If you decide to sew your own underwear, two things will happen for sure –
1. You will never be short of fresh underwear and
2. You will always have the cloth to sew them with – You can recycle those old t-shirts which were anyway destined for the junkyard.
The patterns and tutorials listed below make sewing them so easy that you will never have to shop for ready-made underwear again.
Related post : Underwear names for ladies.
What do you need for sewing underwear
Cotton Jersey: Breathable and sturdy. You can also reuse cotton jersey material from your old t-shirts.
Stretch Lace (Fabric): Usually made of nylon and spandex/lycra. It comes in wide yardage with a consistent repeat, making it easy to lay out pattern pieces.
Galloon Lace: A specific type of lace trim that features decorative scalloped edges on both sides. While usually too narrow for full garments, “extra wide” versions can be used if the pattern pieces fit.
Lightweight Jersey: A great alternative for those who prefer natural fibers.
Spandex blends like Rayon Lycra Jersey: Offers a soft drape and excellent stretch. Choose blends with at least 5–8% spandex (elastane) for proper stretch.
Satin: This is used for luxury underwear
Stretch Mesh: A sheer, breathable synthetic option that provides a modern look.
Trims :
Standard elastic ; Elastic Lace Trim: Elastic lace trim is also known as stretch lace trim. It functions like elastic but looks like lace. Fold over elastic : A soft, stretchable elastic that folds over fabric edges, providing both finish and stretch. Look for “lingerie-grade” trims to ensure they are soft against the skin.
Suppose you feel slightly more adventurous, skip the knit fabrics or old t-shirts and sew them in satin. If you are more advanced in sewing, use spandex fabric.
Some points to remember when sewing with underwear fabric
- Wash the fabric before sewing if it is new, as some fabrics may shrink after the first wash.
- Use a ballpoint needle only. Stretchy fabric will be damaged if you sew with normal sewing needles.
- Do not stretch as you sew (you may have a tendency to do that because of the nature of the cloth), as this will make your garment skewed.
- If it is available in your machine, do reduce the pressure of your presser foot. These stretchy and delicate materials behave better under less pressure.
Stitch settings
- Use a very small seam allowance (1/4 inch and lesser) as more will cause bulking up. Use a straight stitch foot to sew this narrow 1/4 seam allowance seams when sewing underwear. If you use the zig zag foot, there is a chance for the seam stitching to go haywire.
- Use a narrow and short zigzag when sewing the seams for it to be strong . Different elastics and lace weights require different “densities” of stitches, so you will have to adjust the width of your zig zag stitch according to the material you have chosen to sew.
- 3-Step (Triple) Zig-Zag is a better stitch to use when sewing the stretchy fabrics. It’s the ideal stitch for attaching elastic to waistbands or legs because it distributes the tension across more thread. It is also the most efficient in preventing the “tunneling” effect common with the wider stitches in your sewing machine.
DIY UNDERWEAR Patterns and tutorials
Lace & Designer Styles
Rosy Ladyshorts Pattern
A well-drafted pattern with detailed instructions, ideal for intermediate sewists looking for a polished finish.
Lace Bandeau Knickers tutorial
The author says it took her just 10 minutes to sew it up , but I cannot believe it – it is so very beautiful it cannot be so easy to sew.astic, picot edging, and fold-over elastic. Very much needed info if you want to sew the underwear.
Lacy Underwear
Free Undies pattern
Free patterns and clear instructions to sew them with – what more do you want to start sewing.
Beginner friendly underwear tutorials
Sewing underwear
This very generous blogger has written very clear instructions on how to make underwear with patterns to make it in your size.
Easy panty tutorial
You can make the pattern for your underwear yourself – A very inventive method of making the pattern.
Lace edges for panties
A great detailed tutorial about using stretch lace on the edges instead of elastic
Sewing underwear – 2T/3T size
Sewing cute underwear from old
Simple Bikini
Panties pattern
Panties pattern
Sew your own panties
Make your own panties
Make your own panty tutorial
Panty tutorial
A very detailed tutorial that tells us how to reverse engineer old underwear to make the new pattern – this one is my favorite. You will surely want to start making them fast.
Tutorial : Sewing panties
This tutorial gives us all we should know about sewing elastic
Hip hugger pants pattern
Panties -Free pattern
Clear instructions to make your own underwear pattern to suit your size from an old underwear
Hanty
As the name suggests, these are Panties made from Handkerchiefs; so many possibilities.
Bikini Pants tutorial
Boxer Sewing tutorials
Simple boxer tutorial
This is a simple and easy-to-sew – a boxer pattern that can be adapted for girls.
Child Boxer
This one is a pattern for a 5-6 year old’s boxers.
Thongs Pattern
Free Hipster Pattern
Beautiful pattern to sew hipsters . A must ‘save’ in your pattern folder – this one is free, cannot believe it.
Related posts : List of different innerwear : How to select lingerie ; What is hosiery
Make a simple men’s BOXER SHORTS with a concealed button placket ; How to sew shorts
Do check out this detailed article on sewing with knit with just a regular sewing machine. You can also ceck out the post on the knitted fabrics for you to make all these.
Related posts
Related posts : Best fabric for sewing underwear; Make easy string panties; How to measure for buying a Bra
