Hi All! I had my 1st, 1st for 2021! I made my first pair of panties! I was selected in the second round of testing for the Kiki Briefs Pattern by Sinclair Patterns. I made a couple of pieces of lingerie way back when I was in school for design, but nothing much since then. I’ve been wanting to try it and my chance came along with this test. I have to admit that it was more difficult than I thought it would be. I’ve read many times in different groups about how making panties is so easy and a great scrap buster. Well….I’m not running back so fast for a second go around with this kind of fabrication again. This was a lightweight swim knit. It was difficult for me to handle and I’m a very experienced sewist. This was confirmed in the testing group by other members of the test group that have more experience with making undies that a more substantial fabrication would be a better experience. So I will give it another go at some point.
Since I knew this pattern would be a test run for me, I needed to do a fit sample first. It’s always a good idea to do a sample and make sure the pattern fits well so you can make any necessary corrections to fine tune the pattern. So I decided to make this from another garment that was in the donation pile. That was fine with me because I love a good upcycle. I used one of my sons swim shirts that he doesn’t fit into anymore for this project. It was only gently worn and still had the vibrant shades of blue that are my favorite. When I upcycle a garment or item into something new, it can’t look like it did in it’s former life. Well this swim shirt looks nothing like this bikini/panty does it? I liked that I was able to use the shirt’s flatlocked seams as a design detail on the panty. Win! Plus it feels good to make something that wasn’t useful into something that is. For me, it feels less wasteful. I chose to style it in the photos like a bikini bottom for fun. If I were to make this again as an actual bikini bottom, I would use this pattern again but use the floating gusset option and add a full lining.
When I first saw the line drawings for this pattern, I wanted to make the version with elastics for the leg openings and the narrow waistband, but it was unclear to me how to calculate those measurements. All of that information has been added to the tutorial in the form of a chart to easily select those elastic measurements. That’s one thing about testing patterns. It’s a work in progress, so not all the information is always readily available until later in the testing process. It was ok, I just did a different version of the pattern using bands for the leg openings and the waistband. I selected version “C” with the fixed gusset and mid rise. I used my Singer Pro Finish to construct the entire brief. I set it up to sew a 3 thread narrow overlock stitch and it worked perfectly. Love my SPF!!!
The Kiki Brief is a full coverage brief pattern in the front and back. This pattern has many variations and options. There are low, medium and high rise options with floating or fixed gussets. The pattern has been designed for different leg finishes such as clear, picot, fold over or braided elastic and also regular bands. There are also options for different waistbands including a high rise for a little extra control. As with all of Sinclair’s newest patterns, they come in REGULAR, PETITE and TALL sizes from XXS to 4XL. They also accommodate all the popular pdf pattern printing sizes including projector option!!
I hope if you were looking to try your first panty like I was that you’ll take a look at the Kiki Briefs Pattern by Sinclair Patterns. It’s on a special release SALE price, so check it out. I promise it’s not as scary as you think. Just use the suggested fabrications for the pattern, not like me and go rouge with a fabric that was difficult to work with. Lesson Learned for Me!!
