Doctor T Designs

I made the LilyPAD Lusamine a while ago during one of the Bra Sewing Bees when I was still really trying to work out how to best fit a bra. At the time I was happy with how it looked, but the fit was never really perfect. I was in the middle of that spiral of not having a good starting point to measure from, so all of my measurements were wildly all over the place, and I started from the largest size pack, but ended up adjusting the pattern a lot to get it to fit. For this version I started completely from scratch with a new size from the middle size pack. This was the last of the four patterns I had originally planned to make as part of my exploration of LilyPAD designs underwire bra patterns, but since I’ve basically started over I thought I would re-review the pattern.

The Lusamine is often one of the first suggestions for patterns for larger cup sizes because it comes in three size ranges: A-DD, DD-GG, and GG-KK. Last time I did a mashup of the 5.6BCD wireline and the 6.5 BCD cups from the GG-KK sizing, but this time I’ve made a straight 5.6BCD from the DD-GG size pack.

Last time I had to do a lot of fitting, but this was a much closer starting size, so the fitting was pretty straightforward. I think it also helped making several patterns from the same brand in a batch because I was able to identify issues and see which were consistent across all of the patterns and which were specific issues due to the unique nature or lines of each pattern. The Lusamine and the Lazulite have the same band pattern, so it was easy to transfer the adjustments from one to the other. However, the cup shape and style lines are quite different. In the handy new comparison chart from the brand, the Lusamine is one of the highest projection patterns, whereas the Lazulite is more rounded, which I have found to be true in my pattern tour.

I’ve taken to thinking of this as the Cinderella Bra, just because of the color and the really pretty lace seems like something out of a Disney movie. Unlike my other recent projects, which all seemed to include some sort of tale of woe, this came together in a pretty straightforward manner. My only complaint is that the cups ended up being a tiny bit too small (I think because of using the rigid lace), so I still need to tweak this pattern for next time. But even if it’s not the absolute best fit I’ve ever made, it is probably one of the prettiest sets I’ve constructed. So without further ado, here is my Cinderella Lusamine set:

I really love how subtle the added lace details are with the blue on blue – it feels very elegant and is really all about how the shiny threads catch the light.

I paired the Lusamine with the Friday French Cuts again; I really think they make a nice set, especially with this sort of lace pattern.

For the inside I chose to include the sling, but I didn’t add any of the optional boning or other support options. From the outside the sling is practically invisible; it’s just a bit bulkier when sewing the cups into the band, but overall I was really pleased with the sewing and the construction.

And with that, here is my re-review of this pattern!

Official Pattern Review

Pattern Description: A three piece underwire bra. From the designer: “The Lusamine Underwire Bra Pattern is a non-stretch bra pattern specifically designed narrow roots + lots of projection. With shape and drafting geared toward the large cup, small band set, this bra gently encourages a more centered, lifted shape. Choose from either 2, 3 or 4 piece cup options in 150 sizes! Includes instructions for optional boning, foam, fabric straps and common alterations. Ideal for Intermediate sewers but also tenacious beginners.”

Pattern Sizing: LilyPADesigns uses a combination of bottom cup depth (BCD), horizontal hemisphere (HH), and underbust band sizing in their patterns. The Lusamine comes in 3 size ranges: A-DD, DD-GG, and GG-KK. All size ranges have 28-44 band sizing, with A-DD 2.9”-5.0” BCD and 7.2-11.4 HH, DD-GG is 4.1-7.0 BCD and 9.0-14.6 HH, and GG-KK 5.6-7.9 BCD and 12.4-18.0 HH. The first time I made this pattern I started with the GG-KK pattern sizes and used a 36 band with the smallest size (5.6) for the cradle and graded out to the 6.5 BCD and 15.7 HH sizes for the cups. This was ultimately too big, even with alterations, so for this version I started over in the DD-GG size pack and started at the 5.6 BCD.

Were the instructions easy to follow?  The instructions were very clear and had great diagrams. The instructions are also great in terms of learning how to choose a starting size and how to measure for a bra. I also appreciate the instructions for the optional features like the internal sling and cup boning. I feel like if you’ve never made a bra, this pattern could teach how to construct one.

Did it look like the photo/drawing when you were done with it?  Yes, I think it looked a lot like the line drawing!

What did you particularly like/dislike about the pattern?  I like the style of this bra – it’s really pretty and great to show off fancy lace. I also like how high the back band is – I don’t see that commonly on a lot of other patterns but it helps a lot to provide support. I also like that this pattern is drafted for a narrow root with lots of projection; I find a lot of patterns draft for the opposite shape so it’s nice to have options for those of us with these fitting challenges! I also really like the PDF – it comes with all the sizes layered and you can turn the layers on and off before printing so you can get all of the sizes you need but none of the sizes you don’t. This is especially nice when compared with some other patterns where every size is on a different page and takes a lot of printing if you need to blend sizes for omega adjustments. As for dislikes – I don’t have many but I will say that this style says it’s designed for projection and it means it! The first time I made it, I found it was was a bit more elongated than I tend to prefer because I was in the wrong size pack, but after moving to the middle size pack and finding a better starting size, I actually think this pattern is the perfect blend between a more elongated natural shape and a more rounded shape, so I don’t think I have any real dislikes.

Fabric used: I used a Bra Builders kit with microduoplex, firm power net, and a standard bra finishing kit. My first version was a little bit of a fail because of the materials, but this time I had the right combination of pattern fit and fabric properties, and I think it was much more successful. I do think that because I used a rigid lace the upper cup ended up a bit tight, but I will adjust for the next version.

Pattern alterations or design changes you made:  For this version I started with the 5.6 BCD and made what have become my “usual” alterations for the LilyPAD patterns: I raised bottom band at side seam by 3/8”, added a 1/2” curved dart at side cup to remove volume, increased height of back band for 4×3 Hook & Eye, remove 1/4” from the length of the back band, and took a 1/4” dart from the upper edge of the back band. Compared to the amount of fitting and re-fitting I had to do on the first version of this pattern, these were easy alterations and the end result is much better. I do think that because I took away some volume from the arm edge of the cup, I need to add a tiny bit more volume back to the center front of the cup for the next time I make this pattern.

Would you sew this again?  Would you recommend it to others?  Yes and yes! After having recently sewn through a fair number of the LilyPAD underwire bra patterns, I think that the Lusamine will definitely be joining my favorite patterns that I’ll come back to in the future. I think it’s so pretty, and such a great style to showcase really gorgeous laces. At this point I’ve gotten used to the LilyPAD patterns and that they are generally drafted for a lower front and lower neckline, but I am a bit curious to see if I can increase the height of the center front wire line and try some longer wires for future versions, or if I can take a bit out of the center front to rotate the wires up a bit more. I’m also curious to see if I can try some of the variations that add more support, such as including foam and boning. I would definitely recommend this pattern, especially if the LilyPAD patterns tend to fit you well or if you have a lot of projection with a small ribcage and struggle to find bras that accommodate that sort of shaping.

Conclusion:  I’m so happy I came back to this pattern and that took the time to completely refit it. I really love the way this project looks, even if I have a few nit picks still on how it fits. I’ve been wanting to re-make this pattern for most of this year, so I’m really excited I was finally able to finish this project and my plans to try out a range of patterns from LilyPADesigns!

This was going to be the end of my LilyPAD pattern tour, but the recent release of the Liora has maybe jumped the line in terms of my more immediate sewing plans. However, I’m also doing some sewing with my sister and working on some patterning projects with her, as well as eyeing some of the other patterns I want to revisit. So, all that being said, I don’t know what I’ll actually be working on next. But I do still have a few patterns in the backlog of things I need to review by the end of the year, so I’ll probably be focusing on those for the blog in the immediate future. More sewing adventures coming soon!