Site Map

Home page

Suomeksi

 About Leena's

 Contact

Welcome to Leena's.com

Welcome to Leena's.com, the tutorial and pattern drafting site for
PatternMaker Drafting Sofware for PC.
In this site, you will find tutorials, pattern drafting instructions, sewing instructions and many other sewing projects.
Please Enjoy!

Use Site Map

This web site contains hundreds of pages of information. To find what you need quickly, please use the
Site Map

PatternMaker Software, Manufacturers and Dealers

For PatternMaker software, manufacturers and dealers,
please go to the PatternMaker website at
http://www.patternmaker.com

Learning
Center

Tutorials
Measuring
Sewing instructions
Sewing projects
Pattern drafting

Contact


PatternMaker Sewing Projects
Women's Panties

For sewing instructions for PatternMaker macro collection for women's lingerie, click here .

If you do not have the patterns

If you do not have patterns for panties to your own measurements or do not own PatternMaker women's lingerie macro collection , miniature patterns in S, M, L and XL sizes are provided here.

Click here to see and print the miniature patterns.

Copy and resize the patterns to pattern paper. Please note the grid size of 5X5 cm (2X2").

Important! The patters include seam allowances of 0,7cm (1/4"). Waist allowance is 4 cm ( 1.5" ).

Important! Use elastic fabric to the panties sewn with these patterns.

Body measurements used in the patterns

Hip circumference

S

91 cm

36"

M

101 cm

40"

L

112 cm

44"

XL

122 cm

48"

At the PatternMaker Website you can download the patterns in full size as a PatternMaker file . With your PatternMaker you can print the patterns in full size and erase the sizes you do not need.

If you do not have any PatternMaker program, you can download the freeware version free of charge from the website of PatternMaker Software . With the free program version you can print the patterns.

If you have PatternMaker Home , you can change the patterns using PatternMaker CAD-tools.

General sewing instructions for lingerie

Seams

Sew the seams with medium zigzag stitch and medium stitch length. The seams do not need to be overlocked, if you do not want to, because lingerie jersey does not ravel. If you own a serger , sew seams with it.

Seam allowances

Important! Please note that the miniature patterns include seam allowances of 0,7cm (1/4"). Waist allowance is 4 cm ( 1.5" ). These seam allowances are also in the patterns dowloaded from this page as a PatternMaker file.

When cutting the garment pieces add a 0.7 cm (1/4") seam allowance . After having sewn the seams trim them to their half width.

Waist

If you use stretch lace to finish the waist of the panties, add to the waist of the panties seam allowance equal to the width of the lace. If you use elastic to finish the waist , add a seam allowance equal to double width of the elastic + seam allowance. The best width for waist elastic is 1.5-3 cm (1/2" - 1").

Cut the crotch piece of the panties in two, one from natural fiber fabric, e.g. from cotton knit. It will be on the inside of the panties and feels much better against your body than fabrics made of synthetic fibers.

1. Applying lace inserts

Plan the placement of the lace inserts on the pants front. Experiment the best position of lace motifs. If you use symmetrical lace inserts, place also the motifs symmetrically. Tape lace in place and stitch along edges through tape with narrow zigzag. Remove tape. Cut away fabric under the lace.

Note! Because you are using stretchy fabric to the panties also the laces have to be stretchy. That way the lace will behave in the same way as the fabric when the panties are worn.

2. Sewing the crotch

Sandwich the front piece of the panties between the crotch pieces right sides together and sew with narrow zigzag through the three fabric layers. ( Picture 1 ) Trim seam allowance close to stitches. Roll the front and the back pieces of the panties inside the crotch pieces as in the photos and sew the back seam of the crotch through all layers

Trim seam allowances and turn the crotch right side out.

3. Basting elastics to the leg openings

Machine baste the elastics to the wrong side of the leg openings. Stretch the elastic lightly as you sew. Special pressing feet can be bought for applying elastic to garments.

You'll soon learn, however, to stretch the elastic appropriately even without a special pressing foot. The aim is not to stretch the elastic too taut. The leg openings have been drafted according to your measurements. Without an edge elastic the leg openings would, however, flutter without control.

Sew a couple of tests to find out how much to stretch the elastic to get the desired amount of gathering. Baste the elastic close to edge to wrong side of a piece of fabric. Turn the fabric and the elastic once in and stitch on top of it on right side with 3-stitch zigzag . Examine the amount of gathering. In the photo to the left there is too much gathering in the first half of the test (1) , in the second half of the test (2) the amount of the gathering is good. The need to stretch the elastic depends of the stretchability of the elastic you are using.

Compare the test result with ready-made lingerie and try to achieve a similar result. But make the comparison only after you have sewn the 3-stitch zigzag on the elastic on right side of the fabric and trimmed away the excess seam allowance on wrong side of the fabric.

Note! It is important that the elastics are equally long in both leg openings . Therefore, after having basted the elastic to the first leg opening, measure the length of the elastic and cut an equally long elastic for the other leg opening.

An alternative is to cut two pieces of elastic long enough to feel good when fitted around the subjects thigh at the place where the panties leg opening will be and to pin the elastics to the leg openings with equal intervals before basting them to their places.

When sewing the sample garment I have used No Hands Elastic Wizard which I have ordered from Clotilde's Web Shop where it costs US$ 28. If you want to get there, please click here .

4. Sewing side seams

Sew the side seams of the panties and if needed, trim the seam allowances.

5. Finishing the leg openings

Turn the seam allowances of the leg openings with elastics to the wrong side of the garment and sew on top of the elastics on the right side with 3-stitch zigzag. Stretch lightly when sewing but don't pull. Trim away the excess seam allowance on the wrong side of the garment.

You do not need to remove the basting stitches from the leg openings. They will break when you wear the panties and will vanish by themselves.

6. Applying stretchy lace to the waist

In the sample garment stretchy lace has been used to finish the waist. Baste it right side up on right side of the garment waist. Match the scalloped edge to the raw edge of the panties waist (you do remember that you have cut to the panties waist a seam allowance corresponding to the width of the stretchy lace).

Baste along the inner edge of the lace around the waist. Overlap lace ends leaving excess length. Stretch the lace when basting. Using narrow zigzag stitch across the inner edge of the lace from right side through all layers. Trim away excess allowance on the wrong side of the garment.

Using narrow zigzag stitch through the overlapped layers of lace. Follow motif if possible. Trim away excess lace from both sides of the garment.

If you use waist elastic to finish the waist, baste it to the wrong side of the waist. Match the top edge of the elastic to the raw edge of the panties waist. Leave seam allowance over. Stretch when basting. Fold the elastic to the wrong side of the garment. Sew on the right side of the garment through the inner edge of the elastic with 3-stitch zigzag. Trim away excess fabric on the wrong side of the garment.

More design ideas for panties

Applying lace to edge of garment

You can cut one or more motifs from lace fabric to decorate the edges of the garment as in the photos below. First finish the edge with elastic. Then tape the lace motif on top of the edge and sew with narrow zigzag along the edges of the lace motif. Finally, trim away fabric (and the edge elastic) under the lace motif on the wrong side.


Applying lace in the middle of the garment

You can apply a lace appliqué also in the middle of the garment. Tape it on the fabric, zigzag along the edges and trim away fabric under the lace on the wrong side of the garment.

 

Hint: Consider applying lace appliqués also to other garments than lingerie garments, e.g. to front, collar or cuff of a blouse.

Applying lace on top of a seam

You can even apply lace on top of a seam in which case you can replace the seam with lace. Sew the seam and, if necessary overlock it. Tape the lace on top of the seam, zigzag along edges and trim away fabric (inclusive seam) under the lace on the wrong side.

Apply lace insert at hem

Apply lace on top of the hem seam. Fold hem allowance to the wrong side of the garment. Baste. Tape lace on top of the basted edge. Using narrow zigzag sew along the edges of the lace. Trim away fabric under the lace on the wrong side of the garment.

See also ...

There also is a PatternMaker sewing project for a matching camisole.

You'll get instructions of how to draft the patterns using the basic bodice patterns as a starting point. Detailed sewing instructions with photos will be provided.

Click here or use the link at the top of the page.

A couple of Internet addresses

If you have difficulties in getting fabrics and notions for lingerie, please refer to the following websites

Spandex House
SewSassy
Full & Sassy Pattern Boutique
Clotilde
Nancy's Notions
Élan Patterns & Supplies
Fabric.Com

 

 




Home page       |        Suomeksi       |         About Leena's       |         Contact


Leenas.com is a subsidiary of PatternMaker Software USA.   Copyright © 1998, 2006 Leena Lähteenmäki, PatternMaker Software.
http://www.patternmaker.com