Doctor T Designs

Although I’ve been quite happy with the Bra Makers manuals and the Bare Essentials drafting books I’ve been using, when the new Sew Lingerie! book by Maddie Kulig came out, I wanted to get it because it’s been getting a lot of buzz in the undergarment sewing sub-sphere of the internet. I recently read through it, and though I haven’t tried any of the patterns yet, I thought it might be worth a quick review.

Sew Lingerie!

The Sew Lingerie! book is available through C&T Publishing. The first part of the book contains a brief history of lingerie, defines terminology of different styles and parts of lingerie, discusses fabrics and notions for sewing lingerie, reviews some basic techniques for sewing lingerie, and finally goes over some techniques to alter patterns for a better, more customized fit. The second part of the book contains QR codes for eleven different patterns for various types of underwear, bras, and swim and bodysuits. Finally, the book wraps up with a very quick chapter on nursing and mastectomy bras and using cut and sew foam.

For the first section of the book, I think there is definitely some helpful, if somewhat basic, information. I did appreciate the visual style and terminology guide, and I think if there was someone who was new to sewing lingerie this would be a good introduction. I think if you already have a decent grasp on how to sew lingerie, there won’t be a lot new in this book. Between Beverly Johnson’s Bra Makers Manuals, the Porcelynne Bare Essentials books, and Sew Lingerie! this probably won’t be my first stop if I need to look something up, because it’s just a bit basic for where I am at this point. I do think if you didn’t have any other lingerie sewing resources though and were interested in getting started, the front information would be a decent place to start. The fitting section covers the most common type of fit adjustments, though not in as much depth as the other books I have on this topic.

I haven’t tried any of the patterns yet, so it’s not entirely fair to review them, but what I will say is that I can see the logic of how the designs were selected and organized in this book. There’s definitely a leveling-up as you go from one pattern to the next; the first pattern is the most basic type of underwear, which then levels up to include a keyhole feature and then overlapping lace designs. The styles of the underwear also range from full coverage to a thong, so there’s definitely a “something for everyone” approach to the pattern selection. For the bra patterns, there are several bralettes, which also scale in complexity from a pull-on bralette to a front closure bralette to a full underwire bra and finally a full coverage style bra and a different style sports bra. The swim and bodysuit patterns add additional complexity with v-wires and combining top and bottom pieces, and the final Godiva underwire bodysuit pattern actually looks fairly complex to construct (relatively speaking). A large portion of this book is dedicated to providing step-by-step instructions for these patterns, which have to be downloaded as PDF using the QR codes contained in the book. When considering the cost of most bra patterns, if you plan to make several of these projects it certainly makes the book a great value since it comes with the option to download so many patterns. The panty patterns range in size from 23″-49″ waist and 33″-59″ hip, which is a pretty decent range. The bra patterns range from a 28-44 band size (28″-46″ ribcage) and a 28″-50″ full bust measurement, and the swim patterns are of course a combination of these size ranges. One thing I think the book does well is to use a diverse group of models to showcase the designs; it is very helpful to see the finished patterns on different body types to understand how the patterns are supposed to fit.

Unfortunately, the final section on nursing, mastectomy, and foam bras feels a bit like an afterthought. It’s a quick chapter that goes over some basic topics, but tells the reader to look at ready to wear and use that as inspiration for sewing your own versions of these more complex projects. I think these are the sorts of topics that are actually much more complex than the rest of the material of this book, so I almost wish it had been a bit more of a “these things exist but are beyond the scope of this book” approach, which would have felt less random, or that these topics had been included in the introductory materials as it wouldn’t have felt as shoved in at the end.

Despite my criticisms, overall I think this is a good book if you are new to lingerie sewing or if you are particularly drawn to the patterns contained in the book. However, I don’t know if this is the book I would recommend to someone who is a bit farther along with their lingerie sewing skills. I think some of the information is just a bit basic compared to some of the other books I’ve gotten on this topic, so in that sense I think it really depends what your goals are to see if this is the right book. If you want to draft a pattern, make advanced alterations, or have much more in-depth instructions about working with patterns for nursing or mastectomy bras, I’d go with a different book. But if you want a solid introduction to the topic of sewing lingerie and have some patterns included at a very reasonable price, this book is great. Most of the bra patterns do not utilize an underwire, so in that sense I do think this book might be of more interest if you are particularly interested in bralette patterns as opposed to something more structural. Perhaps I’m just getting old, but I think the book would be perfect for a younger audience who would be more likely to want to sew and wear the bralette styles in the book. If you want to sew super supportive undergarments, the options in this book are a bit more limited. Personally, I wasn’t originally planning to sew many of these patterns, though I do find they are growing on me. I’d actually like to try modifying my self-drafted underwear pattern to try some of the more advanced options presented in this book, and I’d be open to trying some of the bra styles as well. I’m sure I will come back to this book as a source of inspiration and to look at the included patterns, but I don’t think this will be my go-to lingerie sewing reference guide. I think if I were just starting this would be an amazing resource, but since I have already read several more advanced books, this book feels a bit basic. I’m still happy to have read it and I’m glad to have it in my collection, but I do think this is a book I will recommend more for beginners and those who specifically want to make the patterns in the book, rather than as a must-have general reference.