Category: Lingerie

Some weeks ago I had the idea to make lingerie out of old clothing and scraps….and why not, is there a rule, that every lingery must always be made of only one kind of fabric?

It worked, as you can see on the pictures. I used old tunics, blouses and skirts, cut them up and made scrap-lingerie. Combined with some old lace and buttons.

Ok….the pieces MAY BE a bit odd…Especially the tap-pant with the patchwork-front…But where´s the limit to creativity? And honestly, the tap pant may not look like, but it´s very comfortable!

So, if you want to try- just go on! Even a thing like that can be a sensibel way in recycling  of old clothing and fabric.

Some time ago I read an article in a blog about French Knickers and Tap Pants. The blog-owner asked, why they have disappeared from womens lingerie, even if the´re beautiful and also comfortable.

I think, the answer ist easy:

1. Try to wear tights OVER them. I don´t use tights made of synthetic fibers, but I can imagine what a mess it will be. And I think it´s not much better with winter-tights made of cotton. And it´s the same with leggins.
2. Forget about wearing them with skin-tight trousers. The legs will roll up and they will show underneath the pants. Apart from pinching and squeezing….

But thats  no reason, to give it no chance. You can always wear them in summer underneath skirts, dresses and in winter under vast pants.  And if you have tryed it for once, you will appreciate the benefits.

Which are:

• Very easy to sew, even for beinners.
• You can choose every kind of fabric or color, no matter which color or style is “in”. (Just one restriction: The fabric should be not too bulky)
• The style-choice is yours . Vintage, luxurious, simple, with some lace and ribbons…Whatever you want! It´s all about your personal taste.
• Easy to wash and iron, if you chose the right material.
• They´re very, very comfortable!
• Warm in winter underneath vast pants and the choice of the leg´s length is yours too….

To use or not to use…That´s the question!

Sometimes you get vintage items and ask yourself “should I use them for a project or just collect, so they can be preserved?”

Usually I decide to use them, if the items are not too rare and precious or so delicate in condition, that using ist out of question.

In this case, I got a vintage display-sample from the 30s or 40s with some beautiful Plauener-Tüllspitze (net lace from Plauen in Germany).

The old rose items in the middle are acctually the two parts of a collar, but I thought, they would make fantastic embelishments for a bra…..

I was right, as you can see in the picture.

So it you decide to work with your vintage  treasures, be gentle and respectful  and don´t forget, they where once made for use and there is no reason, why they should not come back to light and shine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some lingerie, I sewed over the last moth. It looks like vintage items, but actually  I used some modern sewing Patterns and combined vintage and new fabrics with antique ribbons and appliques. I wanted modern convenience, but a high quality in material and also a vintage look.

To make the long drawers, I used a white cotton-lace, primarily ment for a wedding gown. Instead of silk-satin, a fabric that´s really beautiful, but expensive and intricate to wash, I use cotton-satin. You can find some good qualitys in the web and it´s cheaper and also much more expanded in size per yard.

There are good shops in Germany, where you can get some high-quality fabrics for lingerie:   www.naturstoff.de oder www.florence.de. Naturstoff provides you with some Eco-and GOTS-certified-fabrics.

But my favourite fabrics  are vintage or second-hand, such you can still find in good amounts on flee-markets, in second-hand-stores or social departments.

Nice patterns for modern and vintage lingerie are available in sewing-stores or in the web: Burda, McCalls, Butterick, Etsy, www.neheleniapatterns.com  or the German lingerie-specialist www.sewy.de….

But good books don´t grow on every tree. Most of them don´t include comfortable patterns. You have to increase, convert or print it on a plotter….(If you have one…..)

Rather circumstantial and time-consuming.   

Therefore, I´m glad I found this in 2014 published book “”The secrets of sewing lingerie” by Katherine Sheers und Laura Stanford.

Real patterns are included! You can find classic and modern patterns for knickers, pantys, thongs, a tap pant,slips, suspenders, garters and a slumber eye mask.

Apart from that, there are some patterns for bras, a thing most of the other books and even pattern-providers avoid. Sizes go from xs to xxl, so “big girls” can share the fun!

I made some tests and it works! The instructions give you some alternatives in closures and you learn, how to work with non-stretchable fabrics like cotton-satin or batiste. The authors use also some antique ribbon and lace.

By the way….did I tell you, the pictures in this book are marvelous and the items classy?

Frequently vintage lace comes only in small amounts and short pieces.

So what to do with this precious little bits? You could turn them into some patchwork projects or make cushion-covers, wallhangings….or maybe just a hem for a slip…..For this project I used a simple pattern, I found years ago in a sewing magazin and embellished the edge with a border made of antique lace and satin ribbon bits.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why is comfortable lingerie seldom beauty and beautyful one seldom comfortable and at a high price too?

If you want both, you can find some good sewing patterns at the web, no matter if vintage or modern.  Even free patterns can be found on Internet, if you look for them.

I had to think hard, if I could do it and finally I began to sew my own lingerie. It´s not perfekt now, but comfortable AND pretty and always good enough for me.

For your selfmade luxurious lingerie your can also use some old clothing, that´s made of  silk, fine linen or cotton. For the Projects, you can see in details in the pics , I cut up a silkskirt I seldom wore and two unloved  satin-silk tunics. NOW I love them much more!