Okay, here's the more news:
I finished the bra this evening. In general my pattern copying was accurate and the finished product looks pretty cute on the body. I will pat myself on the back for choosing well which pattern to copy. (Freya Tallulah padded plunge bra)
Good thing, because I've got lots to be disappointed about, too. The biggest lesson is the same one I've always had the most trouble with: fabric selection. Being impatient to sew this weekend I substituted Poly fiberfill (meant for quilts?) for padded bra foam, which was sold out. I've seen something similar used in cheap padded bras, but maybe this wasn't exactly the same. It was slightly stretchy, so I bonded fusible tricot to the inside to stabilize. It turned out to be 1) not stable enough, 2) too thick, 3) not smooth enough, and 4) itchy! (I'm wearing it right now and am uncomfortable.) I'm guessing the fill took on unwanted curves during various phases of ironing, so the peak of the bust is too low. And the improper thickness probably is adding to the unsatisfactory shape.
Also poor fabric selection was to use a lycra in place of wovens of the original bra. I fused the same tricot in angled layers to stabilize, but the final results are not perfectly smooth and are too thick anyhow. The lycra covering the padding is quite wrinkly. Maybe I'll take pictures to show why Lee Anne Burgess says not to do this. (If I stretch the fabric is looks smooth. Could do that in future, but for this bra I won't put in any more time.)
On the plus side, I've never used a multiple zigzag before. Had to buy the cam for my old Singer. The results look very finished and sturdy. And applying the elastic worked out great, no issues.
All in all, making a bra is much easier to execute than I imagined, just like everybody said :-). Copying an existing bra that already fits me well worked out much better than trying to fit a basic bra pattern to my body. Simply being able to wear the finished product at all is an achievement for me! I'm very pleased and will order fabrics from Sew Sassy for my next one.
BTW, I'm motivated to try to sew a bra for a full-figured friend of mine, using Lee Anne's tape-on-the-breast method. Being a size 48HH/I hasn't allowed her much satisfaction in bras. Onward!
Pora