Theres always a big debate on whether or not its worth the effort to make undies for your kids. I’m on the side of YES! I have a couple tips/tricks to maximize the effort it takes and why I think its worth it. (This was the first set I did)

Hands down theres no ready to wear undies that fit as well as Kids Scrundlewear by SUAT. Its got great coverage. I love the extra modesty for my little Miss. (especially since I also use this pattern for bathing suits… I’ll link that post later, your welcome!)

I like using cotton lycra for undies since its the best stretch/recovery and breathability. I have also used Modal for the body of undies, but I stick with cotton lycra for the bands. I would recommend staying away from fabrics that aren’t as breathable (double brushed poly, DBP) or thicker (French Terry, FT). I like using custom cotton lycra from Snowy Owl Customs. They have a wide range of prints for adults and kids and solids and prints! Its a one stop shop. This princess print is from Christy’s Cute Designs and these solids are from Mel at Purple Seamstress.

The next major reason I love them is because I chose fabrics to help my little learn to dress herself. I pick a solid white for the waistband, solid color for the back and leg bands, and a print for the front. People who have more then one kid (and therefore more then one size of scrundies in the mix will use a different solid color for each size i.e. size two has yellow band, size 3 has orange, etc).

I make mine in a big batch. I usually make about 20, I could definitely get by with less but I like not worrying about laundry- or accidents! (This is the second batch I did with improved white waistband)

1 yard of a print, a little more then 1/2 yard white cotton lycra, and 1 yard of 2 solid colors is what it takes me to make my batch of 20. I typically use a custom cotton lycra print for the front (which is the priciest fabric). I like to let her pick which one(s) she wants. I get my solid cotton lycra from Purple Seamstress (linked above) which is much cheaper. An added bonus of mixing the print/solids is that it also makes the undies more affordable! Doing it this way each undie is less then $2, even with using a custom print! (I also tend to use scraps of fabric from other projects which also brings the cost down too!)

Sewing underwear is a great way to practice some crucial sewing skills, especially when your doing the same skill over and over again. You can read my previous blog post on why I think underwear making is such a fabulous make for those who are starting to sew Starting to Sew? Revamp Your Undies

The construction is according to the pattern! I like to attach all the liners and body first. Then I top stitch all the liners on. Next I go through and sew all the side seams on the body. Then I attach all the leg bands. Last I attach all the waistbands. Doing it this semi mass production way allows it to go fast and be affordable!

I’ll link ways to save scraps to undies in another post later… I notice that when I just save scraps as scraps somehow they never quite make it into anything, so I’ve derived a new system that perfect for mass assembly underwear production!