Friday, October 15, 2010

Friday Confession

The discussion over the last week about bras got me to thinking about undergarments in general. I have never sewn any undergarment for myself or for anyone else. Although, I have been tempted to try this tutorial from CraftStylish...

How about you? Do you sew undergarments? If not, would you like to someday or are you going to pass on this type of project? If so, what have you made? How did it come out? What would you tell someone who is considering trying it?

Photo credit: CraftStylish tutorial

16 comments:

BConky said...

I often make panties for my granddaughters and myself. But I've made them for my husbands, sons, grandsons and daughters in the past. I've never tried a bra yet but would like to. You should make some panties they are easy and it's fun.

Peace Thyme said...

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a pattern at a Jo Ann's sale and then some material at Denver Fabrics for just such a project.

I am going to try to make some panties for myself and my daughter and a bra or two for me.

Wish me luck.

Lady Jenn said...

Yes, I tend to make panties, underwear & boxers for my 3 youngest. My teen daughters would I rather not "sew" private things, so they wait for sales. I & my husband have our underthings and they are in good condition for the moment.

To tell the truth, I do it for the younger 3 because I am lazy and hate clothes shopping for anybody. It drives me insane trying to find clothes/underthings that fit children or teens.

I haven't got to bra making yet. Too many other things to do...

katherine h said...

I make bras for myself because shops often don't stock my size (12A). If I find a bra that fits, I buy it. My lingerie draw is about half sewn, half bought. It is easier to sew bras now that there are online stores selling bra kits and all the different components to make bras. Sewing the bra is not as difficult as finding all the bits.

I have only sewn knickers when I have fabric scraps that I love but are too small to do much else with. Again, the hardest part is finding good quality elastic.

I do make all my swimwear, because swimwear is so ridiculously overpriced, and finding swimmers that fit and are not too skimpy is always a challenge.

There are lots of new techniques to learn to sew both bras and swimwear, a lot of them to do with elastic application so that the elastic is the right length and retains its stretch and recovery after application. It has taken me a lot of practice to be happy with sewing quality of my swimwear.

That was a bit of an essay, wasn't it?

Heather said...

I love making my own undies! They fit so much better than RTW. I sew them for my dd and ds too! I also make my own bras since I wear a hard to find size. They are both much easier to make than you might think! I say go for it!

Shannon said...

I have made underwear for me and my hubby and corsets (for me), but I haven't tried making a bra yet. I bought a book about how to do it, but then I got pregnant, and it didn't seem like a good idea to make a nursing bra for my first one.
I think panties are super easy if you have a serger. I've started a couple of sets for my daughter, but she suddenly stopped using the potty, so I'm waiting to finish them up.

CarlaF-in Atlanta said...

I've made panties for me and I've made one practice bra. I wear a hard to fit size bra. The brand that fits me best is based in England and is quite pricey in the US. I plan to made my own bras because I love the whole matching bra and pantie set. Making panties is very easy. Here's part 1 of a 18 part YouTube tutorial how to sew panties.

There are several bloggers that make beautiful bras and panties and they are better looking than what you see in most RTW. When making bras, don't expect the first bra to fit. From what I've read, it takes making a few bras before you can get the fit right and you can't fit bras as you sew.

Bras and panties take no time at all to sew. They are one of the best project to tackle after a really tough project or a big ole wadder.

Zep said...

The last panties I made I recycled some t-shirts (because I'm recycle queen). The Budweiser logo looked great on my backside :) When I was in HS I made my panties and slips all the time.

CarlaF-in Atlanta said...

I forgot to add Sigrid's tutorial page for sewing bras. Enjoy.

Faye Lewis said...

Never have, but I use to have a lady that made them for me and they were great!

Anonymous said...

Yep.

I wear corsets in lieu of a bra sometimes, and I make those. I make slips (try and find one that isn't crap), a lot of boy short panties, tap pants, some boxers to run around in at the house, kid's boxers...eventually I'll make the bf some. Garter belts, combinations, step ins, bloomers (live where it's hot, this is important if you wear skirts)...I just wear a lot of vintage style undergarments and they are impossible to find.

I do make some bras, but they're mostly vintage and bullet style and frankly, I can find the long line bras I do wear cheaper then I can make them even though I am a larger size.

Mostly I like lingerie and I can't afford it. My choice is go without, or make my own. It's taken a while to get to the point I am happy enough with it, and I can find what I want (ie my Hello Kitty slip, combination, tap pant AND camisole).

mulliga m said...

I have been making underwear for me and my family for nearly a decade now. I sew bras, panties and boxers. My two teen daughters prefer the bras I sew. Lucky me, because I really enjoy sewing bras. If you get hold of a really good bra pattern that fits, you can never compare that with the bras you can buy. The ones I make are much more comfortable.

I'm very lucky because a friend of mine makes bra patterns for a living and she sells fabrics and everything that goes with it.

Karin van D. said...

I haven't made any undergarments yet, but are cetainly planning to do so. I love working with laces and other pretty things, so I look forward to it!

marysews said...

I make boxer shorts for my son every five years or so with Simplicity 9958. I make under-shorts for my husband with KwikSew 2417. I made undies for myself with KwikSew 2467, but have only made them twice and have not perfected the fit.

Summerset said...

I make panties, too, most of the time to match the bras I make. They're quick and easy, with very few pattern pieces (3, that's it!) and very few, short little seams. You can sew them on a regular machine, no serger or coverstitch required. All you need to know it how to do a straight stitch and a zigzag stitch. They are a fun and quick little project and you can have a lot of fun modifying a pattern with different fabrics and trims once you have one that fits.

Angela said...

I've never made any undergarments but I sure would love to. :D