I recently got the opportunity to start stocking PDF sewing patterns from Madalynne in the shop, and it’s been really fun to create a whole bunch of new kits to match perfectly with these four patterns! I can tell that it’s easier to visualize the possibilities with a lingerie-making kit if I make a sample garment, so I’m going to be going through most of the kits to show off what the finished product could look like.
First up, a Fenix Bodysuit using the Forest Green and Beige kit. The beige fabric has a meandering vine motif that looks seasonal when paired with the forest green stretch mesh without being confined to being too autumnal. Honestly, the beige fabric is such a subtle neutral that you could easily swap all the forest green parts for navy blue, terra cotta, or even black!
Here’s a quick project overview for my Fenix Bodysuit.
Going with the size chart, I should’ve cut a Large and a C/D cup, but in my heart of hearts, I know I’m an A/B cup, so I went with that instead. On future Fenix bodysuits, I’ll adjust the cup pieces to remove some more volume, but everything else about the bodysuit fit well!
I took some liberties with the materials that I used compared to the pattern suggestions. I wanted a light, sheer bodysuit, so I skipped a lining on most pieces where it was called for. The lower bralette cups are made with both forest green mesh and powernet, and the upper part of the bralette includes forest green mesh under the beige fabric (I love the way it makes the leaf pattern pop more!). For the back band and panty panels, I just used a single layer of fabric. The kits include enough fabric to allow for all kinds of combinations!
Originally, I had planned to use peach-colored wide elastic as the underband, but then this shiny, forest green version arrived (it was custom dyed to match all of the other forest green materials and elastics!) and of course I couldn’t resist using it. I love the bit of luxury that the satiny band brings.
The 30mm elastic band is a bit more narrow than the pattern’s suggestion, so I swapped in a 38mm, 2×3 hook and eye closure (instead of the 57mm, 3×3 closure that’s suggested) and I was sure to trim off a bit of the back band before sewing on the foldover elastic and attaching the closure.
I decided to add snaps to my bodysuit. It’s optional, of course, but I have one bodysuit that I made as a test version in the past, without snaps, and that prevents me from wearing it much more often, so I made sure not to make that mistake again! I have press snaps in the shop (and I include a strip of iron-on interfacing with each purchase) so I used those to create the snap closure. It’s such a small change, but on my next one, I need to remember to swap which sides of the snaps go on which side of the gusset!
I’m really pleased with how it came out! It’s exactly how I thought it would be when I created this kit. It was my first time using the Fenix pattern too and I realized that it’s super easy to stop at one point and have a fully finished bralette, which makes it a much more versatile pattern than I thought!
You can find this kit in the shop while supplies last, and get a 20% discount on the pattern when you add it to your kit! Don’t forget to check out the other Madalynne kits for the Lawren Bodysuit, Maris Bralette, and Roxie Bralette, and I’ll show you more soon!
