We are going to show you how to create a bra and a pair of briefs from a leotard. This is a great way to repurpose that leotard that you have outgrown – Turn it into two pieces. You just need some simple sewing skills, some elastic and a sewing machine. It is really easy.
Supplies:
- Leotard
- Thread to match the leotard
- Elastic
- Pins
- Scissors
- Sharpie, tailor’s chalk or a small piece of soap
Directions:
- Cutting the Leotard
Put the leotard on the dancer and pin where you want the bottom of the bra to end. You need to consider how far it pulls up when she puts her arms up – you need to make the top long enough that it completely covers her bust when she pulls her arms up. Then give yourself some extra room to be on the safe side. In the demonstration, we put the pin down about an inch below that lowest line.
Lay the leotard flat on the table. You are not going to cut where the pin sits. To allow enough room for the elastic and then turn the fabric over the elastic to cover it, you will need to add another inch. So, make a little mark about an inch below the pin at the seam, both front and back. Fold the leotard in half so that the leg holes and the arm holes match. Make sure that the seams match up all the way from the armholes to the leg holes. Then make a little mark with the marker, front and back, on the other seam so that it matches the first mark you made.
Open the leotard up so that the seams are on top of each other and there is a fold down the front and a fold down the back. Make sure that everything matches up. Match the straps on the top, the leg holes, the armholes and the necklines, front and back. Now, this is the critical part, take the extra time to double check that the leotard is laying nice and flat and everything lines up. Then pin the two layers of the leotard together at the seams approximately an inch above and an inch below the marks on the seams.
Bring the fold in the center of the front over to the seam and mark the fold with a mark that corresponds to the mark on the seam. Pin the leotard together above and below that mark. Lay the front down +again and do the same with the back fold. Once you have all the pins in place, lay the leotard flat again checking again to make same that everything matches up and the leotard is laying completely flat.
Once you have pinned and checked that the leotard is laying flat, use a yardstick and draw a straight line from the mark on the fold, through the mark on the seams and to the mark on the other fold. Carefully cut along that line. Remove the pins and open the leotard up again.
If you have any questions about the length of the top, err on the side of a little extra fabric.
After cutting the leo, place the top and the briefs flat on the table. The top should be a little longer in front and with the briefs should be a little higher in the back. Put the top side aside so we are ready to sew the elastic.
- Preparing the briefs
Lay the briefs flat and you will see that they are probably a little high waisted. However, this will not be the finished height. It will actually be about an inch lower to allow for the elastic. in essence an inch will come off when you put the elastic on. With that in mind, you will need to decide how high you want the waist to be. If you do want the waist to come down a little, repeat the process of matching the top, leg holes and the seams and making sure the briefs are lying flat on the table. Once you determine where you want the waistline to be, mark the briefs an inch above that point and cut the excess off. When you cut the top of the briefs, keep in mind that that the space above the leg holes should be the same on both sides. Of course, you want to verify that everything is nice and flat and everything matches before you cut.
You already know the bottom half fits but you want to make sure the waist stays up. So, with the briefs nice and flat, lay the elastic across the waistline. Stop about an inch before the seam. Double that length and At that point, fold the elastic in half. Before you cut the elastic. If you have any questions about the length of the elastic, place the folded strip on top of the briefs. If it is still about an inch short, you are good to go. This would make the elastic about two inches shorter than the waistline. Cut the elastic. Overlap the ends of the elastic and pin them together. Match the elastic where it is pinned together to the back seam of the briefs. Match the seams of the briefs and fold the briefs in half so that the fold is at the front and back. Fold the elastic in half the same way. Pin the fold of the elastic to the front seam. Unfold the briefs. Fold the elastic the other direction and pin the folds of the elastic to the side seams of the briefs.
- Preparing the top.
This will be handled the same as the brief. Lay the bra down flat on the table and lay the elastic on top. When the elastic is an inch shorter than the bottom of the top, fold the elastic over, match the elastic and cut it matches the end of the elastic. The elastic should then be about two inches shorter than the bottom of the bra. Overlap the ends of the elastic and pin them together. Match the armholes and straps together and fold the bra in half so that the folds are center front and center back. Fold the elastic in half with one end of the fold is where it is pinned together and put a pin in the other end of the fold. Match the elastic where it is pinned together to the back fold of the bra. Match the pin to the front fold of the bra. Next, lay the leotard down on the table. Fold the elastic in half again in the other direction. Pin the two folds of the elastic to the side seams.
- Sewing the elastic
The elastic should fit great but if you have any question about the fit of the elastic, it would be wise to try it on the girl before you sew it down.
Set the machine on a wide zig zag stitch so that it will stretch. If you have a stretch stitch on your machine, that would be even better. Using thread that matches the elastic, sew the elastic to the back of the garment. Stitch the elastic where it overlaps so that it will not open up. Cut the excess thread. Now lay the garment down on the machine so that you can stitch the elastic to the garment. Holding the garment where it is pinned to the garment, stretch the elastic just enough so that the garment is smooth and without puckers. To make sure that it stays smooth while you are stitching, stitch on top of the briefs side, not the side of the elastic. Start where the elastic is stitched to the back and stitch to the first pin. Move your grip on the briefs and keeping the garment pulled out, stitch the edge of the elastic to the edge of the garment. Make sure as you go that the elastic stays even with the edge of the garment. As you get to the first pin, change where you are holding the garment so that you are holding that first pin and the second pin. Again, stretch the garment out so that the garment is smooth under the elastic and sew. Once you have reached the second pin, move your hands so that you are holding the third and the fourth pin and stretch the elastic until the garment is smooth under the elastic. Keep doing that until you have stretched all the way around the garment. If your machine does not sew over pins, remove them as you go.
If your machine has the option of removing part of the machine so that you can sew around leg holes, etc., it is a good option to use.
Turn the garment inside out. Fold the material inside just enough to cover the elastic. Match the seams and pin the edge down. Stitch about 7/8” down from the top on the outside of the garment and keep the stitches even from the edge. It is important to stitch on the outside of the garment to make sure that the material does not pucker as you sea Again, you are using the stretch or zig zag stitch. Pull the garment taut and make sure that the material does not shift from side to side. Move your hands as necessary but continue to pull the garment smooth with the edge of the garment folded over at the edge of the elastic. The whole time you are stitching, check the sewing guide on machine next to the needle to make sure that the stitch stays even with edge of the garment. When you get to the starting point, stitch over the beginning stitch a few stitches to secure the stitches. At this point, stretch the garment and elastic out to make sure that none of the stitches snap. If they do, then stitch over that area.
One thing to keep in mind as you are stitching is to never pull the material taut when the needle is down. You will break a needle.
