Delia Adey - Knickers!: 6 Lingerie Patterns for Handmade Knickers

www.stitchcraftcreate.co.uk

Knickers, pants, panties, bloomers, briefs, shorties, drawers, pantaloons, tangas, thongs theyve had different names and shapes throughout history, changing with the shape and style of the fashion worn and the fabrics available. Our little book picks out our favourite shapes and fun styles that can be made at home with little expense.

Lingerie making has always had a little mystery about it but the truth is theyre just smalls and they make lovely little sewing projects. We hope to demystify this and make sewing your smalls fun.

If youre reading this in America (or anywhere else where pants mean trousers and knickers could mean anything at all), you might need to know that knickers is a classic British term for ladies underwear and carries with it the concept of frills, frivolity and fun. Its also something the Brits have been known to utter as an exclamation when things havent gone quite as planned!

We hope you enjoy making these knickers, and then wearing your end products even more!

YOU HAVE A CHOICE TO MAKE BEFORE YOU SET OUT ON YOUR UNDERWEAR ODYSSEY:

WHAT FABRIC ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE YOUR KNICKERS FROM?

The knickers in this book use different fabrics and the pattern you are following will guide you. We have also given alternatives that can be used. So that you can make an informed decision, here is our overview of suitable materials and the qualities that each one has.

Cotton is a natural woven fabric, which means that its fibres form a warp and a weft. The warp is the vertical fibre and the weft runs horizontally from one side to the other. The edge where the weft fibre curves round creates the selvedge, the non-fraying edge of the fabric. Cotton does not stretch when pulled horizontally or vertically. It does give a little when pulled diagonally. This is called the bias.

Cotton lawn is a plain weave textile, designed using high count yarns, which result in a silky smooth feel. It is beautiful and light and perfect for making underwear, and gives a silk-like feel while at the same time being easier to manage than silk when sewing.

Silk is the name of the fibre spun from insect larvae. The best known silk is from the larvae of the Mulberry silk worm, Bombyx Mori, which is reared in captivity for industry. They are larvae moths. Silk originates from Asia where it is still made today. It has always been associated with luxury products and favoured throughout history by royalty and the rich. Its a beautiful textile to wear, breathable, light and soft against the skin.

To sew with it is a bit tricky as it tends to slip and move when cutting. As you get more confident with sewing it is worth persevering with silk because of the lovely results that you can achieve.

Jersey is a knit fabric originally made from wool but now made from a combination of wool, cotton and synthetic fibres. It was first made in Jersey (Channel Islands) in medieval times. As the fibres are knitted together instead of woven, a stretchy fabric is created. It is often used to make t-shirts and has become a staple of modern wardrobes.

By adding Lycra the jersey fabric has become even stretchier. Knickers are best made with a four-way stretch, a jersey with added Lycra. You can tell this by pulling it with your hands and feeling the amount of ping it has when it returns to the pre-pulled shape. The more stretch in the fabric the more hold your underwear will have to stay up! It makes very comfortable underwear and is a modern favourite.