Make your own sexy lingerie at home!

Skills Learned:
Pattern making from preexisting garments
Sewing Lace
Serger
Zig-Zag stitch
Underwear
Elastic

I am trying to teach myself how to sew. I have found online tutorials and books to help me but none of them teach me what I want to learn, how I want to learn it. I want to learn how to make clothes - more importantly I want to make clothes that I'll actually wear. So I will be starting a series of sewing instructables called Learning How to Sew Carleyy's Way, it will start as individual instructables and eventually be compiled into a guide. Think of each of these instructables as individual lessons. Each 'lesson' will have a list of skills learned from completing that instructable. There are no rules as to what order I do these instructables, just what I want to learn for myself. So if you're following along to teach yourself to sew, work on the instructables that interest you. So keep checking into see what I am working on.

Step 1: Materials

1. Thick stretchy lace trim - the thickness depends on how short you want your underwear to be, to figure out length take your measurements (around your waist) and add about 15 inches, once you make your pattern you will know how long the lace needs to be. I'm a size 26 and my length was about 40 inches.

2. Sewing Machine - if you have access to a serger that would be helpful but not necessary, I used a sewing machine and serger for this project but I will tell you how you can use a sewing machine to do the sergers job

3. Clear Elastic - you will get the length from your pattern, but it shouldn't be any longer than then your waist size

4. Cotton/Jersey Fabric - this is for the crotch, you only need a few inches of this, just make sure you chose a fabric that will be comfortable down there.

5. Pattern Paper - this doesn't necessary have to be the kind sold at fabric stores, any paper will work.

6. Other Sewing Essentials - scissors, thread, seam ripper, pencil

Step 2: Mock Up

Suggestion

As with all garment making, before you make the final version make a mock up with a cheaper scrap fabric. This is especially important here because lace trim can be expensive.

Use a stretchy fabric so you get the same feel for what the real underwear will be like. I used this gold spandex.

Step 3: Pattern Making

The easiest way to make a pattern is to make it out of an old pair of underwear you don't use anymore. I ruined this lace pair in the laundry (be very careful when cleaning lace!)

Use a seam ripper to deconstruct your garment. Be very careful to not ruin the fabric.

Once you have all of the pieces taken apart, lie them flat on your pattern paper and pin them down. Trace the pieces with a pencil then remove the fabric pieces from the paper and cut out the pattern.

My underwear pattern has two pieces: larger pieces and crotch piece. The large piece will be cut out twice out of lace.

Your pattern may be different, but this pattern is a typical boy short pattern

Step 4: Cut Out Pattern

Cut larger pieces out of lace and the crotch piece out of the cotton/jersey.

Cutting Lace
Cut the two large pieces at one. Fold the lace in half and lie it over the pattern. The underside of the lace should be both facing up and touching the paper, and the top side of the lace should on the inside of the fold. Pin the lace to the pattern.

Don't cut along the two long edges (see picture), you want to preserve the natural edge of the lace in the trim, that's the point of buying thick lace trim instead of lace fabric. Cut only along the edges indicated in image.

Cut Crotch Piece
Cut out one crotch piece

Step 5: Sew One Side

Keep the two large pieces together in the same way they were cut - with the underside of the lace on the outside and the topside of the lace on the inside.

Only sew one side of the lace together. Look at my pieces to see where I sewed - pin and sew where the pins are placed.. Use the serger to sew along the pinned edges. If you don't have a serger use the zig-zag stitch on your regular sewing machine to sew these edges together. Let the stitch hang over the edge just a bit.

If you use the serger - leave a couple inches of thread at both ends of where you stitched. Take a wide-eyed needle and run the thread through. Then thread it back through where you stitched (about an inch) and snip off the extra thread.

Step 6: Insert Elastic

As you can see in the image, after sewing one edge unfold the lace lay the attached pieces flat on the table with the underside of the lace facing up. Attach the clear elastic about 1/2" from the waist edge of the lace (see image) by pinning it down on the underside of the lace.

As you pin it down stretch the elastic slightly. This will make sure the underwear is snug around your waist.

Go to your sewing machine and use the zig-zag stitch to attach the elastic to the lace. Pull the elastic slightly as you sew.

Step 7: Finish Sewing

Fold the lace back together so the underside of the lace is on the outside. Sew the other edge together in the same manner you sewed the first edge (look at image to see which edges should be sewn together).

Adjust the lace so the two seams are down the center of the garment (see image). Sew the last edge at the crotch.

Now all of the lace is sewn so its time to do the crotch.

Step 8: Insert Liner

Cut out a small rectangular crotch piece. Use serger or zig-zag stitch around edges of crotch fabric before sewing in underwear.

Place the piece in the crotch of the garment and use the zig-zag stitch to attach the cotton piece to the lace.

and VUALA you have your own hand made sexy underwear. This was my first time doing this and I think my new underwear looks just as good as if I bought them at Victoria Secret