It's that time again.. For DIY lingerie! Because it's been a while since I tackled a DIY sewing project kit, I decided the time was ripe. I have been working so, so hard on getting my own DIY kits on the market, I really just wanted to take a break and sew up someone else's.

ICYMI, I have covered two of Madalynne's DIY sewing project kits in the past:

1. The Madalynne x Simplicity 8228 Lingerie Pattern (THE cutest halter bralette. So, so pretty.)
2. The Madalynne x Simplicity 8711 Lingerie Pattern (Almost like a hybrid bra/bralette--Perfect for the girls out there who really dislike traditional bras. Girls like me!)

And now, this week, I am covering Madalynne's Barrett Bralette DIY sewing project kit. This project is unique in that it isn't a collaboration with the sewing pattern company Simplicity. (While the other 2 Madalynne projects I sewed up were.)

Having been working on developing my own DIY sewing project kits the last few months, I can really appreciate how much work and effort went into this particular kit. Of course--Madalynne puts a ton of work into EVERY kit.

But when you are producing a DIY sewing project kit all on your own (without the help of the sewing pattern giant Simplicity) I would imagine it's quite a bit more work. Not for the seamstress of course--I'm talking on the production end.

You have to grade the pattern yourself, so that women of every size can use the lingerie pattern. Make sure that the graded pattern transfers correctly and is going to be the correct size when printed out. And then you need to make the step-by-step instruction manual.

(Not sure where to start when it comes to sewing DIY lingerie? Building your own sewing kit is an excellent place to begin. Grab your complete beginner’s guide below!)

Of course, doing all of this extra work yourself ensures the easiest possible sewing experience for the seamstress making the project. Which really is the ultimate goal, right?

And speaking of easy.. The Barrett Bralette is a printable PDF pattern. Meaning you can just download the pattern & instructions, and literally print it out from home. No shipping, and waiting for the pattern to come to you. Or running to the store to pick up the pattern. Zip.

I have always been a bit hesitant to use PDF patterns. Pattern pieces can just get SO big, and there can be so much taping involved. BUT. I think the exception to working with PDF patterns is when it comes to lingerie, like with the Barrett Bralette DIY sewing project kit.

There was literally only one piece that had to be taped together, and it was so incredibly clear what did need to be taped. No hassle whatsoever. Which I am all about when it comes to sewing--No hassle.

I also loved the custom step-by-step instructions that Madalynne made for this DIY sewing project kit. I have never (in my life) been a fan of sewing pattern instructions made by the big name companies. They are just so confusing, and so wordy.

I feel like you have to KNOW how to sew to understand them. (And even then, they can still be incredibly confusing.)

(Not sure where to start when it comes to sewing DIY lingerie? Building your own sewing kit is an excellent place to begin. Grab your complete beginner’s guide below!)

Not the case with the Barrett Bralette sewing pattern instructions. The wording was clear & precise, with tons of color photos detailing each step. I cannot stress enough how helpful this was.

And that's actually another issue that I have with traditional sewing pattern instructions--No photos! I feel like the people that are sewing up patterns are creative, visual learners. So how could an instruction manual not contain photos?! Literally blows my mind. (And no--I don't consider flat technical drawings photos.)

ANYWAYS. That is just the tip of the iceberg on why I loved sewing up the Barrett Bralette DIY sewing project kit:

Now the kit that I ended up purchasing a few months back for the Barrett Bralette was the Metallic Blue & Black kit. Full disclosure: I'm not really a sparkly, metallic kind of girl. But Madalynne has this method of designing lingerie in such a way that I feel comfortable (and love) wearing what I would normally never wear.

With this particular project, it's the metallic sparkles that surprised me. And I absolutely LOVE it. I don't think I have ever owned another garment with sparkles on it in my life.

She did the same thing with the last DIY sewing project kit I sewed up--The 8711 pattern. This bra has ruffles along the bottom of it. And again, I'm not a ruffles kind of girl. Literally have never owned a single thing that has ruffles on it. And I loooove my sweet little ruffled bra.

(Not sure where to start when it comes to sewing DIY lingerie? Building your own sewing kit is an excellent place to begin. Grab your complete beginner’s guide below!)

So yes. Madalynne has this way of picking the perfectly right combination of fabrics for kits that I would never in my life pick for myself. And I love it! Which I think is a major reason she has me coming back to sew kit after kit.

Overall, the sewing for the Barrett Bralette was really pretty simple. There aren't a whole lot of pieces involved, and no real closure that has to be figured out. I think the most meticulous part of sewing the bralette up was making sure that the picot elastic was aligned properly along the edges.

This isn't difficult to do, you just need to watch your measurements a bit and go slowly. (At least I needed to!) But really. Just follow the instructions step by step..

I timed myself and had the entire project finished in 2 hours--And that's WITH taking photos while I was going. Also, I'm a pretty slow sewer, so if you are a bit on the faster side, you could definitely have this project done in under 2 hours.

I also love the fit of this bralette. The instructions suggested that if you are typically in between sizes to go up a size. I can typically wear both small & medium bralettes, so I opted in and went for the medium with this project. And I'm pretty glad I did--The fit is perfectly spot on.

Also. Yet another unusual, wonderful aspect of this DIY sewing project kit: The size range. The sizes for the Barrett Bralette range from XS-3XL. Which is pretty much UNHEARD OF. Usually a company will stick to the basic size range of XS-XL, or will stick to the sizes of 2XL+. And we really all are different sizes, so I love that Madalynne is tackling both sides of the sizing spectrum.

Overall, an excellent DIY sewing project kit, and HIGHLY recommended if looking to sew up some DIY lingerie for yourself. And stay tuned my friends, I'm hoping to have our own DIY kits out by the end of the month!

(Not sure where to start when it comes to sewing DIY lingerie? Building your own sewing kit is an excellent place to begin. Grab your complete beginner’s guide below!)