This tutorial will take you, step by step, through the process of making underwear that fit you perfectly and look great too. You can click on any of the photos in each step to enlarge them (which will make reading the text on some of them much easier). Please use this pattern for personal use only, and feel free to link back to this post.
As always, I encourage you to Contact Me if you have any questions throughout the process, I love to hear from you!!
Supplies:
- 1/2 yard of jersey fabric (up to 1 yard for larger sizes) – It is really hard to find cute jersey, so feel free to repurpose old t-shirts, pajamas or whatever jersey you can find!
- 2 yard of stretch lace trim (up to 2.5 yards for larger sizes)
- 1 pair of retired cotton (jersey) panties to become your pattern
- 1 small piece of 100% cotton fabric for lining
- ballpoint needles (for sewing through jersey)
- thread to match
Create the Pattern:
Start with your favorite pair of underwear that have seen better days, these will be referred to as the “pattern underwear”:
1. Cut off elastic waistband and elastic legbands from the underwear (set these aside for later use):
2. Cut off lining (no need to use a seam ripper):
3. Cut along sides of panties (follow the seam lines).
4. Cut along bottom seam to create 3 separate pattern pieces (Note: some underwear will differ from mine below, if that’s the case you may need to add a 4th pattern piece and adjust the steps accordingly):
5. Find the center line of the front and back pieces and mark it in pen. Fold the pattern underwear in half along this seam. Fold your pattern paper in half and match fold lines. You will be tracing your pattern on the fold so as to create a symmetric pattern piece:
6. Before cutting, determine how stretchy your jersey is. If it has about the same stretchiness as your pattern underwear, trace your pattern to the same size as the pattern underwear, but add a ½ inch seam allowance all around. If it has less stretch than your pattern underwear, consider tracing your pattern a bit larger than your pattern underwear (also add ½” seam allowance). If it has much more stretch than your pattern underwear, consider tracing your pattern a bit smaller than your pattern underwear (also add ½” seam allowance).
7. To create the lining pattern piece, make your pattern the exact same size as the lower part of the front piece, yet keep the length the same as the piece you cut from your pattern underwear.
You have now created your pattern!
Cut Pattern from Fabric:
8. Cut out your pattern pieces from your fabric – take care to place the patterns on the fabric so that they will stretch the most from side to side rather than top to bottom. I use a rotary cutter for this, but if you are using scissors, be sure to pin well before cutting. For the sake of hygiene, if the jersey fabric you are using for the panties is not 100% cotton, you should cut the lining piece out of fabric that is.
9. At this point you can serge with a rolled hem around all of the pieces, but this is not necessary, since jersey will not fray and all edges will be covered by the lace. If you do decide to do this, do not yet serge around inside leg edges.
10. Finish the short end (marked in orange below) of the lining piece as this will be exposed on the inside of the panties. You can do this by serging, or by folding down a narrow hem and stitching it in place:
Construct the Panties:
11. Place your pattern pieces on your workspace in the following order, lining the bottom edge (as pictured below):
-Front Piece, right side up
-Bottom Piece, right side down
-Lining, right side down, long edge on bottom
Stitch along the bottom edge (marked in orange) using a ½” seam allowance. Use a stretch stitch or a zig zag stitch.
12. Fold lining up towards front and iron it down:
Using a zig zag stitch, sew down the lining to the front side on the two sides (marked in orange). Alternatively, you can hold the lining in place by serging the leg edges, if you like:
13. Lay your stretch lace trim out next to the leg band of elastic that you removed from your pattern pieces. Cut your lace trim to the same length:
14. Pin the two ends of the lace to both ends of one leg opening, with the lace sitting directly on top of the right side of the fabric. Pin the center of the lace to the center of the seam:
15. Using a zig zag stitch, stretch the trim so that it sits straight onto the fabric (see my demo video posted below). You will be stitching it in place in two places: first along the innermost edge of the lace and then on the part of the lace that touches the raw edge of the fabric (this is made more clear in the video):
Here is a video where I demo how to sew the stretch lace onto the underwear:
16. Repeat for the other leg:
17. Lay your stretch lace trim out next to the waist band of elastic that you removed from your pattern pieces. Cut your lace trim to the same length:
18. Pin the two ends of lace to both ends of the back piece waist line, and once in the middle, with the lace sitting directly on top of the right side of the fabric:
19. Using a zig zag stitch, stretch the trim so that it sits straight onto the fabric (see video above). Again, you will be stitching it in place in two places: first along the innermost edge of the lace and then on the part of the lace that touches the raw edge of the fabric.
20. Repeat for the front waist band:
21. Bring the front and back pieces together, right sides together. stitch along the two side seams (marked in orange), using a ½ inch seam allowance. If your front and back pieces aren’t exactly the same size at the sides, that is OK, just stretch the smaller side to make them even.
22. Turn them inside out and admire your adorable new panties! Now you know how to make underwear! Be sure to keep your pattern and make any adjustments needed so that the next time you make them they will be just as lovely.
_________________________
CLOSED: Giveaway!!!!
I’m going to giveaway enough jersey and matching stretch lace trim for one winner to make a pair of these panties! Just leave a comment to be entered (if you’ve already commented then you have entered). You can receive one more entry for following my blog or letting me know you already do (leave another comment). I’ll pick a winner next Wednesday, March 17th. Good luck!!
This is awesome!!! You even have a YouTube video?!
Yay, thanks Sarah! I’ll have to give this a try. Yours are so cute it makes me want my own!
Love the tutorial! Seriously guys, it is so easy! I’ve made 3 now. The first took about an hour, and then the next about 30 minutes each including making the pattern. I tried a few different underwear patterns to see which I liked best. I definently had to adjust for stretch. The fabric I used wasn’t very stretchy so I added about an inch to the waist. Thanks Sarah! Victoria’s Secret, watch out!
Love this!
oooh, fun! i need to get my hands on some awesome stretch lace… any tips?
Hey Ramona! YES! There is actually a link in the “supplies” list of the tutorial for the “Stretch Lace Trim” that I used. I bought it from laceheaven.com and it worked perfectly! Good luck!
oooooooh…… LOOOOOOVE all the colors!!!!
thanks for the awesome tutorial!
omg you make this look so easy!
Wow! Great tutorial!!!
This is fantastic! Thank you for the detailed and clear instructions with photos!
this is a great tute! amen to Victoria Secret watch out!
I’ve been asking my friend to make me a pair of hot pant panties forever. Now I can just do it myself! Woot! thanks!
You have no idea how excited I am about this tutorial! (perhaps a bit too excited? Nah.) This is great. Thank you!
You made that look so easy I think I just might make some too!
Wow! I cannot wait to try this on a pair of my old favorites that I can’t fine more of anymore!
This is an awesome tutorial. I’ve been searching for underwear tutorials but, as a novice sewer, I found a lot of them hard to follow. This is not the case with yours.
I’m so pleased I decided to follow Sew Mama Sew on Facebook, else I’d never have found this. Thanks!
I love this! But then, I love having more underwear than I could ever need. This is, naturally, right up my alley.
What a great tutorial! I’ve been wanting to make my own panties for a while now. I’m definitely going to share this with my friends!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one making my own underwear! I just made a pair for my potty training toddlers as well.
Oooh that’s so awesome! Thanks for sharing! And thanks for the giveaway!
nice! I have been wanting to make panties- this is perfect!!!!
So cute! I am gonna have to give that a whirl. Thanks!
Well isn’t that something! Can’t wait to give it a try! I’ll be adding my name to your following as well!
Oh my goodness. You have no idea, I’ve been plotting making my own underwear for so long now!! Just haven’t gotten around to it, and my favorite ones are SO threadbare, because I refuse to buy them ever again–I am SO tired of them falling apart after a couple months.
LOVE this!
oh oh I hope I win! I love this idea!! <3 thanks for sharing a fantastic tutorial!!
These are too darling. I have never made my own underwear but you make it look easy.
Nice! Thanks for the instructions!!
This is fantastic! I love the idea of using an old shirt to recycle the fabric. Thanks for the great tutorial.
These are so cute! I’ve seen other people make them and I want to give it a try too. Now to find a pair of undies to retire….
These are so adorable! I can’t wait to try this. Thanks so much for the awesome tutorial!
Wondering if I can make it if I go really rrreeeaaaalllly slow through the instructions. I hate it when my favorite style gets tired and I can’t find some to replace them.
Thanks!
I am differently going to add this to my list of “thing to make myself” i just got this fabulous pair panties that fit just right and thought i wish i had more…this may be the answer.
This is a wonderful tutorial. My only difficulty is that I like boy shorts the best but have some difficulty finding ones that would be good to make a pattern out of. Any thoughts?
Hey Rebecca!
I think this same exact technique can definitely be used for making boy shorts! I did a quick search on American Eagle’s website (which is my favorite place to buy comfy undies that fit perfect) and found these: http://www.ae.com/aerie/browse/product.jsp?catId=cat520011&productId=prod5380087. They would be perfect for making a pattern because it looks like they are constructed from 3 main pieces, just like mine are (a front, a back and a lining). I would encourage you to just go for us and start cutting them apart following the seam lines. You should then be able to create a pattern by adding your seam allowances and sewing it back together as my tutorial instructs. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
Thank you for making it look so simple. I can’t wait to try it out.
These are so cute! Just think, never having to buy underwear again–now all we need is a bra-making tutorial…
Haha, sorry I can’t provide that! At least not yet….maybe some day!
I LOVE the idea. How many of us have favorite underwear that’s worn, and you can never seem to find another pair that’s as comfortable?!
How fun is this! Thanks for the simple tutorial. I can’t wait to try this.
Brilliant…just brilliant!
Thanks! I think I’ll have to try this!
Thanks for posting this!
Wow I may have to give this a try, much better than the $9 to $16 I spend now.
Wow! Thank you so much for this great tutorial! I will definitely have to make these.
You are so very clever! Thank you I will have to give it a go, I may even try it for my kiddo’s.
Wow – this is one of the most creative craft-blog posts I’ve seen! So glad I found your blog through One Pretty Thing.
I would love to try this!
Brilliant! Thanks so much for this. I love that you use your own favourite undies for a pattern. I’m going to try this out this afternoon.
Thank you SOOO much for your amazing tutorial! Can’t wait to try it out this weekend.
woohoo! new undies, yeah! what gal doesn’t ♥ that!!??!!
I have these awesome panties that are beginning to wear out and I can’t find the same type now. You may have found a solution to my perfect pantie problem! Thanks!
So awesome!
Wow! That’s great!
This is something I have been wanting to try. Now that I’ve found your tutorial, I will. Thank you.
I’m a follower!
wow, how fun! love the idea of making more of a favorite pair!
Ok, ok. I’ve been afraid of doing this, but your tutorial makes me feel less afraid. I’ll try it this week!
Thanks for the tutorial! Cam has tons of old t-shirts from his uber-skinny days (even accounting for the recent weight loss) so I think I’ll be poaching them to make panties!
I already follow your blog, too!
Thnking you so much for the awesome giveaway.
I find as a mum Im the last on the list, if it’s sewing or buying of any clothes.
It’s so nice to see a pattern for women, and to have a giveaway with it.
Good luck all.
I’ve seen a couple other tutorials on making knickers but none inspired me. This, however, actually makes me want to go out and buy some jersey material and stretchy lace.
Coincidentally, as Autumn’s approaching, there are some lovely new jersey fabrics hitting the fabric stores now…at last I have a reason to buy some.
Thanks so much for sharing!
I’ll just have to find the right fabric, now…
Thanks for sharing this tutorial !!
Hahaha…what comes around again! You’ve made it look SO easy, great job.
Stretch-n-Sew was a line of patterns “back in the day” (70′s) where I learned to make undies, camisoles and swimsuits. Camisoles were SO easy!!
I love your tuitorial, and may try my hand at this again, your suggestion to use T-shirts is brilliant!
PS..Good to use a ball-point needle when sewing knits, it will yield a better product by not piercing the threads. The pointy one works, but the ball-point will make you even happier! 8^)
You’re totally right! Thanks for the reminder about ballpoint needles, I always use them when I sew with jersey, but I totally forgot to add that to the supplies list. Thanks!
Great tutorial! I have always been nervous about making underpants but I am excited to try this. Thanks for the giveaway too!
What a good idea! I want to make underwear! Love it.
I love them! The stripes are awesome!
OMG! I was actually thinking about making matching panties for this short dress I made! Thanks!
This is fabulous! I had tried this a few months ago, but had trouble with the elastic — but your photos & videos make so much sense! I am going to have to get some stretch lace & use your method. ‘
I’m so excited for these! I have even been saving some old 70′s stripey t-shirts that would make some amazing panties. Maybe I’ll have to find some orange or avocado lace to go with it!
This has been on my next project list for a while. Just need some elastic and away I go!
I’ve always wanted to try this!
Oh these are so cute and seem so easy to make! Thanks for the tutorial and the opportunity to win!
What a great tutorial and fun giveaway! Thanks for sharing this! Looking forward to trying this! Becoming a follower now, too!
many thanks, this is something I have always wanted to try. a great way to repurpose old t’s and such.
I am so excited. I have been wanting to make my own panties for years and just never tried. Now I will. Thank you.
Can’t wait to try this. Thanks for the tutorial!
Never thought to make my own panties… Looks super easy though
Wow you make it look so easy! I would love to win and give it a whirl! Thanks for the opportunity!
Great looking tutorial. Thanks for doing this. I love your blog.
Wow, you make it look so easy. What a fun project I like that stretch lace is used around the leg openings. I’m putting this on my to do list and I’ll be on the lookout for some jersey knit fabric . Thanks for the great tutorial and the giveaway.
Very nice! This is a fun project to upcycle t-shirts or sweaters as well.
Great tutorial and adorable undies. Thanks so much
Thanks for the video about sewing down the lace. Most helpful!!!
Great tutorial – I can’t wait to try it out.
I’m a new subscriber to your blog as well.
now to find some cool tshirts to repurpose! How fun! Thanks for the tutorial… am bookmarking it now!
These are awesome! Where do you source your stretch lace trim?
Hi Sally, these come from Lace Heaven. If you look at the “Supplies” list on the tutorial, you will find a link to the exact items I ordered. They work great!!
You make this look so easy! I can’t wait to try it out. Thank you!
WOWIE! Can’t WAIT to try making these! Thank you for such a clear tutorial
Love these! They are “SEW” cute! Gonna have to make some! thanks for the tutorial!
I am so excited! Just yesterday I was mourning a pair of favorite-but-dying underwear. Wonder about making a ‘sexy’ pair out of my grandma’s old satin gown.
yay! another project that will re-purpose some of those t-shirts I can bear to part with!
Being a big girl and shaped oddly, I think this is the best tutorial ever. When I find a pair of underwear that fit, I don’t have to panic about buying all the pairs I can.
thank you so much! I have been looking for a good undies tutorial!
Man! You made it seem so easy, I want to give it a try! Thanks for the awesome tutorial!
Perfect! I was having a hard time finding this particular design I had in mind… now i can make my own. Thanks!
Oh, and I’m followingthis blog through google reader.
This actually looks so easy, even for this sewing newbie! I’d love to give this a try!
This is so fantastic! Honestly, I’ve been sewing for 30 years and NEVER thought about sewing my own panties. Now my thoughts are racing wondering how much jersey I can find tucked into my stash!
Tks.
The thought to make my own underwear had NEVER crossed my mind! And now I can’t wait to try it!
Well, I’ve never thought of sewing my own panties before, but this tutorial has me considering doing so. It’s so darn easy!
Hi and thanks.
Just yesterday, I embroidered a flower on a pair of my favorite panties, but I didn’t get it centered quite right. So, now I’ll be able to make my own panties and embroider whatever I want on them, before sewing them together.
Thank you so much.
What an awesome tutorial. Thanks for sharing it.
These are SO neat! i’m am eager to make some for my granddaughter. Thanks.
This is a very clear and easy to follow tutorial. Thank you for making it.
Love the tutorial! I can’t wait to try it out!
I am now a follower! Thanks for all of the creative ideas!
Thanks Sarah, for explaining this so well. especially the point of matching stretch values. i have real problems finding panties to fit at all, so the few pairs that do are like gold and it is a tragedy when they are consigned to dusting duty! I will try this with the very next pair. Are you planning a gallery of readers sucesses? Pegged out on the line of course…
Yes, ever since my favorite pair was discontinued I have worn the same ones just about as long as I can at this point. Now I can make a pattern and do my own. My husband teases me that if I was ever in an accident and they saw my panties he wouldn’t be able to show his face around town anymore. They aren’t thaaaaat bad, really
. Love it.
Fabulous directions – sew clear! I have some cotton bamboo knit that has been just waiting for directions to make panties! Now I can go ahead. Thanks so much – I will be making these this very afternoon! Liz
Oooh, I love this! I was just looking through my panties this morning thinking how I need some new ones!! Love it!
Oh, and I’m a new follower!
I love this!! I have been thinking of trying my hand at an intimates line…this will be good practice for me!
I can’t wait to try this! I’ve never made under garments, but now I know it’s really possible, even for me!
Great tutorial! I really need to do this!!!
Sarah,
Thank you for this tutorial. It looks as simple to do this as I suspected it was. Just yesterday I was wondering if I should sacrifice a pair of my panties to try to figure this out. Now that I have some instruction, I think I can manage to do it without destroying every pair of underwear I own!
Almost forgot about this idea. Made a few in the 70′s and got great fabric from Munsingware in Mpls. MN.
Wonder if they still have all those great scraps,?,they would make great panties!
Mahalo (Thanks) a bunch for this tutorial. Will be making some this weekend. Always wanted to do, but with this step by step instructions, definitely can’t go wrong.
I think I would actually make some undies is I won your giveaway. Well…I may make some anyway! Thanks for the inspiration!
Great tutorial – Thanks! Great detail and explaination… I am going digging in my stash!
Very clear instructions. Thanks!
I totally checked out the tutorial. With Easter coming up I am going to have to bookmark this one to do after Easter is all done. Very good idea, and I love that it has very little material and we all already own a pattern.
thanks for the tute and the video. the instructions were very easy to follow thanks
Wow! This looks so easy! I am going to try this! Thank you for the step by step instructions!
Fabulous tutorial. How fun and how much cheaper! WOW!! thanks for the link to fabric.com. I’ve been looking for some nice jersey to make my girls some fun summer dresses. If off to “follow” you.
This is amazing and so easy when explained as you did!
thanx
I’ve been making underwear for a few weeks — easy, quick, and fun. Just found some fold over elastic and plan to try it out this afternoon.
I’m now a follower!
Excellent tut! I am always short on underwear, and can never find any cute ones in-store, so I can’t wait to try this out!
I really want to try this, since I have no underwear that I really like the fit of. I’ll have to experiment a bit, but that’s okay. I’m looking for material NOW!
You make it look easy. Never really thought about making my own undies, but these are really cute!
~Jenny~
thank you so much for the tutorial for making panties. I do alot of sewing and I have never made underwear. Now I want to do that now.
I always wanted to try to do this (make underwear) but thought it would be too hard. Thanx for making it sew simple! I think I can do it, and by following your instructions, I’m pretty sure they won’t be uncomfortable to wear. Kudos to you, and thanx again!
I like and definitely going to try it! I was already searching for something like this en see here it is.
Thanks
My family has laughed at me for making my own panties and I’m so glad to see I’m not the only one! I too made a pattern from my favorites that are now a discontinued pattern. One thing I do differently, is that I cut the pattern in one piece; front and back still attached at the crotch. In other words, I only cut the side seams and then folded the panties out to make a pattern. I love the visuals – awesome tutorial!
Would love to win! Thanks for the giveaway!
this is the best tutorial i’ve found. i’m going to see about making some without the cute lace-elastic … well, unless i win your giveaway!
here’s hoping! thanks for the tutorial! <3
I love this tutorial! Now I just need to find some fabric I LOVE to make lots of new pairs.
I’d like to enter if you are taking international entries.
yay!!! thanks, sarah!
[...] An underwear tutorial! [...]
[...] by wearing at least 1 handmade item a day. It’s hard! I am curious though on handmade underwear, that might be [...]
I made on using this tutorial! It came out great, but the elastic I used for the waistband is a bit old. It’s very comfortable however, just need to make minor adjustments. Thanks so much for making this tutorial!