Hi everyone, I’m reviewing the Christina Sports Bra pattern from Porcelynne. Sewing has turned out to be a very good distraction from the rest of the world for me, so I’ve gotten all kinds of things sewn up in the last couple of months that I’d been procrastinating on for a while. I hope you all are doing as okay as possible these days!
I’ve found myself wearing a “real”/underwired bra as little as possible since moving to working from home full-time back in mid-March, and one of the most frequent in my rotation was the Porcelynne Laurel sports bra I made early last year. I’ve wanted a racer back option for quite a while, which is hard to come by at my size, so it seemed like the perfect time to try the Christina pattern.
Pattern name
Porcelynne Christina Sports Bra
Size Range
28A-52N
This translates to underbust 26”-51” and full bust 29”-66”. The pattern is sold in three different size ranges: 28A-38N, 34A-44N, and 40A-52N.
What are your measurements?
- High bust 46”
- Full bust 58”-61”, depending on the bra and the day
- Under bust 41”
What size did you make?
This time I made a 38 band and neckline, graded out to the 44N cups in the middle. When I made the Laurel (which uses the same size chart) last year, I started with a straight 42N but ended up taking the band in a few inches – I prefer a very firm band, otherwise my shoulders end up carrying too much weight.
What adjustments did you make and how long did they take?
As mentioned above, I graded between sizes, but I didn’t make any other adjustments besides that. This didn’t take very long, maybe an hour total?
What fabric did you use?
I purchased a kit from Porcelynne for this make to keep it easy. The main fabric is a recycled poly spandex tricot, and the lining is power net.
What was the construction process like? Did the instructions make sense to you?
The construction process was very straightforward, and the instructions are very clear and easy to follow. They use diagrams rather than photos, which is always my preference but especially important for something like bra-making. I really love the wide, fully-enclosed elastic straps that this pattern uses – they’re extremely comfortable and easy to construct. The only thing I did that wasn’t in the instructions was to topstitch my straps and seam allowances – this is just a personal preference.
How do you like the pattern’s fit? Do you think the design works well for your body?
As with the Laurel, this is now one of my most comfortable bras. The fit is great, even with my grading experiments – everything is contained but not too restrictive. I think the design is particularly good for larger cup sizes like mine, it’s supportive but still comfortable and I don’t have to hike it back down every five minutes. The crossover band in the front is a great design feature, it’s very comfortable even on days when I’m feeling particularly bloated. It’s a perfect lounge bra as-is, but at my cup size if I wanted to use it as an actual sports bra I would probably double up on the power net lining and maybe use an outer fabric with less stretch.
Will you make the pattern again? If so, what fit or design changes will you make?
I’m already cutting out a second Christina! I’m going to change the way I did my grading a bit for the next one. For this one, I started with the 44N keeping the height and cup curves, but graded in at the neckline and band to the 38N. After wearing it several times, I think I’d prefer to lose 1-1.5” of height in both front and back (which would also allow me to keep the straps a little bit longer), so I’m going to try starting from the 38N and grading out to the cup curves of the 44N (or something close to it, anyways) this time since it’s just over an inch shorter than the 44N. I know this will cause me to lose a little volume in the cups, but between “squish factor” and the stretch of the fabric I think it will be fine.
Do you have any advice on this pattern for other curvy sewers? Are there any resources that helped you sew this piece up?
If you’ve never made a bra before but are interested in trying it out, this pattern would be an excellent first bra. The instructions are very detailed, and the construction uses some lingerie-making techniques that you don’t normally see with standard garment sewing, but it’s not so complex or different that it would be hard to follow. The designer behind Porcelynne, Jennifer Fairbanks, is also very friendly and responsive to emails and messages. Fun fact – the fronts, backs, and waistbands of the Christina and Laurel patterns are interchangeable, so if you end up buying both patterns you have tons of design options.
My pattern rating
- Size Range (1-5): 5, based on our size range guidelines.
- Instructions (1-5): 5 – excellent detailed and clear instructions
- Construction Process (1-5): 5 – very easy to put together, nothing overly complicated
- Final Fit (1-5): 5 – fit is exactly as expected based on the size chart and my own grading
- Overall Rating (1-5): 5 – I loved everything about this pattern and am looking forward to completing my next Christina! The size range is huge, and even within that it’s easy to get a customized fit. It’s a quick sew and so very comfortable to wear.
Thanks for your detailed review of this pattern. This is by FAR my favorite sports-bra pattern for large cup sizes as well! I’ve made 2 versions (for myself and sister) and I haven’t found anything more comfy and supportive yet, although I keep searching, just for fun!
I bought the kit and pattern and was not feeling confidant about sewing the Christina. Your review gave me the boost I needed. Thank you so much!
Thanks for this review! I never saw a handmade bra for bigger sizes before. I really want to sew a sports bra, but I’m still afraid it wont give enough support and shaping. Are you content with the shaping and the support?
I am – the shape of a no-wire bra will never be quite the same as an underwire bra, but I definitely think this shape is much better than other RTW sports bras I’ve purchased over the years. The support is great, the construction of the band and straps using such wide elastic make it feel very stable and supportive. As I mentioned in the review, I would probably double up on power net and/or use a different fashion fabric if I wanted this for actual sport-type activities, but for everyday/lounge wear the support with a single layer of power net is great for me.
Thank you so much for this review my daughter has Fibroendenoma and is desperate for a soft but supportive bra. Normal bras are just too uncomfortable for her so I will definetly be giving this a try.
Making bras for your daughter is such a kind thing to do! I hope it works out well.
Hello it looks great but I’m wondering did it give you the uni-boob look or is there some separation, please?
I’d say it’s somewhere in the middle – you’ll never get underwire-level separation with a soft/no-wire bra, but it’s definitely not uni-boob like most of the sports bras I had in high school. Since there are curves and contours sewn into the front and it’s not just one solid piece of fabric relying on stretch, you do get better shape definition than most sports bras I’ve owned in the past.
Thank you
Thank you so much for the very detailed review! It’s really helpful. I’ll definitely be looking at that pattern and the Laurel.
Knowing that the pattern is amenable to straightforward grading is great. I, too, will do a similar type of grading: smaller shoulders and band, larger cups. [I bet many women have those proportions.]
Also fantastic to know that you’ve made the Laurel _and_ that it can be mixed and matched with this one. I probably do need closures (probably 1 on each side because of my health & disabilities).
Thanks again for taking the time to write this up and share it!
Very glad to help! I do a lot of my grading digitally these days, but for this I found I had better luck printing out the individual pattern pieces for each size so I could physically put them on top of each other a few different ways to see what would make the most sense.
What a fabulous review of my pattern. Thanks Tegan! One thing that Tegan didn’t note, is that there are video tutorials for all my sewing patterns up on YouTube to make your life easier.
Ooh, I actually didn’t know that about the sports bra patterns too! That’s another awesome resource.
Tegan, your review couldn’t have come at a better time! I’m extremely blessed in breast size, too, and it’s almost impossible to find supportive bras that are comfortable. And a sports bra? I really thought I was out of luck. So your review and advice have just made my day (maybe year!). 🙂 Please come back to let us know your experience with the second bra, too, so we can learn from your efforts! Thank you, thank you!
Yay! Very glad to be a provider of useful information 🙂 I will definitely update on version 2.0!
How do you think getting in and out of it will be if you use a less stretchy material in order to minimize workout bounce? I usually shy away from sports bras that don’t have some type of front or back closure because it’s difficult to get it over the girls if the band is the right size.
I think it would just depend on how “squishy” you are. Even at my cup size I don’t have an issue with pull-over style bras because I’m quite soft and malleable, besides the Porcelynne bras I’ve made I also have quite a few Molke bras in XL Thunder and XL Mega (from before they started making Thunder).
With that said, if you are worried about it working for you, you could try something like the Porcelynne Laurel – it has a hook and eye closure at the back band to allow for extra room when pulling it on. I used the hook and eye when I made the Laurel, but I’ve found I don’t need it and I just leave it clasped even when taking it on/off.