A Better Strap Join

Here’s how it usually goes: my bra project goes swimmingly well until the last step of joining the bra strap.  All those layers of fabric, elastic and seam allowances make for a bulky join, and inevitably I break a needle.  Doesn’t seem to matter if the join is in the front or the back, I never seem to get it right. 

I’ve been trying a few new techniques, and I really like this one.  This is for a bra strap with rings at the back, a strap extension built into the cup, and uses a picot elastic for the underarm edge.  I am demonstrating this technique with my upcoming bralette pattern.

​We will begin after the neckline has been finished, and before the underarm elastic is added.  

Neckline has been finished with elastic. (Sorry it's a bit blurry)

Join the strap, right sides together, aligning the inner edge of the strap with the finished edge of the neckline.  Keep the strap folded down onto the bra cup, and pin out of the way

Strap attached to cup, aligning strap to neck edge.

 Leaving a bit of extra elastic extending past the cup edge, sew the first pass of the picot elastic, making sure that the zig-zag stitching butts up right next to the strap.  This is the key step, to make sure that when the picot elastic is turned back, there is no gap next to the strap.  

​Continue around the underarm edge, and repeat for the strap on other end.  Cut the elastic, leaving a bit extra extending past the cup edge. ​

Stitching butts up next to strap

Unpin the straps and fold them up.  The cup/strap seam allowance will rest on the cup side.  Now fold back the picot elastic.  The extra pieces extending past the cup edge should cover the cup/strap seam allowance.  Sew the second pass of the picot elastic.

Turn elastic to inside and sew second pass

​Topstitch the cup/strap seam allowance on the cup side.  Trim away any excess elastic.

Inside view

What is your favorite method for attaching bra straps?  Do you have any tips or techniques?