Mesh is a great choice for undies, whether you're sewing with our Kapunda Undies, our Waratah Undies and Period Undies or our Euba Thong!
Read our previous blog post on choosing fabric for your Kapundies here, and keep reading below for more info about what kind of mesh fabric will work with your undies.
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The mesh we've used in our Kapunda Undies, Waratah Undies, and Euba Thong is not powermesh (which is used in our Banksia Bralette), but is a much less firm fabric which is called 'stretch mesh' or 'dance mesh', I've also seen it referred to as 'stretch net' in the UK. You could even use this stretch mesh to make our Dulcie Boxer Briefs (but we'd recommend using a fabric like modal/spandex for the gusset).
What is Stretch Mesh?
Stretch mesh is a semi-sheer knit with great recovery- we'd recommend making sure that the fabric has both stretch and recovery (either by testing yourself or checking out the description of the fabric in the online shop) because you can also find mesh which isn't at all stretchy, and that wouldn't be appropriate for using in undies.
Where to use mesh
You could make the side-panel on your Kapunda Undies mesh, you could also use the mesh to make a fully mesh pair of any of our undies or Dulcie Boxer Briefs/chub rub shorts! We wouldn't necessarily recommend making the gusset from mesh as it's not an absorbent or wicking fabric. We love to use merino there instead as the natural properties of merino (wicking, doesn't hold smells, etc) make it a great choice for gussets, but modal or bamboo/spandex and cotton/spandex will also work.
Where to buy Stretch Mesh
Nellie Joans (NZ but ships worldwide) stocks sheer mesh in a variety of shades. Worth a mention is AllSkinTones.com, which sells stretch mesh in 'nude' shades for all skin tones. But you can also check Remnant Warehouse (Aus), Mood Fabrics (USA), Booby Traps (Aus), Fluky Fabrics (USA) Bra Makers Supplies (Canada), and DSI-London (UK), Pitt Trading (Aus) for options that might be closer to home.
Also check out this blog post of fancy fabrics for your undies, which includes some more links to suitable mesh fabrics!
Dance Shops
Another great place to shop stretch mesh (4-way stretch fabrics and powermesh too!) are your local dance-fabric shops! Searching 'Dance Fabric *insert your town or city*' had great results for me. Check out Glitter and Dance (Aus) and Dance Fabrics (NZ) if those are local to you. Specialty dance fabric shops will often stock both 4-way stretch mesh AND powermesh which you can use with our Banksia Bralette too!
Happy Sewing!
Jess