This was the first bra I sewed. I’ve had the pattern for a while and never had the guts to try it. But I’m so glad I did. The bralette I made is super cute, comfortable and I got to try out lingerie making without the scariness of making an underwire bra.

So, things you should know about me that impact this pattern: Because I have a plus sized body my measurements usually point me towards very large bra sizes, but I am also a pear shaped person and have small boobs.

The first time I made it I didn’t use a lining, and I didn’t add underwire channeling because I was afraid. But I did both of these things for the second version I sewed and they weren’t as hard as I imagined them to be.

Madalynne Intimates x Simplicity 8228

• Pattern designer: Madalynne Intimates
• Item Type: Bralette (underwear pattern included, but I haven’t made them yet)
• Skill level: intrepid skilled beginner
• Size range: Bras sized 32A to 42DD, panties sized XS-XL
• Time frame: Quick Sew, 1 day

Time Frame: My Thoughts

Choosing the pattern size to make was the hardest part for me. I stared at the two sizes I was considering before I decided to choose based on the cup size and then just adjust the band to fit me.

The actual cutting and sewing of the bralette went pretty fast.

Value for money

I bought this pattern on sale at JoAnn’s for $1.99 I think? If you watch JoAnn’s sales you’ll see they often put the big 3 brand patterns on deep discount every few weeks.

Clear Instructions

This was a spot I struggled with. Sewing the pattern pieces together was easy. Pin, go slowly, use a stretch or microtex sewing needle. But I couldn’t visualize how to sew on the lingerie elastic. Prior to this I’d only used elastic in the hem of shorts for my nephew. But thankfully I found some great videos by Liz Sews and even though she wasn’t sewing this pattern she helped me through.

Accurate materials list
The pattern lists everything you need. At no point during sewing did I feel like she should have added anything to the list. I didn’t use the fabric spray adhesive.

Clear fabric recommendations
Fabric options and stretch percentages listed.

Pattern is written for stretch lace with 30-40% stretch, lined in a stretch mesh, powernet or micromesh. But you should know that this pattern does use quite a bit of lace because the lace edge is needed on all the pieces.

The issue I have with the listed fabric requirements is that it says you need 1 1/8 yards of 60″ lining fabric. The reason it is written this way is likely because the band that wraps around your body is all one piece making it quite long.

It has been quite a while since I made this pattern so I’m not 100% sure how much I used, but it is FAR less than 1 1/8 yards.

Is the Pattern Hackable?

Yes. It is especially important to make pattern alterations for lingerie. I made view A: the halter bralette. For this pattern had to add 3″ to each side of the bralette where it wraps around the back of my neck. The first version I sewed fits but pulls on my neck a bit. So adding the extra length made it super comfortable.

On the second version (the periwinkle blue one) I increased the width of the band piece because the lace I had had a wider lace pattern than what the piece called for. So I just added width to fit. You can see the differences in the image above.

Overall Rating
5 stars. A++ would sew again.

Actually because this seems to be a pattern that a lot of people start with in bra sewing I’m going to record a video tutorial sew along.