Madalynne x Simplicity 9478 Bra Pattern

I take no joy in writing bad pattern reviews, but I DO take joy in helping other sewists avoid problems. I can't tell you how many times someone has sent me a message to say thank you, that they thought there was something wrong with THEM because nobody online told the truth about a pattern. Not today, not on my watch!

In case you don't know, Madalynne is a lingerie designer who sells patterns, kits, and RTW items. I've previously made the halter bra Simplicity 8228, the Noelle bralette (no blog post but I've made this one twice), and the Fenix bodysuit. A few years back she partnered with Simplicity for her patterns. I don't know who writes the directions but I do know that Madalynne uses her own grader, not Simplicity's, so you do need to take measurements and follow her chart. I've never had a problem with her sizing as long as I followed the chart.

Before diving too deeply into this review, please note that I deviated from the pattern. The pattern shows a lace appliqué in a V shape, NOT all over lace like my sample. But I bought a kit based on an Instagram photo showing all over lace, not realizing that what I was seeing was not the pattern. It was a photo of one of her RTW pieces. My bra shows my best attempt at recreating the photo I saw, but my criticisms are limited only to issues I would have had following the pattern exactly.

I quite like my previous bralettes and the halter bra. I like Madalynne's designs and her aesthetic. I like the variety of models she uses and her connection to her local community. BUT.

The directions are just not good enough. There is a consistent method that she uses for construction that isn't the highest quality. She recommends spray basting lace to mesh and treating them like one, rather than treating them individually and using one as an outer and one as a lining. I will never understand that, and I have never done that. I always change my construction to allow the seam allowances to be contained and not touching my skin. It's a bra. It's kind of important that it's comfortable. Why not just add a lining?

Simplicity 9478 has a seam allowance of 1/4". If your materials are stretch mesh and lace, that's a totally bonkers choice. I think 1/4" is always a bad seam allowance, but here it's particularly awful. I have a lot of experience sewing (and failing at sewing lolol) these materials, but if you don't, this tiny seam allowance is going to frustrate you. It got even worse when it was time to insert channeling for the boning. It was meant to be sewn into the seam allowance...the 1/4" seam allowance. Channeling must be sewn on the very edge so that you can insert boning inside it, and trying to sew the edge of the channeling to such a tiny SA was a nightmare.

At one point, the picot elastic is sewn around a corner. The directions say some nonsense about "folding out" the fullness around the corner. What?

Lastly, to get to the size chart for the underwear, I had to go to the listing for one of the kits, and then click on a link to the size chart. Here is a link to it. Frankly, I have second hand embarrassment for Simplicity that they printed a pattern without a size chart. I understand that the underwear is kind of a throw-away, you're buying the pattern for the bra, but seriously? Do better Simplicity. I'm still holding out hope that I'm wrong and the chart is somewhere I'm not seeing...so please tell me if so.

So once again, I'm left with a garment that I do rather like (except for the white channeling...hate it) but mostly because of my own skill set and ability to adapt the pattern to be better than written. I definitely do NOT recommend the pattern to anyone without bra-making experience. I'd say you need to be solidly an intermediate, perhaps even advanced level sewist to make this work. 

I made mine using leftover stuff from other projects, NOT the kit I ordered. Now that it's done, I'm not in a big hurry to make another with the kit stuff. I did have a need for a bra like this, specifically to wear with the plunging neckline of Vogue 9253, and it works for that. But I don't think I need another. I'm sure I'll use the kit for something else, so it's fine.

There you have it, my honest review of Simplicity 9478. Please let me know if you have questions, I'm happy to help!

Madalynne Fenix Bodysuit

A few weeks ago, I found myself on the Madalynne Intimates website, trying to find bra strapping. I found it, but I also discovered a cool new pattern, the Fenix Bodysuit. I previously made the Anouk Bodysuit, from Ohhh Lulu, and I'm not sure how many bodysuits a stay-at-home-mom needs, but the graphic lines of the Fenix really called out to me and I bought it anyway.

I've made one other Madalynne pattern before, one of her collaborations with Simplicity, number 8228. The sizing was a little wackadoodle but I ended up with a nice bralette. The Fenix had a lot of information on sizing and fit, including a whole section on torso length that I've never seen in another pattern. There are three cup sizes in addition to XS-4XL. I made the A/B cup in a size M for my 33" bust and 38" hip. 

In the end, I think I need to go down a size in the cups. In the above photo, I have tacked the center front edges together in order to pull the cups more tightly over my bust, which gave me a better fit. The width of the bodice fit well but I did find it way too long, despite the fact that I have a long torso. The torso length is also dependent on the width of the elastic you use under the bust. All things considered, I expected the fit to be WAY more off than it was and I'm more or less pleased with this first go at it. It is a lot like making a bra, you have to make the whole thing to know how it's going to work.

Now for the bad. I found the instructions to be insufficient. I've made a lot of bras, underwear, and as I said another bodysuit, and I still found myself confused and scratching my head. There are full color photos but not one for every step. Seam allowances are 1/4", which does not allow much room for error. Most importantly, there are no notches! I can't think of a time when I made a bra with more than one piece for the cup, and it did not have notches. I found the gusset construction difficult to understand (there is more than one way to assemble a gusset) and it would have been infinitely easier if there had been notches on the pattern pieces. 

All that said, I made my bodysuit differently anyway because I lined most of my pieces. The instructions tell you to cut lining pieces but to spray baste them to the outer pieces, which is more truly called an underlining. I opted to sandwich seams whenever possible so that they would be in between pieces. Unfortunately, I was so focused on going in the right order that I made the suit in a way where the seam allowances are visible, rather than sandwiched inside the darker mesh color. Probably nobody even noticed this in the photos but it's sticking out to me!

After the suit was assembled, I found it to be too long in the torso. I had made a muslin but because I didn't understand the gusset construction, I hadn't gotten the right length in my muslin. It's also possible that applying the FOE on the leg had stretched my back bodice fabric, which is a single layer of mesh. In any case, I shortened the bodice with a crappy after-the-fact cutting of the gusset. 

Personally, I've come far enough in my sewing journey that bad instructions are not as annoying as bad drafting. The drafting of this pattern worked well for me, and now that I've made it once the instructions are not an issue. But if you're a beginner lingerie sewist, I would grab a different pattern before this one.

I love the design lines and it has so much potential for a swimsuit, so #noragrets here. Madalynne also offers ready made lingerie if you want to skip the sewing, and some great kits for her patterns. The flocked leopard mesh, the thick black band elastic, the snap tape, and the FOE all came from her site and were high quality (the FOE in particular). The other supplies were in my stash and probably came from Tailor Made Shop or Sew Sassy.

There are plenty of modeled photos of this pattern on the Madalynne Instagram.

Foam Jasmine Bras

Oh my gosh, it’s been almost a month since my last post! Things have been crazy around here, we somewhat unexpectedly decided to put our house on the market, and move to a new place! We’re staying in the same city but moving to a larger lot with acreage, woods, and a creek. Bonus: one bedroom will be set aside for a sewing room! We’re thrilled, but it was sudden and there was a lot of work to be done to sell our current home. The majority of my sewing room was packed up and taken to storage. I did hang on to a few things and all my machines, so that I don’t lose my mind without sewing! So let’s see what I’ve been up to in the last month.

BRAS! While I was frantically packing, I realized that it would be a perfect time to make all those Jasmine Bras I’d planned a while back. Small pieces of fabric, elastic, and notions that I already had on hand. I can make them entirely on a regular machine, the pattern was small, and it was actually a need in my wardrobe. Perfect!

I made these two Jasmine Bras last year, in size small. I realized recently that they were fitting a little loose in the cups. I’m no longer nursing, and yeah, I’m not a D cup anymore. I decided to try the XS and the fit was much better. I’ve also been wanting to try sewing foam bras, both for lift and coverage. I have plenty of fancy lace bras, but reality has shown me that I’m WAY more likely to reach for a knit T-shirt bra.

In the last couple months I have made FOUR Jasmine Bras that meet the above requirements. They’re just so fun! I can easily churn one out in a single day. Planning is everything here though. I made myself a chart of all the designs I wanted, the notions I needed in which color, and how much. I placed an order with Sew Sassy Fabrics and got everything at once. Having the notions on hand and the pattern copied to cardboard means the sewing happens quickly.

First up is a black modal jersey bra with pre-formed cups sewn to the wrong side of the lining. I think these cups are from Wawak. This one is super soft and stretchy but the cups were difficult to sew evenly. I attached them to the lining before assembling the rest of the bra. The upper edges are finished with 1/4"  FOE from The Fabric Fairy, the bottom band is 3/4" plush-backed elastic and the straps are 1/2" pre-made from Sew Sassy Fabrics. Closure also from SSF.

Next, I used the precious scraps of my favorite jersey print, these electric colored feathers on grey, from Girl Charlee. The lining is a hot pink bamboo knit from Fabric.com. I've had both of these large scraps of fabric for probably four or five years! The upper edge is finished with 3/8" turquoise picot elastic from a flash deal website. The bottom band is the same elastic mentioned above and the straps are 1/2" strapping (no rings/sliders) from Sew Sassy Fabrics. Closure also from SSF. This is my first bra with cut and sew foam (from SSF). I ordered a 1/2 yard which ended up being maybe 50" wide? I didn't measure and it doesn't say on the website. I used Sarah's great tutorial here for assembly.

Sarah mentions that cut and sew foam tends to limit the vertical stretch of the fabric. I found this to be true. Additionally, by using picot elastic instead of FOE, I lost vertical length because I turned under the fabric to topstitch. Cotton jersey is also less stretchy than modal/spandex knit. All this to say, I find the feather bra to be slightly smaller than the black one. The pattern is exactly the same, but you can see how slight changes to fabric, finishings, and cups can make a big difference.

After the feather bra, I got the hair brained idea to try a different sewing order to recover some of that vertical stretch. Sarah's tutorial sews all the pieces together through the vertical seams. I opted to assemble each layer alone, then try to attach the elastic along the edges without catching the foam. I thought, if the foam is only anchored at the side seams, perhaps the fabric itself can stretch vertically and the foam will be more "free floating".

Spoiler alert: Sarah's way is better. Trying to stretch the lining and outer away from the foam and sew elastic to them was pretty challenging, even after I trimmed the foam. It worked out fine, but I prefer the other way.

This "test" bra is the one I REALLY needed in my underwear drawer. I only have one nude bra and it doesn't fit quite right anymore. The outer and lining are nylon/spandex milliskin from Girl Charlee (previously used in swimsuits). The upper edges are finished with 3/8" nude picot elastic. The bottom band is 1/2" nude plush-backed elastic. The straps are 1/2" pre-made. Closure and all notions from SSF.

The fit on this bra was not that great. The fabric is super stretchy, and even though I shortened the band slightly before sewing it up, it wasn't enough. I ended up taking the closure off, removing maybe 3/4" and then sewing it back on. I'm also not crazy about the 1/2" band elastic vs. 3/4". The 3/4" on the other bras feels way more secure. This bra will get worn, but only in the situation where I need a nude bra.

LASTLY (for now!) I found a generous scrap of this bird jersey hiding in my bag of lingerie stuff, and couldn't resist just one more. Especially since it matches this pair of boxer wear!

I really hit my groove with this sixth iteration of the pattern. The lining is the same hot pink bamboo knit from above. The upper edge is finished with 1/4" black picot elastic from SSF. The rest of the notions are the same as the feather bra. The band is a touch shorter than the pattern and I also have the shortest piece of band elastic yet (about 25 1/2"). This bra feels PERFECT. I did go back to Sarah's method for assembly, except I trimmed the upper and lower edges of the foam to make elastic application easier. I managed to add a bit more vertical height to the cups by sewing the band elastic slightly off from the edge, instead of lining it up exactly. You can't see a difference because you then turn the band elastic back and topstitch.

PHEW! There's more than you ever wanted to know about non-wired foam bras. But I think that seeing how different fabrics and notions play together can be very helpful. Here they all are with the bottom bands aligned, you can see the sizing is slightly different on each.

The biggest take-away here is that it took me SIX times sewing this bra before I thought I ended up with a perfect product. So just keep plugging away at it and you'll find what works for you!

Coverstitching Underwear

A short post today showing off my newest me-made undies, and talking a little bit about my new favorite finishing method.

No extra seam allowance

Over the years, I've made a lot of underwear and tried many patterns, but I keep coming back to my favorite, the free one from So, Zo... For everyday pieces under jeans, they can't be beat. The pattern is drafted for use with fold-over elastic (FOE). I'll be honest...I HATE FOE. Every single time I use it, it's instant regret. Inevitably, I end up stretching out my fabric and my stitching also looks sloppy and uneven. Take these two pairs, for example. Same pattern. Same fabric. Look how stretched out the bottom pair became after sewing on FOE!

I decided to try something new, and use my coverstitch with picot elastic. Normally, you would sewing picot on once, turn it under, and sew it down (scroll down for info on this technique with a coverstitch!). Since I didn't have the seam allowance for turning under (fabric was already cut) I figured I could sew the picot directly to the edge. The ladder stitching of the back of the coverstitching finished the edge on the inside of the underwear.

I LOVE this technique! It was so much faster than FOE and I had more control while sewing. I put the leg elastic in flat, sewed up the side seams, and then applied the waist elastic in the round. Having made this pattern before, I was at an advantage knowing exactly how long I wanted my elastic. In no time, I had three new pairs of undies that fit and are lovely too!

Contrast stitching can be fun too!

Extra seam allowance

If your pattern has been drafted with extra seam allowance, then you can still use your coverstitch machine to sew on elastic. Instead of sewing it once right on the edge, like above, follow these steps.

First, place the non-picot edge of your elastic along the edge of your fabric, right side of fabric facing right side of elastic (if your elastic has a right side, it might not). Using a zig-zag stitch on your regular machine, or your serger with the knife disabled, sew along the edge and secure the elastic to both leg openings. 

This task is much easier if you do it flat, without the side seams sewn.

Next, turn the elastic to the inside of the underwear. Try to align the fold of the fabric just beneath the picot edge.

With the underwear right side up, sew along the elastic with your coverstitch, without stretching anything.

At this point, you can either sew up one side seam (allowing you to work flat) and then repeat the process for the waist elastic, or sew up both side seams and insert the waist elastic in the round the same way. My preference is to insert the leg elastics flat and the waist in the round, but you do you!

Rebecca Page Cheeky Underwear pattern

I love using my coverstitch in this fashion on underwear elastic! I know a coverstitch is a big investment, but I've never regretted mine. I got mine in 2014, you can read more about that here.

Simplicity 8228 Halter Bra

Under every great outfit there should be the right undergarments. The journey towards this bra started with a dress, Vogue 9253. The Vogue dress was THE dress of the summer, it was all over IG. Every few years my husband has a work event that requires dressing up, and I decided the Vogue dress would be a fun item to wear. The problem? The super low cut (although completely changeable) and finding the right bra to go with it. Enter Simplicity 8228, a stretch lace halter bra pattern from Madalynne.

My idea was solid, but it turned out that the halter straps looked pretty dumb with my Vogue dress. The dress needs some finishing, so I haven't blogged it yet, but take my word for it, it's not going to work with this bra after all. Whomp whomp. I should have made the straps longer and more like a regular bra, rather than a halter. Live and learn! Additionally, it turns out I'm probably not wearing the Vogue dress to our event anyway. It came out a bit too summery. ANYWAY. Enough about the best laid plans.

The bra itself turned out great, it was not a bad sew (SA is 1/4" though, ugh) and gah it's SO pretty! The pattern called for 8" wide stretch lace, but I already have this 5" on hand (from Sew Sassy Fabrics) and made it work. I'm not sure why exactly 8" was chosen, except perhaps to cover the larger sizes. Speaking of sizing, please follow the directions in the pattern. The sizes weren't close to RTW or even other bra patterns I've sewn before, but I followed the directions and the fit is perfect (you'll have to take my word for it!). It's been close to a month since I weaned my last baby, so my body is still adjusting a little. Or maybe it's my head that's adjusting. In either case, it's nice to have such a beautiful garment to help boost your confidence.

The bra is lined with a stretch mesh that was in my stash, I can't at all recall where it's from but I think it was Jo-Ann's or Girl Charlee. I've never used it before but it ended up being just what I needed for this pattern. I already had clear elastic left over from the kit I bought from Tailor Made Shop (used for this bra), and the black picot elastic (used on the underarms) was from a local shop and also already in my stash. The brown channeling was upcycled from an old bra, which is why it doesn't match haha.

Did you catch that? Everything was already in my stash! The pattern was the only thing I bought, and of course it was on sale.

A few notes about the pattern: If you're wondering why the seams are exposed on the inside of the cups, it's because the lining is meant to be spray-basted to the lace and then sewn as one. I didn't have any spray adhesive so I skipped that part, but I still sewed the pieces as one. The seam allowance is then topstitched down. I think it would have been a neater finish to sew them separately and then place WST, but it would have been trickier to topstitch in that case, and would have required more steps.

Lastly, I don't think there was a step for finishing the bottom of the band. I mentioned the spray adhesive but that's not good enough for me to keep the lining and the lace together at the bottom. You could zig-zag clear elastic here but I was running low, so I just zig-zagged the two together and it worked fine.

I also did not use a hook and eye closure at the back #lazy and it slips over my head just fine.

Our weather has turned crisp and fall-like, but if we get another hot day out of the blue I'll be pairing the bra with my maroon backless top. And if not now, then next summer for sure!

Cheeky Chonies no-show undies

A quick post today for a short holiday week (here in the states anyway!). If handmade undies aren't your thing, you can probably skip over this one, but I was so excited to find a pattern like this that I had to share!

I have a few garments where VPL can be a problem, but I'm not always crazy about wearing a thong underneath. The next best thing is no-show undies, but the home sewist doesn't have the ability to create seamless, laser-finished items like these. Once I found out about the Cheeky Chonies pattern from A Sparkly Baby, I decided it would be worth a try, before plopping down a bunch of money on RTW.

Fabric is key with this pattern. Spandex is a must, and there is an entire page of the pattern devoted to selecting the right fabric. I used a "satin milliskin" from Girl Charlee, ordered a long time ago. I would say it's similar to a swimsuit lining or lingerie weight textile, and I believe it's nylon/spandex. Any swim type fabric would work and ensure that your clothing slips easily over the undies. It also tends not to roll, meaning you can leave your edges unfinished without worrying about bunching. The lining piece is organic cotton I had in my stash.

My full hip measurement put me at a size 36, but I sized down based on the stretch of my fabric. I went all the way down to a 32 and I think these still ended up a touch big. They were not falling down or anything, but I would have preferred a tighter fit for my own peace of mind. There is only a center-back seam, so I can't adjust the ones I've already made. Luckily, they took very little fabric, so I don't feel like they were a waste.

These were just about the fastest item I've ever sewn, and they were made entirely on my sewing machine. I whipped up this pair to wear under my McCall's romper when I was headed out to a wedding. No panty lines, and basically made with scraps I had laying around=big win! So if this highly-specialized type of item is on your wish list, head over to A Sparkly Baby and pick up the pattern!

Pink Lace Jasmine Bra

One of the awesome benefits to sewing your own clothes is that you can customize a look however you want. Last summer, I made a Hey June Santa Fe top with lace insets. It's super fun and pretty and I can't wait to wear it this summer (now that I'm not pregnant and can!).

I mentioned in my review at that time that the insets are low enough to show off whatever bra you're wearing. No biggie, I have pink bras. But it randomly hit me one day while I was driving (second only to "falling asleep" as when I have my best ideas) that I still had yardage of the lace, why don't I make a matching bra??

One afternoon and bam, it was done. This is the Jasmine Bra from Ohhh Lulu. It's my second one (first here), so it went pretty quickly. This is a small. For reference I wear a 32D.

The bra is lined with pink milliskin fabric which I bought at Girl Charlee, and actually the lace is from there too. Since it was lace yardage, and not lace trim, there is no scalloped edge. I used picot elastic trim to finish the bra, which I bought at a local-ish fabric store ages ago. They were selling scrap 1-yard pieces for cheap so I bought a ton. They've been working great for bras and undies which only need small pieces anyway. The nude elastic and hook and eye are from Sew Sassy Fabrics.

The straps are 1/4" pre-made straps, also from Sew Sassy. They're not my favorite. They're too narrow (the pattern calls for 1/2" strapping) but they matched the bra, and they work with the shirt as I intended, so it's fine. Just not a lot of perk happening with 1/4" straps. Or with a soft bra, for that matter.

It's so fun having a top/bra matching combo! I'm dying to make some backless tops and pretty show-off bras as well. I mean, it may be a bit much for a mom of three, but I've been breastfeeding on and off for over five years. Showing my bra is the least of my concerns. In fact, showing my bra is guaranteed to happen, might as well make it pretty!