The Lengberg Skirted Bra #004 sewing pattern

The original Lengberg Bra was made of a medium weight malleable linen about 13-14 threads per cm, with the cups in 15-16 threads per cm. The fit of this bra relies on the properties of the linen fabric to mold and shape the garment – it will not work properly if made in other fabrics. The ideal linen is 5.3 oz – 7.5 oz | 180gsm – 250gsm. You can use finer linen, but it must be strong and soft, not crisp and hard, for the garment to work as it is supposed to. A natural cream or unbleached white linen is closest to the original color of the extant garment

Sewing thread The linen sewing thread used in the Lengberg find garments is quite thick compared to modern sewing thread. While examining the finds, comparisons were made to samples of modernly available linen thread. The closest match to the original thread was found to be Halcyon’s Newport 16/2 linen weaving thread, in a natural color. While this thread may not be available in your local area, here are the stats on it so you can compare other threads to it. Wraps/inch (wpi) 28, Weaving tabby sett 14 to 17, Weaving twill sett 19 to 23 Yardage: 2,400 yards/lb , 530 yards|485 meters per 100 grams Edging Cord A linen cord is sewn at the edge of the bodice, which allows for more even weight distribution and more stability for the garment. The cord on the original garments was close to 1/4“ or 5 mm in width, however slightly smaller cord of 1/8” or 3mm worked well in testing. 2- 3 yards/meters of heavy string or light cord (approx. 1/8-1/4“ or 2-5mm in width ) Lacing cord Several yards/meters of heavy, strong cord for lacing – fingerloop braid, plaited linen cord, shoe lacing, etc Other Supplies • Scissors, Pins, Tailors chalk • Tapered awl for making eyelet holes (or heavy needle and knitting needle) • Iron and ironing board • Sewing machine and/or hand sewing gear • Strong linen thread and beeswax for finishing.