Lingerie Guards
Lingerie guards were originally intended to keep bra and/or slip straps from sliding off your shoulder, but they can also tame a wide or loose neckline. You can make them from ribbons, seam binding, fabric tubing or thread chains. They are usually located at the shoulder seams, but they can be used where needed, at any strategic location.
To make a pair of ribbon guards:
1. Cut a piece of 1/4"-wide satin ribbon about 8" long.
2. On one end of the ribbon, fold 1/4" to the wrong side. Knot a single strand of thread and hide the knot under the fold. TIP: Wax and press the thread to reduce kinking and knotting.
3. Place the ball of the snap over the raw edge. Sew the snap in place, bringing the needle out of one of the eyelets on the snap. Sew through the eyelet twice, then into the ribbon. Run the thread between the snap and ribbon, and bring the needle out of the next eyelet. (1) Repeat until all eyelets have been sewn.
4. Sew a second snap-ball at the opposite end of the ribbon in the same manner as step 3. Cut the ribbon in half and set them aside. These are the two lingerie guards.
5. With the garment wrong side up, establish the location for the lingerie guard. Generally, this will be at the shoulder on the seam allowance, facing, or lining. When possible, position the lingerie guard so it is directly over the strap to which it will be anchored. This is often at the center of the shoulder seam. However, when the neckline is either wide or the armscye cut-away, this is not always practical and the guard must be located where needed to anchor the neckline to the lingerie straps.
6. Mark the location for the snap socket so that it is about 1/4" from the neck edge. On very narrow shoulders, it may have to be closer. Sew the socket in place. (2)
7. Snap the lingerie guard in place.
8. Determine the location and length for the opposite end of the ribbon. For most garments, the lingerie guards will be about 2" or less in length.
TIP: Generally, lingerie guards should have a little ease (approximately 1/4") so they won’t distort the garment at the top of the shoulder. When the shoulder seams are narrow, reduce the ease as needed so the guards won’t show at the neckline or armscye. If you have deep hollows or indentations on your shoulders, increase the ease when possible to establish a more attractive line.
9. To secure the end of the lingerie guard, fold under the end 1/4". Sew it permanently with small whip stitches around three sides for about 1/4" on each side. (3)
10. Repeat to secure the other lingerie guard.
11. For extra control on deep necklines, sew a second guard 3-4" below the fi rst.
12. If the design has narrow straps, sew a guard at the base of each strap on both the front and back.