Fancy Pants
Here’s some more free patterns inspired by Episode 3, series 12 of the Great British Sewing Bee. Contestants were asked to make knickers (or pants), not one pair but 3 & to use T-shirts from the charity shop as their fabric. I think possibly the chaps were at a slight disadvantage with this challenge but to everyone’s credit, they all managed to complete all 3 pairs of knickers.
Image from BBC Love Production Great British Sewing Bee
Back in 2021 I made a video, rounding up 12 FREE patterns, linked below. Unfortunately the ones by Vera Venus are no longer available but it seems like the rest are. You can fast forward to around 4 minutes 20 seconds, as I talk about a challenge that was on Instagram at the time.
Here’s a round up of the patterns plus links to download them, read on to the end & will give you my top tips & flash the knickers I made!
Megan Nielsen Acacia Underwear
Low rise bikini cut underwear. Pattern features gusset with fully enclosed seams, comfortable fit and ample coverage. The detailed instructions include three different elastic insertion methods.
You will need to subscribe to the newslwtter in order to gain access
Size Range: There are 2 size ranges for these - 34- 48” Hip & 42- 62” hip
Skill Level: Perfect for beginners to learn new skills
Evie La Luve - Maxine Panties
These are similar to the Acacias but much higher waisted & a smaller size range with fold over elastic & picot elastic options. There are several video tutorials on their YouTube channel linked within the instructions to help with construction.
Size Range: 33-43.5” Hip
Skill Level: Beginner
Melly Sews/Blank Slate Patterns
Low Rise pants similar to the Acacia’s with a video tutorial to help. You need to subscribe to the Newsletter & you’ll be given a password, (which changes from time to time), to access all the free sewing patterns.
Size Range: 34-55” Hip
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner
Cloth Habit - Rosy Lady Shorts
Described as easy-to-make lace boyshorts that sit at the hips. The legs and waist are finished with elastic lace trim for softness. Designed for a lightweight 4-way stretch lace with 60-70% stretch. You can also try stretch mesh or your favorite jersey.
Unlike the other patterns there is a seam at the back & front rather than the sides.
Size Range: Available in 8 sizes but I can’t for the life of me find the actual size range!
Skill Level: Beginner
Madalynne Intimates - Noelle
High waisted underwear. The front and back are lined with a nude stretch mesh that provides a soft layer against the skin. Waist and leg openings are finished with lightweight picot elastic.
There are no written instructions for this but I reckon that if you have instructions for any of the others above they will be very similar. There’s lots of other free underwear patterns on the website too, including a matching Bralette & other sets.
Size Range: 33-50” Hip
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner
Seamwork Flo Undies
Bikini-style period underwear, designed to help you use your knit scraps and create less waste from tampons and pads. They sit comfortably across your hips with a navel-grazing, mid-rise fit and average coverage at the back. The legs and waist are finished with fold-over elastic.
If you don’t need period pants just skip the absorbent fabric, and they make a comfortable pair of everyday underwear.
Size Range: 34-58” Hip
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner
Mood Iliana Set
It wouldn’t be a free pattern round-up without a Mood pattern & this is a bit different to some of the others, as it’s designed for velvet, but also suitable for bamboo, modal or cotton jersey.
Possibly the least faffy of all the patterns as the waistband & legs don’t require picot or fold over elastic.
Mood pattern instructions are in the form of a blogpost. There’s a variety of other free underwear patterns on the Mood website too.
Size Range: 34.5-63” Hip
Skill Level: Beginner
ZWW Panty
This is a fun one but you’ll need Google translate to figure it out, as it’s in Finnish but interesting to work out how to cut it as a zero waste pattern.
Size Range up to 33” Waist
Skill Level: Advanced because of the zero waste element & needing to translate the instructions
George & Ginger - Smitten Kitten
And now for something completely different for the more daring amongst you. Smitten Kitten are a delicate and lacy open-crotch lingerie design with optional accent binding that criss-crosses around the waist.
Less of a pattern & more of a tutorial.
Size Range: 30-59” Hip
Skill Level: Beginner
George & Ginger - 10 Minute Boxers
Also from George & Ginger & offering a tad more coverage are the 10 minute boxers. I’d be interested to know if anyone can make them in 10 minutes!
The instructions are in the form of a video tutorial only.
Size Range: 30 - 59” Hip
Skill Level: Beginner
Paper Theory - Stevie Knickers
Low rise bikini style with picot elastic. As a Fleetwood Mac fan, the name never fails to make me smile! Written instructions within the blogpost & a supporting YouTube tutorial.
Subscription to Newsletter required
Size Range: 61- 94cm Waist
Skill Level: Beginner
SoZo- Undies
Comfy, low-rise, hipster style, graded for teens & adults. With 2 versions of construction
Size Range: 32 - 50” Hip
Skill Level: Beginner
Tips
We saw the contestants on the Sewing Bee use old T-shirts, which is a great way to use existing materials & save clothes going to the landfill and you can have fun using old band T-shirts. But be careful that the fabric has enough elastane to give the correct amount of stretch required for knickers - you don’t want a saggy bottom! (See video below).
But have a delve around in your scrap bin & you are bound to find the odd remnant or 2 that is just crying out knickers! And you can have fun mixing & matching fabrics, to use up all those pesky small bits which can add a bit of fun to your gusset! (I never thought I’d write that sentence 🤣)
Different fabrics have different stretch properties, so pay attention to the amount of stretch that the pattern suggests. Some give you a handy stretch guide to help you work it out. Ideally you’re looking for a fabric that has good recovery, so that it returns to it’s original size without stretching out.
See the short video below, demonstrating how far the fabric will comfortably stretch & how it bounces back to it’s original size without it stretching out. This fabric was stretching comfortably to 13cm, meaning it has at least 30% stretch I could have forced it further but you just need to pull it gently to where it naturally feels it wants to go, as that wouldn’t be comfortable to wear.
Use a ballpoint needle when sewing with stretch fabrics to prevent skipped stitches & the fabric from laddering. A sharp needle can potentially cause the fabric to develop small holes, not always noticeable at the time of sewing but after a couple wears & washes they may mysteriously appear!
Ballpoint needles are more rounded.
No an overlocker is not required! It’s useful & certainly quicker if you have one but all of the construction can be done on a regular sewing machine. Just change the stitch to a long zig-zag to allow the fabric to stretch & use a ballpoint needle. Also useful but not essential is Maraflex thread which has more flexibilty than a regular thread.
Final Thoughts
Have a delve in your underwear drawer & look at the knickers you always reach for & find a pattern that closely resembles those. I personally hate hipster knickers & prefer a bit of coverage over the old derriere these days. The ones I’ve made in the past, are the Megan Nielsen Acacias & find them to be really comfortable. Plus they made use of a top that I never reached for. (see pictures above).
Allow yourself to make mistakes, the 1st pair are unlikely to be perfect but most likely they will be a great learning opportunity & probably wearable, so go for it. The most it will cost you is a couple of hours at the machine, if you’ve got some suitable scraps lying around.
Resources
Other than fabric you need very little specialist resources. Picot elastic is commonly available from most fabric shops in the haberdashery section, see the selection here from Good Fabric, as is foldover elastic. There’s a variety of colours here from Minerva, for example.
But if you find yourself going down a underwear making rabbithole & want specialist suppliers here’s a few I’ve found useful.
Macculloch & Wallis based in London have a wide range of lingerie elastic plus corsetry & swimwear.
I’ve also used B,Wear, who are based in Sweden, for Bra Making supplies. Don’t be alarmed by the prices, they are in Swedish Krona but obviously you will have International postage if you’re in the UK.
I hope that you find this useful, let me know if you have used any of these patterns or contact me if you fancy having a class dedicated to making your own fancy pants.
