Cat and mouse Nora knickers.

I’ve been finding it difficult to find the time to sew lately. Three months ago I started a new job with Caleche Bridal here in Adelaide, and while it has been wonderful to be back in a busy design room, it has made it hard to get into my own studio and make anything for myself. I have so much fabric in my stash that is waiting patiently to be transformed into my dream wardrobe, and I will get through it in time, but for now it’s small projects only. The Nora knickers is one such project.

If you’re looking for an easy project that is fast but satisfying, and have been wanting to give lingerie a go, the Nora knickers is a great pattern to start with. I made these knickers in 2 x 1 hour sessions. I find that sewing in bursts is the way to go these days. Even if I only get 15 minutes a day, one or two steps gets done, and the project will edge closer to completion every day.

Here’s a quick overview of how easy it is to put these together.

The first step is to cut all the pieces. I’ve used the hipster option of the pattern. I used this cute cat and mouse print, it’s a poly/spandex and quite lightweight, so will be very comfy to wear – and I’m a cat lady at heart! The black lace is from my stash, and I’ve used cotton/spandex for the gusset lining.

The side seams of the front and back are the first seams to be sewn. The gusset is also prepared by overlocking / serging the gusset and gusset lining right sides together at the sides and then turning to the right side out. The gusset pattern is slightly smaller that the outer gusset, so the seam sits underneath.

The lace seams at the front and back are then sewn together. This is probably the most tricky part, as the lace has to line up perfectly at the bottom edge of the seam. It will help if you have cut the lace as a perfect pair. I give tips for this in the pattern instructions.

The lace is then placed right sides together to the upper section of the knicker. I recommend basting this together first before you serge / overlock.

The knickers should look like this. It’s a good idea to give the seam a quick press on a low setting.

The gusset is then attached to the front and back using a small zig zag stitch. I suggest you pin the lace evenly onto the gusset first, and then zig zag around the top curve of the gusset and then down along the edge of the lace.

Lastly the elastic is attached to the waist. I used a 3 step zig zag to attach the first round and then a small zig zag stitch for the outer stitching. If you are new to lingerie sewing attaching elastic is something that takes practice. I suggest you overlap the elastic and sew it together so it’s in a round loop first. Then you can easily divide it into quarters and pin it so that the gather is even around the waist.

And my pretty cat and mouse knickers are good to go!