Doctor T Designs

After my last version of the Sahaara I thought I’d put the pattern away for a while, but when the 2024 Bra Bee beginner experience sew along was for the Sahaara, I decided to jump in and revisit the pattern. I originally wasn’t going to attend the beginner event this year, but I’m really busy during the main part of the conference at the end of the month, so I thought I’d do the beginner portion to get more interactions with everyone who is attending the Bee this year.

While I still prefer the look of a more traditional underwire bra, the Sahaara has grown on me because it is so comfortable. I’ve seen so many cute versions too, so I think the pattern is actually quite versatile in terms of styling. All of my previous versions of this pattern have been very utilitarian, so I thought I’d go all out on a lace version this time. Although I’d ordered the grey and blue embroidered tulle to make the (ill-fated) Aries Bra, right now I’m very happy I accidentally ordered twice as much as I had planned so I would have enough to also make this version of the Sahaara:

Because the embroidered fabric was non-stretch I couldn’t wrap it around on the back band like the pattern suggests, but I was able to add a really cute design detail on the back band, which I really like:

I really wanted to focus on trying to make this both fancy and comfortable, so I used cut and sew foam on the straps, but overlayed it with the embroidery edging. I used fold over elastic to bind both edges so that there would be no itchiness from the metallic threads in the embroiders. I also did a similar treatment on the inside of the inner cup – the elastic adds enough “padding” that the lace doesn’t rub or itch at all, but still gives a really pretty decorative neckline. The inside is sheer cup lining, with fully enclosed seams, and plush picot elastic, so it’s very comfortable against the skin. Here are some of the details close up:

I think this is the best version I’ve made yet! It’s really comfortable and I am surprised how much I like the longline style. The padded straps with the fancy edging are my new favorite thing, and the combination of the embroidered tulle and the sheer cup lining actually gives even better support and shaping than I have in any of my previous sheer cup/microduoplex versions. I think I am (for real!) moving on to other patterns at this point (I’ve started on the Josey and the Lusamine, but Cashmerette just dropped their new Loftus pattern yesterday so I am *distracted*), but I’m sure I will come back to the Sahaara at some point now that I’ve got the pattern worked out to where I am really happy with the fit. But for now I want to experiment with some new patterns, test out some theories about underwire spring, and maybe work on getting some more options to wear under my summer clothes, and get my sewing space back together (it’s in chaos right now, but that’s a story for another time). In the meantime though, I’m going to enjoy my new Sahaara Bra!