Sew a Vintage-Inspired Half Slip

by Christina Dennis

This dress was beautiful, but it needed a lining badly! (Oh-so-see-through!) I whipped up a little vintage-inspired half slip for it the first time I wore it using a scrap of lining fabric and cotton lace. Here’s how I did it:

Materials:

• 1 yard lining fabric (or cotton woven, cotton jersey, silk)
• 1 yard cotton lace trim (optional)
• 1 yard 1″ elastic

Directions:

Cut a piece of fabric that is approximately 1 1/2 times the width of your waist and the length you want your slip to be + 2″ (for the elastic casing and bottom hem). Fold it in half right sides together, and sew the center back seam. I used a serger, but you could use a regular machine and zigzag the raw edges.

Finish the top and bottom raw edges with either a serger or a zigzag. Hem the lower edge by folding it up 1/2″ and sewing. Fold the upper edge over 1 1/4″ and sew close to the finished edge to make a casing for the elastic. Leave a 1 1/2″ opening, thread elastic through, then sew the opening shut.

If desired, sew a strip of lace over the bottom hem as shown. It’s a pretty detail that could peek out from beneath a skirt! Finally, I like to sew a line in the middle of my elastic casing to ensure the elastic doesn’t roll and flip (as shown above). That’s it! It’s a pretty little slip for beneath those sheer skirts and dresses that’s easy to make and so sweet and feminine!