Pattern matching on the front placket isn’t hard but requires patience!Maddie: The best part of fall? Being able to use the hashtag #PSL? Nah, take a seat coffee shops, the season is all about the onesie. This autumn, I collabed with Spoonflower to make a robe using their new chiffon fabric. You can find the full deets and the DIY here. Today, I’m sharing more about the bodysuit I made to go with my robe featuring Performance Pique. You may have seen different iterations of this bodysuit here and here, but this is the first time I’m showing the thong version. Because VPLs (explained below) are no bueno.
Pattern, Fabric + Trims:
- Pattern: Madalynne x Simplicity 8435 Bodysuit
- Fabric: Spoonflower’s Performance Pique featuring blue and white stripe design by Ash*B
- Fusible knit interfacing for the center placket
- 3/8″ picot elastic at leg openings and armholes
- Dritz Snap attacher kit for center front placket
- Cotton jersey for crotch lining
Click here to shop my bodysuit and lingerie kits for the 8435
Construction
The construction of the bodysuit was exactly per the instructions, except that I finished the armhole and leg openings with ⅜” picot plush elastic. Plackets in and of themselves are time consuming. Having the stripes on the placket and front match wasn’t hard, but took a lot of patience. I hand basted in place before machine sewing.
For those of you who prefer photo instructions, I have two FULL (and FREE!) tutorials on how to sew the center front placket and how to sew the snap crotch opening.
Tips for working with Spoonflower’s Performance Pique:
- Change to a ballpoint or stretch needle, size 65/9 or 70/10
- Sew slightly taught, keyword being slightly
Thong, thong, thong…
My mother told me to use the word hate with caution. She said it is a strong word and should be used sparingly. I agree ma’, especially in today’s world. VPLs – or visible panty lines – come close to that “H” word. They might not bother you, but they’re like nails on a chalkboard to my eyes. When designing the Madalynne X Simplicity 8435, it was important to me to have a thong version because I could foresee myself and others wearing it with tight fitting pants and skirts. The pattern instructions say to finish with a clear elastic encased in a serge or to turn back and use a zigzag stitch to finish. That will work, but I get a better fit if I finish with ¼“ – ⅜” picot plush elastic and having the left and right overlap completely at the narrowest point in the bum area. I don’t suggest using an elastic wider than ⅝”. It will get bulky in between your cheeks ;(
Inspired to make more of your own handmade intimates? Who isn’t! Find even more tips and tricks for DIY undies on the blog.
Maddie Flanigan is the lingerie designer and sewing teacher behind lingerie brand, Madalynne. Operating a studio out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Maddie is a woman on a mission. As she puts it, “My overarching vision is to provide women with feminine lingerie that is equally beautiful as it is functional, whether that be through sewing their own or buying from the market.” With a new made-in-the-USA line of lingerie available through her site, Anthropologie and more, a pattern licensing deal with Simplicity, and bra-making workshops taught in her studio, Maddie is doing just that!