Knickers Tutorial.

Here is how I made the knickers I posted yesterday. Please be aware that my sewing skills are totally self taught, therefore if I'm doing something in a seemingly odd way, that is why, and please feel free to let me know how to do it properly!

You will need:

Fabric

Elastic

Sewing machine

A rectangle of cotton

Old knickers (to be cut up)

Paper (for pattern)

Scissors

1. Cut a pair of knickers at the hip seams and crotch. Make sure they are made of a similar fabric to the fabric that you are using (strechy, cotton etc). Remove the elastic if they are non strech material. This is to make your pattern.

2. Draw around your old knickers onto a piece of paper, this is your pattern.

3.You can use any material, I used this old nighty that I never wore. Don't bin it, upcycle it!!

4. Place the pattern onto your fabric and draw around it, you can use chalk to do this or special dissapearing ink pens. Then cut the 2 shapes out.

5. The first bit of sewing is the crotch area. Get the retangle of cotton (I used an old Tshirt) and the front and back panels of the knickers. With the crotch lined up, place the front panel - right side up, the back panel - right side down on top, then the rectangle right side down on top of that. (I hope you're following this!!). Sew along this line.

6. Fold out the front and back panels so that the right sides are both facing down, and flip over the cotton rectangle so it is right side up. You will now see that the seam you have just sewn is hidden! hurrah!(arrow 1.). Now you need to hem the other end (arrow 2.), just fold it over and sew it. No need to sew it onto the knickers as its attached at the other end.

7. Sew together the hip seams.

8.You need to have an overcasting foot for your sewing maching to do this next bit. If you do, put it on now. If you don't, just hem the knickers all the way round both legs and the waist.

9. Choose an overcasting stitch to suit your fabric (practise on a spare bit to get the right length of stich etc). Overcast all the way round the legs and waist to stop the fabric fraying.

10. This is my wonderful assistant helping me to take a photo of the elastic! I cut two pieces 19 inches (for the legs) and one 22 inches (for the waist).



11. Here I'm going to divert you to a youtube video of how to sew in your elastic, as I'm sure I will needlessly complicate matters if I try!!

12. The material should start to rouch up like this, creating beautiful frilly knickers. Sew your elastic around both legs and the waist.

Et Voila!!!

So here are your nifty thrifty knickers!!

Let me know if you make them, I would love to see different takes on them!