I have been sewing for years now! I’ve sewn a lot of clothes, quite a few accessories, some easy, some complicated, some challenging, some relaxing but… never lingerie! Pretty crazy, especially since I love lace.

Since I started working at the shop, I often eyed the lace trims, each more beautiful than the last. When Arlette Sew joined the adventure of patterns offered by Eugénie, I saw it as a sign: I’m diving into underwear!

Are you following me?

The pattern 

I chose to start with the Tanga, a lovely model that fits well around the hips without being too covering. As the brand describes it: “The model offered with its mid Brazilian-style back cut sits between a tanga and briefs.” It is low-rise and features a seam in the center back that creates a beautiful curve following the wearer’s shape.

It is available as a PDF in two size ranges, the first from 34 to 44 and the second from 46 to 60. The PDF requires assembling A4 sheets, but that’s really a quick step.

It also has the advantage of being versatile in terms of fabrics: it’s designed for fine, stretchy fabrics like lace, but can also be cut from satin. The pattern has no variations, which I don’t see as a problem because once you’ve made it a few times, you can really have fun varying the fabrics, the elastics, easily modifying the cut… in short, making it your own to refresh it each time.

Practical information for sewing the pattern 

Anna, the creator of the brand Arlette Sew, has done a wonderful job supporting the instructions that come with the pattern. Indeed, they fill 5 pages of explanations, photos, and valuable advice. The assembly is designed to be sewn with a serger, but all steps are detailed for sewing either with a serger or a sewing machine. Moreover, it’s easy to feel a bit lost with the specifics of cutting and sewing lace. The instructions present, at each new step, how to do (or not do) things by explaining the reasons, which makes the process very clear while being very educational.

For cutting, for example, the pattern pieces don’t fit within the height of the trim (despite my precaution of choosing the widest trim). In this case, the instructions explain how to position the pieces to make the most of the trim length but also the lace decorations like scallops, which is very helpful because the final result is much more refined. Similarly, the elastic application is explained step by step, from defining its length to the different widths and lengths of zigzag stitches to set on the sewing machine. This makes the testing phase efficient and quick.  

In the seamstress’s basket 

To make this tanga, you will need:
- Between 1.20 m and 1.50 m of lace trim or 40 cm of mesh or another stretchy fabric sold by the meter
 - Between 1.50 m and 3 m of picot elastic depending on the finish chosen
- 15 cm of cotton jersey for the crotch lining
- polyester thread    

For hygiene reasons, it’s really important to cut the crotch lining from cotton jersey and avoid synthetic materials (no worries about the small percentage of elastane in the jersey, it doesn’t cause any issues).

My supplies 

I chose to make my model in a very beautiful white lace presented as a 22 cm wide trim.

For the elastic, I went with a picot elastic with “small waves”, white and discreet because I didn’t want to overload the whole and wanted to keep the focus on the lace.

The crotch was cut from a scrap of white cotton jersey from my stash.

The thread is Gütermann white thread no. 800, always so high quality.

My version 

Since it was my first lingerie item, I followed the pattern to the letter, without modifying the cut. I chose size 40 and the piece is really very comfortable. I find it very pretty and I feel very comfortable in it, a real joy! To tell you, I immediately made a second one, without changing anything from my first version. The only change I made was more technical: after a first fitting during the making, I chose not to put picot elastic on the front of the waist to keep all the elegance of the lace edge. And since size 40 fits me really well, the front sits correctly without being too wide.

Indicated difficulty level and technical points 

The brand indicates that the pattern is suitable for beginners. Indeed, it is technically accessible and the instructions really guide well at each step of cutting and sewing.

That said, it’s good to have at least a little sewing experience that includes general basics, but also to be somewhat familiar with sewing stretchy and lightweight fabrics and handling elastics. Now, testing, trying, making mistakes, starting over, better understanding the techniques and materials, and preparing well allow beginners to create beautiful projects and, in doing so, improve their skills. 

More concretely, the technical points to work on are:
- cutting a light and lively fabric, with scallops if your fabric has them
- sewing an openwork fabric
- applying lingerie elastic
- managing thicknesses

My sewing experience 

I think it’s safe to say I fell into the lingerie cauldron. After this first piece, I went on to renew my underwear drawer by making about ten panties. I used the tanga pattern and others to enrich my discoveries. But one thing is certain: this model holds a special place in my pattern collection for the quality of its cut and the richness of its explanations. I wouldn’t be surprised to come back for advice, even when sewing another model.

And on the C’est du Joly workshop side, we offer you an introductory lingerie course. In 4 hours, the workshop allows you to sew your first woven panty to fully understand the pattern pieces, their assembly, and the elastic application. 

For the more experienced, shall we try a piece entirely in lace? The new course is online! 

So, shall we meet at the workshop for your first handmade panty/tanga?

Get your needles ready!