For years I have tried to sew underwear but always without success. I have used different patterns and tried to copy RTW underwear. Often the fit was not as I expected and they all looked ugly as I, of course, used knit scraps for my attempts. This was my biggest mistake, as the fabric I used was in most cases just not the right one.
After discovering “Cloth Habit” everything has changed. I have read through the blog for a few weeks now and learned so much about lingerie sewing and the different fabrics and how to sew on the elastics. Amy explains on her blog how to take into account the stretch factor of fabric and, most importantly, on her patterns is indicated what kind of fabric they are designed for.
I decided to try the “Ladyshorts“, the free pattern from Cloth Habit. I made a muslin first with a fabric that did have the 60-70% stretch as needed. It did look ugly. But I looked beyond the ugliness and found that the fit was good. So I ordered some nice lace and different trims and sewed four different Ladyshorts.
I am so happy with the result. They do not only fit well, they also look nice.
The only issue I have with the pattern is the crotch lining. Next time I will make it wider so that it is the same width as the front piece. I am not sure how to sew the overlap of the lace trim. The first version is sewn as the pattern instruction tell you: first make a circle with the trim and then sew it on to the shorts.
I found the seam a bit bulky and for the other versions I did not close the trim before. However, the overlap is not as neat as I wished it to be.
Maybe the better method is as the instructions tells you and probaby I just need some more practice to get it right. Next time I will pay more attention to match the scallops of the lace.
The instructions also explain what to do when your fabric has less or more stretch than the 60-70% the pattern is designed for. This is one of the lessons I learned: always find out the percent of the fabric’s stretch. This will influence the fit considerably.
The great thing about sewing lingerie is that the pieces are small and you do not need much time. AND you can search for all those nice laces and other stuff…You will definetively see more lingerie on this blog in the future!
