cotton spandex jersey

Tips For Making Your Own Bralettes and Briefs

January 27, 2016

2016 may just be “The Year of the Handmade Undies” and we’re totally embracing it. Handmade intimates? File under: Things we love. Today, we are so excited to have Spoonflower’s Aussie friend and maker, Sophie, of Ada Spragg stop by the blog to share some pro-tips for making your own under-garments using Spoonflower’s new undie-friendly Cotton Spandex Jersey. Are you ready to get intimate with your sewing projects? If yes, prepare to be inspired!

Sophie: Have you ever considered sewing your own intimates? If not, today’s project will open your eyes! I like to think of sewing underwear as the ultimate quickie project. It’s so easy. And fun. And we all love satisfying sews. Did I mention it uses hardly any fabric at all? Less than a fat quarter per separate piece. I don’t know about you, but I always feel a sense of smug satisfaction at making something with as little fabric as possible…kind of like using up every cut of meat. And when sewing with such a small quantity of fabric there’s a sense that, well, if things don’t work out then you haven’t wasted 3.5 yards of Silk Crepe de Chine. And if you’re already sewing most of your own clothes or a good portion of them, sewing underwear feels like next level self-sufficiency.

Cotton Spandex Jersey Free Swatch Day!

January 21, 2016

Get a Free Swatch of Spoonflower's brand new soft and stretchy natural fabric: Cotton Spandex Jersey!

24 Hours Only
Between 10 AM EST Thursday, January 21st through 10 AM EST Friday, January 22nd, 2016

Log into your Spoonflower account to get a free, custom-printed swatch of our new Cotton Spandex Jersey fabric, along with free shipping.

For 24 hours, one and all can get a free 8 in. x 8 in. test swatch of Cotton Spandex Jersey printed using any design available in the Spoonflower marketplace, or using your own design. Open to US and to non-US customers. Shipping will also be free. Woot!

HOW DOES IT WORK? This offer is limited to one free swatch per customer and household. To activate the discount, log into your Spoonflower account and use the Go For It button (visible on each fabric design page next to the Free Swatch Information) to add a swatch-sized piece of Cotton Spandex Jersey to your shopping cart between 10 AM EST on Thursday, January 21st and 10 AM EST on Friday, January 22nd, then proceed to checkout. The discount will be subtracted from your cart total automatically. Note that in order to receive your swatches, you need to log into your account and follow the transaction through to the order confirmation page. [And yes, shipping is free, too.] This offer works for your own designs or for any of the designs available for sale in the Spoonflower marketplace. Multiple orders from the same household and/or customer will be disqualified.

Travel Tissue Cover with French Seams

January 19, 2016

What happens when you combine Spoonflower’s Cotton Spandex Jersey, the brilliant mind of SammyK, and the winter cold and flu season? An adorable tissue-cozy swatch project, that’s what! Spoonflower friend and designer Samarra Khaja (SammyK) stops by the blog to bring you a swatch project that’s adorable, practical, and you can finish it up in just a few quick seams. Enjoy!

5 Underwear Patterns That’ll Make Your Day

January 15, 2016

DIY lingerie is our latest obsession. With little more than a fat quarter or half a yard, you can have a new pair of underwear cut specifically to your dimensions for the most flattering fit possible. Next time you feel the urge to run out and buy new store bought underwear, take a look at your stretch fabric stash and consider making your own with your sewing machine or serger at home. Need a little fabric inspo? Now that we offer Cotton Spandex Jersey, the perfect stretch cotton for undies can now be ordered with any fabric you want from the marketplace, or one you’ve created yourself. So why not give it a try? Here are five of our fave patterns to get you started.

High Waist Panties | Ohh Lulu Sews

Madeleine Victorian Bloomers | Colette Patterns

Panties Pattern | So, Zo…What Do You Know?

Pro Tip: This tutorial is really simple. I think it took about 30 minutes total to sew up these undies – and that’s including some messing up. My mess up was this was the first time I’d ever used Fold Over Elastic – and I didn’t practice like the tutorial suggested (OOPS!). So I would definitely practice with a scrap first. Another tip: use a walking foot (I don’t know how I lived without one for so long)! The walking foot helped keep the elastic from sliding off of the edge of the fabric and helped feed it through nice and evenly. Once I switched from a regular presser foot to a walking foot they looked super nice and like something you would buy at a store.