The Lillian Dress and Tank Shelf Bra Hack

in Aug 9, 2025

If you want to avoid bra straps ruining your cute summer outfit, use these instructions to add a shelf bra to your Lillian tank or dress instead of a facing.

You'll Need (in addition to supplies listed in pattern)

A piece of 1/2" (13mm) elastic for the bottom of the shelf bra that is long enough to fit around your underbust with some overlap.

Cutting


Instead of the front & back facing pieces, cut out the front and back bodice pieces twice. If you don't have enough of your main fabric, you can use a different lightweight fabric for the lining as it won't be visible.

Darts, Side Seams, and Straps

Sew the darts on both outer and lining fronts, sew the side seams, and attach the straps to the outer pieces as outlined in the instructions. 

 

Connect Facing and Lining

Sew around the top edge of the bodice and lining pieces with right sides together, using the instructions for connecting the bodice and facing pieces in the instructions.

Understitch

Press the lining and seam allowance away from the bodice front and understitch as far as you can through the lining and seam allowance.

Mark Bra Level & Cut Elastic

Try your top on inside out, wrap the elastic around your underbust, and mark where you'd like the bottom of the shelf bra to finish on the lining piece.

Cut your elastic to length: it should be slightly snug around your underbust and overlap by around 1" (25 mm). 

Trim the Lining

You will likely need to trim some fabric from the bottom of your lining piece. From the mark you made while trying it on, make another marking towards the bottom that is 1.75 times your elastic width. For example, if you're using 0.5" (13mm) elastic, mark 7/8" (23cm) below your first mark.

Now measure the distance from the bottom raw edge to this second marking. Mine was just shy of 2". Make markings all the way around the lining only to match this measurement.

Trim off the bottom of your lining only all the way around to remove this amount. 

Press the casing

Turn under the raw edge of the lining towards the wrong side by 0.5" (13 mm) and press. Turn again by 7/8" (22 mm) and press.

Sew the casing

Edgestitch almost all the way around the open edge of the casing, leaving a gap for inserting the elastic.

Insert the elastic

Pin a large safety pin to the end of your elastic and feed in though the hole, ensuring it doesn't twist. 

Overlap the elastic by 1 inch (25 mm) and sew together.

Close the gap in the casing.

You're done

Carry on and be braless my friend!