Look at the gorgeous teddies and nighties in the expensive magazine and toss the book and make your own. Have in mind an idea of the look you want and choose the perfect material. The fabric is extremely important when it comes to making nighties. Not only does it need to be comfortable and look beautiful, it needs to be washable and in some cases stretchy. A pattern made from denim will look much different from the same pattern made from lace.
Patterns for bathing suits, short flimsy skirts or panties and bras are helpful when it comes to making lingerie, but you can also use items of clothing from your closet for patterns. Fold a tee shirt in half, lay it out on the folded fabric, and cut the pattern without the sleeves. Cut the front lower, in a scoop, and the back lower as well. Now cut the pattern longer than the tee shirt, above the knee, or to the floor. Use a wispy fabric and you’ve got a beautiful gown.
Measure a wide piece of lace to go around the chest area, from under the arms. Cut tricot fabric to be twice that measurement. Cut the length that you want. Pucker the fabric while sewing it onto the lace piece, side seam and hem. You can also put a baste stitch along the top edge of the skirt, then pull and gather until it is the proper size for attaching to the lace top. Make wide straps from strips of the lace to attach to the front and back areas of the top lace.
Use a stretchy fabric to make a tube top. Border the top edge of the tube top with quarter-inch lace. Attach spaghetti straps or leave strapless. Stretch and sew a small piece of elastic between the breasts, to give the cups shape. Measure hips and add 10" for gathering. Cut this measurement straight across the fabric, then down to the length desired. The skirt can be mini, knee-length or any length you want to make it. Stitch lace around the hem of the skirt and sew side seam. Align the sides of the skirt with the sides of the tube top and sew around the waist area, making tiny gathers as you go along. Marking the front, sides, back and in between those marks will make it easy to align and gather as you go around. Align each new mark on the tube top and skirt while gathering and sewing around the waist. Because the elastic in the tube top draws the top up slightly in the front, the skirt, in the front, will also draw up, giving the gown a unique look.
Change the design by crossing the straps in the back, making the straps where they tie on the shoulder, or placing an appliqué on the front of the tube top. Another great look for this gown is to cut it at a tea length, with the hem made hanky-style rather than straight across. The hanky style is made by cutting six to eight tall teepee shapes out of the hemline, then hemming the points. Make the gown short with matching panties. Use black satin for the underneath of the skirt and overlay it with see-through black lace.
A one-piece bathing suit, cut from nylon, tricot or stretch lace makes a fabulous teddy creation. Look for simple patterns and enhance them by braiding three straps together or outlining the legs with lace. Any portion of the outfit can be cut away and replaced with peek-a-boo lace. Make the teddy look completely different by using a wide piece of satin or another fabric to make a “collar” that snaps or has Velcro. Place a cameo or a monogram in the center of the collar. Make matching gloves by drawing around the hand with fingers apart onto stretch lace fabric. Turn the pattern upside down to make the other glove. Sew the gloves and cut tiny slits from the edge to the stitching, all the way around each of the fingers. This allows the gloves to turn right side out easier and allows for a better fit.
It’s easy to make a matching bed jacket for the teddy. Choose a large shirt and cut out the pattern pieces. If it’s an old shirt, you can cut it apart to get exact measurements, or trace pattern pieces to use. Make a cuff with no buttons or cut it in a short sleeve design. Cut the shirt longer than it is and round it off instead of making it squared at the bottom, or trim the hem with lace. Instead of putting buttons down the front, make a tie belt to go with it. The jacket can be made any length.
