Sewing your own underwear: The dream of many sewing fans! With these patterns, even beginners can achieve perfect results. Also great for plus sizes, by the way.
The most important things at a glance
- You can easily sew your own underwear for adults and children
- You can download the patterns for tops, camisoles, panties, and boxers for adults and children here on the blog
- Suitable fabrics include soft cotton jerseys or functional fabrics
- Jersey fabrics should be sewn with a jersey, stretch, or super-stretch needle; a microtex needle is suitable for microfiber
Sewing your own underwear: Tips, tricks, patterns
Sewing your own underwear isn't hard at all. The only important thing is to familiarize yourself with the materials being used. A delicate scalloped lace is simply processed differently than a sturdy elastic band, and a firm jersey requires a different sewing technique than a delicate silk fabric.
In my tutorials and videos, I show you all of this in great detail. This way, you can follow the creation process of your new favorite underwear step-by-step.
Sewing underwear for women
How great is it when your favorite underwear perfectly matches your outfit, right? For that, you can use our Terra & Luna underwear set, for example.
The midi-brief is made without a gusset and is therefore very easy to sew, even for beginners. It can be made in many variations: sporty, romantic, or even playful.
The fitted camisole is an essential basic piece that you can also wear beautifully on its own as a top.
The set's pattern is designed to fit fantastically in both small and large sizes!
What fabrics can you use to sew underwear?
You can sew underwear from many thin, elastic fabrics. Jersey and elastic fabrics in various compositions are very suitable. You can find more about this later in this blog post.
Which thread is suitable for sewing underwear?
Basically, you can use any all-purpose thread*. Gütermann thread is available in practically every color. This means the thread can be perfectly matched to the fabric or lace. This ensures beautiful, practically invisible seams. By the way: Here are some good tips for storing sewing thread and for overlock thread.
A popular alternative to all-purpose threads is woolly nylon thread. Woolly nylon is not twisted and "bulks up" in the seam. This makes the seam particularly durable as well as very soft and comfortable.
I have tried the woolly nylon thread from Babylock and Madeira* (Aeroflock) and find both highly recommended. By the way, I use the Madeira not just for underwear. My favorite girls also much prefer wearing their self-sewn clothes if the seams don't scratch... :)
Materials for sewing underwear
- Fabric clips*
- Color-coordinated sewing thread*
- Tailor's chalk*
- Sewing machine or overlocker
- Rotary cutter*
- Fabric scissors*
- Thick darning needle*
- Lingerie bows*
Can you also sew underwear with a sewing machine?
Of course, that's no problem at all. You can also finish the seams with a sewing machine!
For example, you can sew a camisole with a narrow and wide zigzag stitch. For side and shoulder seams, the overlock stitch of your sewing machine is also suitable.
It is important that you use a new jersey* or stretch needle*. Then the seams will turn out really nice even with a sewing machine.
Sewing boxers or panties for women
A sporty and comfortable panty in a boxer style for women is also sewn very quickly. Jersey fabrics are well-suited as material here too. But microfiber or functional fabrics are also ideal.
Our Hilda pattern is a mid-rise panty with a comfortable elastic waistband and snug legs. In the back, the panty covers the bottom.
A twin needle is very suitable for topstitching the leg hems. Using a coverstitch machine also creates beautiful, elastic hems.
Sewing French knickers for women
Whether as lounge shorts, for chilling, for sports, or as sleepwear: loose French knickers are always a good idea. They drape around the figure without restricting. And they look absolutely enchanting while doing so.
The motto is: the fabric decides! Sew the French knickers out of linen and you have an airy pair of shorts in no time that is completely suitable for everyday wear.
Sewn from soft jersey, these panties are perfect as chic pajama shorts or for relaxing. You can also garnish them with a ruffle on the leg for a fun retro look:
Airy voile fabric is also a good idea if you want to wear the shorts as sleepwear. The loosely woven fabric is soft and pleasant on the skin and absorbs moisture well.
This is what the French knickers look like in my Julie pattern made from voile:
A little firmer and very elegant: French knickers made from cotton satin. You've never chilled as elegantly as this, wanna bet?
Especially great with a matching lingerie bow.
Perfect for all occasions are French knickers made from soft woven viscose fabric. It ensures that the fabric drapes wonderfully light. It feels cool on the skin and is very comfortable to wear, especially in summer.
Here is an overview of all the fabrics suitable for sewing French knickers:
- Cotton*
- Chambray*
- Modal*
- Muslin*
- Viscose fabrics*
- Silk fabrics*
- Linen*
- Jersey*
- Voile*
- Underwear microfiber
- Satin fabrics*
Sewing underwear for children
Children also enjoy colorful and comfortable underwear. It is, of course, particularly sustainable if you can sew the camisoles and panties for your little ones yourself.
You can let the child's taste guide your choice of material. Little boys, by the way, love underwear that is just as cool as Dad's. ;)
The same naturally goes for girls! For this reason, my popular underwear set Terra & Luna is also available in a mini version in children's sizes.
The top belonging to the Terra mini brief can also be repurposed beautifully as a light top for the summer or as pajama top for warm summer nights. :)
There is also a very comfortable children's version of my popular Hilda panty in sizes 68 - 164.
Sewing underwear for men
Would you like to sew a pair of casual boxer shorts for your sweetheart? A great idea! For sporty shorts, all types of jersey fabrics are suitable. For a slightly warmer variant, you can also use French Terry very well.
If he wants special sports underwear, you can fall back on microfiber and functional fabrics.
Shorts with soft waistbands and flat seams are particularly comfortable to wear. You can topstitch these with a coverlock, for example. That not only looks great, it also flattens the seams nicely.
Sewing boxer shorts from jersey
Men's boxer shorts made from soft jersey are comfortable on the skin and follow every movement. A wide, soft elastic waistband ensures they stay in place.
Especially clever are the Horst boxer shorts, for which I have foregone side and back seams. Where there is no seam, nothing can pinch, right? ;)
Sewing boxer shorts from woven fabric
Some men prefer loose boxer shorts made from woven fabric like cotton. These shorts are very suitable for beginners because the challenges one is confronted with when working with jersey simply disappear.
Boxer shorts Piet are sewn almost as quickly as they are cut out. The cool thing is: even though the shorts look like they have a fly, it is not sewn with a complicated opening. Feel free to watch this trick in the video:
Sewing Underwear: Tips, Tricks, Materials
This chapter is all about the materials and construction techniques you need to sew your own underwear. In the individual sections, links will guide you to in-depth blog posts, tutorials, or recommended products.
Which stitches are suitable for sewing underwear?
Stretchy fabrics require a bit more attention than simple cotton wovens. It is important to use a new stretch or jersey needle*. If you are sewing with microfiber, you should use a microtex needle*. Otherwise, the jersey fabric can easily ripple.
Then you're ready to go! Elastic fabrics are very easy to sew using elastic stitches. Seams used to join pieces, such as the sides of briefs or camisoles, can be sewn very well with a narrow zigzag.
Topstitching, which you might use to stitch down elastic, can be done with a wide zigzag (length 3, width 3.5, depending on your sewing machine settings). This is what attached lace looks like with a zigzag stitch:
A triple zigzag can also look very good and is nice and elastic. Here is how it looks:
It is important that you always perform a test seam with the right needle and the right thread on the correct fabric.
Then you can be sure that it will work when it counts.
One more word on the straight stitch: Many people are afraid to use straight stitches on elastic fabrics. However, this is perfectly possible. For example, you can attach a wide elastic waistband to a pair of briefs using a short straight stitch.
How can I save fabric when cutting out underwear?
This is quite simple because underwear, especially panties, briefs & boxers, often require very little fabric. You can cut many pattern pieces in a double fold, depending on the fabric width, up to size 48 and above.
How does cutting in a double fold work?
With a double fold, unlike a single fabric fold, both sides are folded towards the center along the grain line.
This way, you can save a significant amount of fabric. :)
Which fabrics are generally suitable for sewing lingerie?
Besides the fabrics mentioned above, you can also sew underwear from other materials depending on your taste. You can let your imagination run wild.
Elastic tulle
Tulle is a translucent, net-like, and delicate fabric from which fine underwear can be made. You can also use tulle as a base fabric for pretty elastic lace. These are simply sewn on with a zigzag stitch in the color of the lace.
Elastic bands and trim
Indispensable when sewing underwear: elastic bands and trims not only ensure that everything stays in place, but they also look great.
A waistband made from a pretty elastic band adds a real eye-catcher to your new briefs!
Elastic bands have the advantage of being very shape-retentive. By the way, they are also perfect for sports and functional underwear!
In my tutorial for the TERRA briefs, I show you how to sew in elastic bands without visible seams on the inside:
Elastic trim and fold-over elastic (FOE) make for pretty leg openings.
However, fold-over elastic is usually soft and yielding. As a result, leg openings bound with it do not pinch. But as a waistband finish, these pre-folded elastics often lack sufficient stability.
Elastic trim is a great alternative. It is sewn on from the right side and then folded over.
Cuff fabrics for underwear
Soft cuff fabrics, which are knitted from cotton and finished with a touch of elastane or Lycra, turn your briefs or camisoles into comfortable loungewear. They don't constrict and fit very comfortably.
There can be big differences in the quality of cuff fabrics. Poorly processed cuffs quickly become baggy and lose their shape. That's why I always play it safe when buying my cuff fabrics*.
Elastic lace for underwear
Great effects can be achieved with elastic lace*. It can be sewn on to your heart's content. In my tutorial for TERRA briefs, I show you various ways to embellish the briefs at the leg openings and waist.
This is what the Terra & Luna underwear set looks like with inlaid lace. Sounds complicated, but it's super easy. I show you exactly how it's done in the sewing tutorial.
Some patterns are specifically suitable for using lace. For example, the Claire pattern, which has a division for lace inserts. That looks like this, for example:
It also looks very elegant if you make the back out of lace as well, like with the black briefs.
Lace can be finished in the same way as any other fabric: with fold-over elastic, scalloped trim, with a binder attachment (which is highly recommended for sewing underwear anyway!), or with strip finishing.
I show you how to sew briefs with a lace insert in this video:
Sewing underwear from microfiber
Microfiber is very suitable for functional underwear or for items that should be particularly thin and delicate. Microfiber is dimensionally stable and does not add bulk.
Sewing underwear from Lycra and swimsuit fabrics
So-called swimsuit fabric* is a real insider tip!
First, because you can sew your individual tankini from my lingerie set. And second, because the underwear, especially briefs, that you sew from Lycra fit like a glove! This is perfect under tight dresses and pants. You can even sew your own shapewear from microfiber!
Lycra fabrics do not add bulk. For finishing, for example, elastic trim or a nice elastic lace is a good choice. Important: Be sure to sew with a fine microtex needle*.
This is what the Claire briefs look like in Lycra with a lace insert:
And here is the effect of the briefs made from underwear microfiber without a lace insert:
Because of the beautiful shape, it is an eye-catcher even in the simple version, I think.
Sewing underwear from jersey
Jersey is a super material to conjure up underwear from! It is available in many qualities, from robust Romanit to easy-care cotton jersey, to viscose jersey and modal, which have a beautiful drape and a slight sheen.
With jersey strips, you can also wonderfully finish the waist and leg openings of camisoles and briefs.
You can find suitable fabrics here:
Was I able to answer your questions about sewing camisoles, panties & co?
Feel free to write to me in the comments if you have further questions!
Happy simple sewing,
your Sabine
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