How to Sew a Half Slip

Slips are not as common these days as they once were however, I still wear one and I know there are times when you might need one as well. I will walk you through how to sew a half slip in this post and let you know what I learned in the end and what I would do differently next time.

What is the Best Material for a Half Slip?

In my opinion, the best material to use for a half slip is a fabric that will not stick to your dress or skirt that you plan to wear over it. The purpose of a slip is to provide an added layer of modesty to see-through fabric.

You’re going to want a fabric that’s on the lighter side as it’s an extra layer that you are wearing and you want it to be comfortable. However, you want it to do the job so depending on your garments you may prefer different types of fabric.

Some people make slips out of cotton however, I wouldn’t recommend this unless it’s on a small child possibly or you’re only going to wear it occasionally with one garment that won’t stick to it.

I suggest using a slippery light polyester active-wear type fabric or if you want to be fancier you could use satin, silk charmeuse, or crepe de chine. You can really use a variety of fabrics depending on what you like. You can also add lace to the bottom or a small bow to the top for extra flair!

I had a lightweight polyester on hand so that is what I’m using.

How Much Fabric do I Need for a Half Slip?

If you are making a short half slip 1 yard would be plenty but depending on your size, the length you need, and the width of the fabric you may need to get 1 1/2 – 2 yards.

How Long Should a Half Slip be?

The length of your slip will be determined by the type of garments you are wearing over it. You want to make sure it’s long enough to serve the purpose but you don’t want it hanging longer than your garment.

I usually make my slip a good 3 inches shorter than my skirt to make sure it’s not going to be hanging below.

How do you Make a Simple Half Slip?

Now we are going to have lots of fun together making a half slip! This is a simple project you can easily do if you’re a beginner. Let me get into the tools you are going to need.

Step 1: Gather Your Tools

What you’ll need:

• 1 – 2 yards of slip fabric
• thread for sewing
• narrow elastic for waist band
• crafting paper ( for the paper I use click this link https://amzn.to/3Wh6fDn -Amazon)
• pen or pencil
• measuring tape
• Quilting ruler ( for the one I use click this link https://amzn.to/3UxAxk3 – Amazon)
• French curve ruler ( for one similar to mine click this link https://amzn.to/3UyBFnv – Amazon )
• Sewing machine

Step 2: Get Your Measurments

The next step is to get your measurements. I’ll put the measurements you’ll need below.

** Make sure to wear form-fitting clothes or only your undergarments for taking measurements so they are more accurate. **

Waist (measure around the part of your waist where your slip will sit):

Hip:

Total Length of the finished slip:

Distance from your waist to your hip:

Width around the bottom of your slip:

Step 3: Draft Your Pattern

In this step gather your pattern paper and your ruler and a pen or pencil.

Then you’re going to need to take the total length that you want for your slip and add 1/2 inch for the hem plus 1/2 inch – 1 inch for the elastic casing depending on how wide your elastic is and use the edge of your pattern paper for this line and mark the top point and the bottom point.. This is your center back and center front that you will cut on the fold.

One thing I would do differently is go with very narrow elastic as I used 1-inch wide elastic but then realized once I was finished that it would be a bit more bulky under my skirt when I wear it. It will do but if I was doing it again, I would go with the narrow elastic.

Next, draw a straight line at the very top of your first line perpendicular to it. This is going to be your waistline but you need the slip to go over your hips so make it 1/4 of your hip measurement plus 1/2 inch for your seam allowance and 1/4 inch of ease.

For example: if your hip measurement is 40″ total then take 1/4 of that measurment which is 10″ and then add 1/2″ for the seam allowance and 1/4″ for ease so the length of this line would be 10 3/4″.

Next measure down from your top line to the distance between your waist and hip measurement and draw another line that is the same distance as your top line. This line will be parallel to your top waistline.

Next, go to the very bottom of your first line and draw the hem line perpendicular to the first line. This would be 1/4 of the measurement that you want for the width around the bottom of your slip plus 1/2 inch for seam allowance.

For example, if I wanted my slip to be 50 inch around the bottom then I would divide that by 4 and get 12 1/2 inches plus 1/2 inch for my seam allowance so the total length of this line would be 13 inches.

Next, draw a line from the top line to the bottom line using your ruler or a yardstick. Then I used my French curve ruler to curve the hip a bit so it wasn’t a straight line.

Wow, that was a lot of math but you did it!

I recommend writing your name on your pattern, the hem length on the bottom, the casing length on the top, 1/2 inch seam allowance somewhere on the pattern, and “cut 2 on fold” on the straight edge of your pattern. Write out anything that may help you in the future on your pattern.

Step 4: Cut Out Your Fabric

Next, lay out your fabric smoothly. Lay your pattern piece with the straight edge on the fold of your fabric and cut out two on the fold.

Step 5: Pin the Two Pieces Together

Next pin the two pieces right sides together on the side edges.

Step 6: Sew the Side Seams Together

Next, you’re going to want to sew your side seams together using the 1/2 inch seam allowance and using a serger or pinking shears to finish your side seams.

Press your seams and serge the bottom of your slip and the top of your slip.

Step 7: Hem Your Slip

After you’ve serged the bottom your going to want to press your hem up 1/2 inch and sew.

Check out the blog post on the best measuring tools for sewing!

Step 8: Make Your Elastic Casing

Next, you need to make your elastic casing. After you’ve serged the top of your slip fold down 1/2 inch or more depending on how wide your elastic is and press.

Sew around the casing but leave a 2-inch opening to feed your elastic through.

Cut your elastic to the correct length for your waist band. You will want it snug but not too tight. Add a safety pin to one end of the elastic and feed it through the casing.

Then once you’ve got your elastic in the casing stitch the ends of the elastic together using a zig-zag stitch and close up the opening.

Yay! You’re slip is done!

What I Learned

So I learned through making my slip that next time I’d use a narrow elastic as I stated before. I’d also really like to try making one with a fancier fabric such as silk charmeuse but I wanted to use what I had on hand first.

What are your thoughts on making your own half slip? Would you try it? Would you do anything differently than I did? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

If you’re interested in reading about how I made my own wedding dress, check out this post!