Guest Post: Maddie from Madalynne

Maddie's on the blog today! 

She has a wonderful sewing blog that must be bookmarked in your resource library right now!

Following our post on how silk is made by Gabby, we asked Maddie to help us on how to actually sew this beautiful fabric. Which if you have ever attempted, you know it can be a real hot mess! 

Try her tips below, and if you have any questions please comment on this post or send us an email.

We would love to help you get answers.

Hi, my name is Maddie Flanigan and I am the blogger behind Madalynne, the cool sewing and pattern making blog. If Steve McQueen was the “King of Cool,” then Madalynne is the “Queen of Cool.” My blog covers everything from how to draft a sloper to interviews with independent pattern makers/designers and what projects I’m working on. For the past two and a half years, my day job has been in the technical design department for a very large fashion company in Philadelphia. A couple of months ago, this company took note of my personal blog and asked me to start an Internet blog that would create a cohesive voice for all their brands. Cool, right? I consider myself one lucky gal to be able to do what I love both day and night (blog and sew), not to mention I receive a stellar discount off some really fancy clothes.

Enough about me though, let’s talk about silk.

Silk can be a disaster or a beauty. It can be sinuous and smooth or pucker like no other. It’s all up to you and how much TLC you give the fabric. Below, I have listed my tips on handling and sewing silk. Each point is super important but the most important thing to remember when sewing silk is patience. If you find yourself impatient or rushing at any point, step back, take a break or sleep on it, and come back to the project. Silk needs time and care and when you give it, you’re project will be epic.

Maddie is a big fan of using muslin underneath her silk when cutting out her pattern. She pins right onto the muslin so it prevents the silk from slipping around while she's cutting. 

What a great tip!

We sell muslin too! So the next time you order silk, think about adding a few yards of muslin to your order. 

We suggest using your cut out muslin pieces as a sample run of the garment you will be making prior to sewing on your actual fabric to check sizing and prevent as many expensive mistakes as possible.

Silk is not as daunting as before now, right? We hope so! Give it a try!

Shop our silks here.

Don't forget your muslin!