Sewing lingerie is a whole different genre of me-made. Getting the hang of the fabrics and trims takes time, practice and a lot of error. Believe me, I was bad for a long time. With my students, I see their projects make a leap from somewhat messy to professional when they get the hang of sewing elastic. Many cannot wrap their heads around the fact that elastic is first sewn on the right side, then on the wrong side. So today, I’m doing a quick tutorial on how to sew picot plush elastic. Please note that this ...
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Plus Size Lingerie versus Full Bust Lingerie. What’s the difference?
The terms “plus size lingerie" and “full bust lingerie” are used interchangeably, but they mean two very different things. A woman who is plus size can wear an A cup, and a petite woman can be full-busted. I understand why the mix up happens. Full bust can be referred to as DD plus lingerie, and some people associate a larger cup size with being fat. Also, plus size lingerie can be referred to as full figure lingerie. In this blog post, I differentiate the two terms and how it relates to sizing the Eloise, Barrett ...
My DIY Wedding Dress Update
The benefit of having a Facebook-less and blog-less fiancé - I can share my DIY wedding dress progress! I finished the 2nd muslin - AKA practice - dress. I used McCall's 7540 for my 1st muslin and even though it needed a laundry list of alterations, it was a great base pattern. Below are the changes I made from the 1st to the 2nd along iPhone photos comparing the two. I'm am so happy with the way it is turning out and I’m on track to finish with plenty of time to spare! You can read about why I chose to make my ...
Unique Bachelorette Party at Madalynne Intimates
Are you the maid of honor looking for a creative and unique bachelorette party ideas? Even if you’re not the MOH - maybe it’s your BFF’s birthday, pr maybe you want to have a team building exercise with your colleagues, or maybe you just want to get your girlfriends together and drink wine, eat, and sew. Whatever the case, here's an idea - host it at Madalynne's new studios + store and whip up a me-made bra, bralette or undie in less than 1 day! Events are not new to Madalynne. Women have celebrated all of the ...
Madalynne X Simplicity 8229 Variation
In March 2019, @megandmachine posted her me-made Madalynne X Simplicity 8229 underwire bra pattern. She used a beige stretch mesh for the main fabric and contrasting neon yellow fold over binding (that she dyed herself!). Gorg! Just simply f*cking gorg... and creative... and cool. I made a mental note that I had to do some version of her 8229 in the future. HAD TO! Since the new year, I’ve been refreshing DIY kits with new fabrications. New year, new lingerie, right? First was the Eloise in this white + blue and ...
First Bra Making Workshop of the Decade
The first Bra Making with Madalynne workshop of the decade was last weekend and boy, from the looks of it, it's going to be a kick a** ten years. Just like the opening party the weekend prior, the weather was not in my favor. Two Saturday's in a row Philadelphia was hit my rain and lots of it! That didn't stop Jhasmine, who came all the way from Mississippi, and sisters Julia and Leah, who came from New Jersey, to come to the bra making class and sew Madalynne's newest style, the Eloise bralette, using a brand new ...
New Madalynne Lingerie Boutique + Sew Shop
It’s been 6.5 years since I rented my first studio. It was a true artist studio where I spent weekends (I had a 9-5 gig at the time) making some of my first handmade lingerie. I started teaching out of that studio, but when I took Madalynne full time in August 2016, I moved to MaKen. Home to an array of diverse businesses, being a part of Maken positioned Madalynne as a business and not a sewing blog. Madalynne took another step forward this January when it moved from Kensington, where MaKen is located slightly ...
Madalynne’s Opening Party + 1st Annual Frocktail!
Wow, wow, WOW! What an amazing event last weekend! The weather was not in my favor, but over 60 people came out to support the opening of a new version of Madalynne, a Philadelphia lingerie boutique, sew shop and more. Located in the heart of Philly's Brewerytown neighborhood, this new space will offer hand-crafted, custom lingerie, bra making workshops and lessons, open sews, events and more. It’s hard to believe that a decade ago, I dropped out of college to pursue a dream - sewing. I was only 22 years old. Some ...
Introducing Eloise, a Bralette + Panty PDF Pattern
The Barrett Bralette has surpassed all my expectations. It’s surprising to me because as a designer, it’s my personality to create new and unique items. Let’s be real - the Barrett is as basic as it gets. Like the basic bitch of bras. Sure, the cutout adds a nice touch, and the fabrics in the DIY kits elevate it to a super fun bralette, but there ain’t anything special about it. Here’s the thing though - IT FITS. EVERYONE. A petite woman with a full bust of 30.5” to a plus size woman with a full bust of ...
Bra Making with Madalynne Takes Washington D.C.!
London, Los Angeles, San Francisco and now Washington D.C. A monsoon downpour and Marine Corps marathon that blocked all the roads couldn’t stop me or these ladies from a special Bra Making with Madalynne workshop in Washington, D.C. On Sunday, D & H Fabrics played a wonderful host to me and 4 ladies who traveled from Virginia to Miami to attend. Aleksandra, Claudia, Marlene and Casey made a soon-to-be released partial band underwire bra using fabrics and trims from the webshop. Some had experience sewing ...
