Madalynne X Simplicity - 8229
Pattern: Madalynne X Simplicity 8229
My Measurements: Bust 83cm; Under-bust 77cm
Pattern Size: 34B
Pattern Adjustments: 1cm pleat at top of side cup to band (to reduce cup by 2cm)
Fabric: Burgundy Lace and Black Powernet from Nellie Joans
Wire: Regular / Classic Bra Underwire Size 32C/34B/36A from Madalynne
Notions: Burgundy 12mm strap elastic, 12mm Rings and Sliders; Black elastic; 2 x 3 Burgundy hook and eye from Nellie Joans
My first bra in many many moons (made prior to the previously posted Madalynne X Simplicity 8711) and my first attempt at an underwire bra. Getting the feel for sewing bra’s again took a little while and as such I am not overly happy with the cups. In hindsight I should have sewn the powernet and lace sandwiched to conceal the stitching, and it was not until after the cup construction I moved to changing the bobbin thread and top thread to match their respective layers. But overall it was a very quick and easy sew and I am so happy to being sewing bras again.
The pattern is very classic and has a lovely full coverage shape. The cups were slightly too large by 2cm at the top cup side seam, to keep things simple, I put in a pleat as the rest of the cup fitted well. In future I will modify the pattern to take up this excess, and will also reduce the adjoining band seam by 0.5cm for a more snug fit. Inserting the channeling and underwires was simple, and not at all as scary as I thought it would be, I was using stash elastic and as such the band elastic does overlap the channeling (ever so slightly). On pressing the left cup, my iron was on a hot setting (and hot on a gravity fed iron is HOT), there was a small lace casualty where the cup seams have melted to the powernet, but this does not affect function and is not that noticeable.
Cup side pleat
The pattern was clearly written and well laid out with detailed instructions and diagrams. It was a wonderful pattern to sew. If you are on the less fuller side, I would do a muslin to check the cup sizes as they are quite wide on the sides. If you are a beginner bra sewer, this pattern is perfect, and will be a classic staple in any wardrobe.
