wide, short zig zag stitch. Then quarter the elastic and the bottom of the bra and sew the elastic on as per the instructions in the 24/7 Tank tutorial.

You’re all done! I hope you love your comfy new lounge bra. They’re so quick to make you can whip up another in next to no time.

Happy Sewing!

Dana xxx

The newest P4P pattern is a must have for work out aficionados and not only! So many options are already included but you know us, we have to add just a few more to our easy hack blog. This time, the P4P blog team will show you how to make the Classic Sports Bra with a solid front, an exposed elastic and without a clasp but still having the cut out. Let’s get started!

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Solid Front

One of my favorite attributes of the Classic Sports Bra is the colorblocked front. But let’s say you have a favorite panel or fabric that you want to show off and you rather not have 3 front pieces…create your own “one piece solid front.

Overlap the three front pieces 3/8″ as show above. The overlap will be 3/4″ – the total of the two seam allowances. Scotch tape the 3 pieces together or trace them to create a new one. Now that you created a new pattern piece, simply cut it from your main fabric and proceed to cutting all the other pieces of the pattern (back, linings, band, elastic).

Sew the bra as instructed in the tutorial and enjoy your brand new creation. Easy peasy!

For my solid front Classic Sports Bra I used cotton lycra for both the main and the lining. It makes the most comfortable lounging bra ever!!!

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Exposed Elastic

Sometimes you find cute or extra special elastic and you want to show it off! It’s a super easy modification to stitch on the elastic without the knit band so it is exposed. If you have the Fierce Bra you can follow those instructions. Just make sure if you’re using a hook and eye bra closure option that your elastic width coordinates perfectly with your clasp size.

I had ordered this navy elastic with silicone stripes on the underside to help it stay in place and have been wanting to try it out on a sports bra…so here was a great opportunity! You can also find elastic with prints or words on them as well.

Sew up your bra exactly as you would until the underbust band steps.

Mark your center front of your sports bra and your center of your elastic.

Pin your elastic onto the sports bra with the top edge of the elastic 3/8″ away from the sports bra’s bottom raw edge. (Tip- I like to baste my sports bra around the bottom edge 3/8″ away so I have a clear marking to follow). You do not need to stretch either the elastic or the sports bra at all.

Stitch the elastic in place using your favorite high stretch stitch (mine is a triple step zigzag).

If you’re using the hook and eye bra closure option attach bra clasps just the same as the tutorial.

Now enjoy!

Judy

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No Clasp, Cut Out Back

To create a sports bra that has the keyhole back detail, but without the bra closure, you’ll need to make one small change when cutting your pieces, and a few minor adjustments when sewing on the band. When cutting out your pieces, you can go ahead and cut out all the front and back pieces from the main and lining as you normally would, but then you’ll need to create a new bottom band piece for the elastic casing. The new band piece you will be using for this hack needs to be the WIDTH of the full back option band, and the LENGTH of the bra closure option band. You can either mash the two pattern pieces together, or simply use the measurements from the cut chart. I find using the cut chart quicker and easier than mashing the two pattern pieces. Again, make sure you use the WIDTH of the Full back piece, and the LENGTH of the bra closure piece. For the elastic, make sure you cut the elastic itself the width of the full back option as well.

After cutting, you will assemble the sports bra according to the pattern up until the point of attaching the band. For this hack, you will take your band piece, and fold it right sides together lining up the short ends, and sew together. I prefer to use my sewing machine so I can press the seam open and reduce bulk here.

Your band should be the same width as the bottom of the sports bra. Using the seam as the back center point, quarter the band and mark the front center and sides. Match up these points on the bra and mark them as well. I also like to mark the outsides of the cutout to make sure the band gets even attached.

Slide your band inside your bra, lining up the RIGHT SIDE of the band against the lining.

Sew or serge your band onto the bra, sewing all the way around even across the opening to give a nice edge for folding the binding there. After it has been sewn on, pull the band down and press seam allowance down as well.

Go ahead and stitch your elastic closed in a loop, by overlapping the ends and zigzagging to secure together. The elastic should also be the same width as the band. Slide the elastic up over the band.