Lacy Un-Mentionables

Intro: Lacy Un-Mentionables

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

Comments

[sshelter]

I really like this one. Will def have to try it. Thanks

[Carleyy]

Awesome!

[LittleBrightSparks]

So cute! Looks like Victoria Secret. Will have to try!

[marichello712]

nice

[kittersplat]

"Carleyy's" is correct, 's can denote ownership. "Carleyys' " would be ownership by several people named Carleyy.

[FlatLinerMEDIC]

Who cares let the girl be ambitious!

[LittleMonkeyMojo]

Or possession by someone whose name is Carleyys, in the same way you'd say Chris' Car or Jesus' Disciples rather than Chris's Car or Jesus's Disciples.

[FlatLinerMEDIC]

I love this instructable Im going to try it out!

[steveastrouk]

Nice instructable, that last word is VOILA,

[spasysheep]

I originally misread it as VULVA

[FlatLinerMEDIC]

hahahahhahahahahhahahhahahahahha
hahahha
hahahha
ahahha
sorry.

[steveastrouk]

So did I !!!

[PKM]

Me too... comes from reading the word "crotch" many more times in quick succession than I normally would :$

[TheMadTinker]

In fact, "Carleyy's way" can mean *either* "Carleyy is way" or "the way possessed by Carleyy." Apostrophes indicate either possession or contraction. See chapter 36 of *The Bedford Handbook.*

[Phil B]

Congratulations on wanting to learn to sew your own clothing. My wife began sewing on an old treadle machine when she was quite young. She is largely self-taught and won a machine at her home state's state fair. During our 41 years of marriage she has made many of my clothes as well as those for our children. Naturally she makes most of her own clothing. She has also done a lot of sewing for other people. I have a practical question. Lacey materials would seem to me to be rougher against the skin than more common materials. I would think they are a little uncomfortable. Or, is it simply "worth it" to wear something that makes you feel prettier and more feminine?

[Nynaeve]

There are many styles of lacy fabrics that are not at all rough, and are, in fact, quite soft and smooth to the touch, so whether or not it is "worth it" would be irrelevant, in many cases. If the person chooses a rougher fabric though, then it becomes a choice to be a little uncomfortable in order to "look more feminine", as with many high heeled shoes! Not to mention, most of the discomfort would occur only had she left out the crotch liner! With the right fabric, these would be soft, comfortable, and breathable. HTH!

[Kinnishian]

I think people wear it when they want to. The simple act of making it for herself kind of shows that it's her choice.

[dhellew2]

Everyone can learn. I don't remember when I started but I do remember my first project completed entirely by myself. I was 6-years old and I made a baby dress for my newborn cousin. She still has the dress. That was 52-years ago, and yes it was on a treadle sewing machine. Later when I was in the navy I was on a destroyer and there were no facilities to sew on stripes, etc. I bought a slant-needle Singer sewing machine (which I still have), had it shipped to me on the ship, and earned enough to pay for it in less than a year. The Navy had a habit of giving rank and other awards at sea and you could not go ashore until you sewed on the new ones. I also tailored clothes and on a few occasions made clothes for the guy's wives, including maternity dresses. My actual job was an electrician.

[Kryptonite]

Nice job, not sure I'd make them myself but at least you're teachng yourself how to sew, what you want to sew.

[Lithium Rain]

Great, now I'm picturing a camel with these on...