don’t get your knickers in a twist!! (a tutorial)
today we shall tackle the unmentionables…
now, I must confess, when I took my first look at this pattern (go here and download the ‘original size’), my brain froze up. I just could not sort out how a pair of underpants could be fashioned from such a shape. but, it’s easy. let’s go…
because I use these pattern pieces over and over, I make copies with heavy cardboard and save the original paper. it’s a good idea to keep a nice, clean original. oh… disappearing ink pens are useful, but regular old pencil is fine. trace and cut two, with RIGHT SIDES OUT!! we’re going to do French seams.
with RIGHT SIDES OUT stitch down each swoopy side (front and back), DON’T turn a right angle and stitch the short end as well. (really, just disregard the dotted ‘stitch’ lines on the pattern. confusing. sorry.) oh, and see that little pointer-thing there? I don’t know the technical name for it, but it’s an invaluable tool when doing small things. it’s made of bamboo, so it’s got a bit of ‘grip.’ it’s super skinny on one end and slightly chunkier on the other. you can find it with the notions in just about any sewing store.
after stitching, trim the seem allowance down to about a sixteenth of an inch… yes! really really small. image below is pre-trim. we are going to do enclosed French seams, remember?
then iron the seam flat, make sure you push the seam allowance all over to one side (don’t split it down the middle or let it go this way or that) I mist with water first.
then fold it along the seam, WRONG side out, and iron.
then sew along the front and back swoopy sides again (WRONG SIDE OUT), allowing yourself a little less than an eighth but a little more than a sixteenth of an inch seam. (tiny tiny tiny) you want to completely enclose the raw edge of the fabric… that’s why we trimmed it; to make it small enough so that we won’t have a bulky seam and also so that there are no random fraying bits popping out.
then back to the ironing board, and press those seams flat. the front seam allowance leaning one way and the back seam allowance leaning another. now you can see the “underpants-ness” of it, and your brain can unfreeze.
RIGHT SIDES OUT, pin together the crotch. to reduce bulk, make sure that the front and back seam allowances are going in opposite directions and pin down directly through the center of the seam to make sure everything is lining up nicely. and don’t worry about the leg openings being uneven… we’ll sort that out later.
okay, then stitch. trim down the seam allowance to a sixteenth of an inch. press open. turn to wrong side out. press flat. stitch less than an eighth more than a sixteenth… all exactly as we did on the swoopy front and back seam….
and then you’ll have this:
now, the reason I’m all ridiculous about going through the extra effort of making French seams is because, 1) they look nice, 2) they are stronger, and 3) because, really, you could just BUY little dolly knickers somewhere for probably only a few dollars. but, you would have to make due with crap-quality fabric, or serged seams… and if you are going put the effort into making something, then do a good job!! do it better than what you could get at a store. do something that will last several lifetimes and be cherished and appreciated forever and ever and ever!
now… trim down the leg openings so that everything is even. get rid of those little stray unravelly ends. we are going to make a standard hem, so, I didn’t photograph it… fold under a quarter inch. press. and then fold under another quarter inch. press. the reason why I press so much is because I HATE using pins when sewing doll clothes! they are so tiny, and the seam allowances are tiny and it can be frustrating… add to that pins making everything lumpy and POKING you a million times and it’s simply torture. and there is no point in that.
so, we have these lovely, neat and tidy hems that just need stitching. you could add on some rick-rack or in this case, lace… I usually go for plain, but today I was feeling fancy. don’t bother pinning… just sew slow and steady.
now the waist band… again, trim so everything is even and neat. fold in. press. fold again. press. sew.
here we have the finished inside-out knickers. they just need a bit of elastic. I have a chunky, dull rounded needle threaded with elasticized thread. find a larger hem stitch opening… they are usually over the bulky area where you had to sew over the seam allowances, and slide the needle up through it and run it through the hem and pull it out through the same stitch opening. knot the thread and then tug on the opening… the knot should slip up into the hem. do this for all three hems.
and there we have it! done! whew… easy peasy.
this doll, with her dress on, is posted below… she is already safe and sound at her new home.
