Frequently Asked Questions

You should receive an e-mail with your order confirmation if the order was placed successfully. The confirmation e-mail usually arrives immediately, but if it has not arrived in your inbox within 24 hours, please get in touch with me to double-check! (Don’t forget to check your spam folder!)

Please get in touch with me asap! If something is missing or the wrong product was sent, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Kirstin (hello[at]smallbobbins[dot]com) asap so that we can find a solution.

See the Shipping page for more info. Orders are typically packed within 1-4 business days of when your order is placed, and currently, all packages are shipped via Bpost (the Belgian postal service), DHL, PostNL, or DPD. If you have chosen a tracked shipping option, you will receive a link to track your package (don’t forget to check your spam folder!). If you have chosen “letter” or “untracked” shipping options, this means there is no tracking and you will not receive further information about where your package is.

If you have a tracking link and your package seems stuck, or it mentions that it’s undeliverable, or some other sort of issue, please get in touch asap so we can open an investigation with the shipping company. If you have chosen either the “letter” or “untracked” shipping options, please wait 14 business days from when your order was marked “completed” (you should’ve received an email noting this), as that’s the day when your package was taken to the post office, before getting in touch. Many locations are still experiencing longer delivery times. After that, we can explore possible solutions.

You are welcome to send any suggestions to Kirstin at hello[at]smallbobbins[dot]com!

Okay, nobody ever asks a question like this, but make sure you sign up for the newsletter anyway!

Lingerie sewing can be a fun and satisfying activity, and anybody can do it! If you’ve never sewn any lingerie before, I recommend starting out with making panties. There are many free underwear patterns available so you can dip your toe into lingerie sewing (check out the Small Bobbins Youtube for more about this), and you can use readily available stretch fabrics and a bit of elastic to get started. Practice sewing with stretchy fabrics, applying elastics, and sewing curves to build your lingerie sewing skills, then, as your confidence grows, move onto different projects like bralettes, bodysuits, swimsuits, and underwire bras. In my opinion, sewing lingerie itself is not difficult and can be achieved with practice and patience, but fitting lingerie to your own unique body can be a journey. Starting with garments that are easier to fit (like basic panties and wireless bralettes) can help build your skills while you learn more about fitting. Don’t get discouraged and have fun!

It’s difficult to give a general answer for this! Some people prefer to shop for a specific project; in that case, the pattern you’re using should give guidance on the amount of materials needed. You can use our lingerie kits as inspiration for which materials and how much of each material you may need for a particular garment.

Most of the fabrics available at Small Bobbins are synthetic and will not shrink in the wash, therefore they do not need to be pre-washed. If you wish to prewash your fabrics, treat them as you would the final garment. Handmade lingerie should typically be hand-washed, or washed in a gentle washing cycle, and dried flat. Tumble driers are typically too hot for elastics and synthetic materials and will shorten the lifespan of your lingerie (store-bought too!). If your materials become wrinkled, most can be gently pressed using a low setting on your iron and a press-cloth; always test this first!

A lingerie-sewing kit includes a bundle of coordinating materials that you can use to sew up different lingerie garments. It takes the guesswork out of going through the whole shop to pick out matching materials, and includes a bonus discount rather than if you had added each of the materials to your cart separately!

It depends! Some kits include materials that are meant for a particular garment, such as a wireless bralette or pair of panties, and include enough materials for someone to make at least one of those garments. How much use you’ll get out of one kit depends on how you use the materials.

There are lots of possibilities! The lingerie kits are typically compiled with a certain type of garment in mind, rather than a specific pattern, and include the types and amounts of materials that are typically enough for one of these garments. Because of the growing diversity of lingerie sewing patterns available, it is possible that a general kit might not include everything you need for a specific pattern. Always check the list of supplies that the designer provides for their pattern, and feel free to email Kirstin (hello[at]smallbobbins[dot]com) if you have any questions about whether a certain kit will work for a certain pattern! We are also proud to offer PDF sewing patterns from Madalynne Intimates, and coordinating kits that work specifically with Madalynne patterns.

Do I *have* to make a {insert pattern/garment} with that specific kit?

Heck no! Think of a kit like a stash-builder, a starting point for getting a bunch of fabrics and notions in coordinating colors, or just a good deal on a bundle of materials. Wanna make a few bras out of a stockings & garter kit? Wanna combine a sheer mesh kit with lace? Wanna make a two-piece set out of a bodysuit kit? Go wild!

After your order has been confirmed, you will receive an email that contains links to access your pattern files. These links are only valid for a limited time, so please download them asap in a safe and accessible location. You’ll also be able to download your pattern files from the “Downloads” section, when you log in to your Small Bobbins Account. Please note that when you purchase a PDF pattern, it is a digital file and you will not receive a physical copy of it.

Just send Kirstin an email at hello[at]smallbobbins[dot]com (please include your order number) and we’ll get it sorted out asap!

The Courlis Stockings is a layered PDFs, which means you can turn off all the sizes that you don’t need. We recommend using Adobe Acrobat Reader to view your PDF files, and you can watch a short video on how to use layered PDF files here.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, some patterns that were previously sold on Small Bobbins are no longer available. If you have a question about a pattern you have previously purchased from Small Bobbins, please feel free to send me an email.

You will need a Small Bobbins Wholesale account in order to view wholesale products and prices. Without an account, or with an individual (non-business) account, you may still be able to see the products, but not the wholesale prices.

If you already have a Small Bobbins customer account: (likely if you’ve previously made a purchase from Small Bobbins)

• Go to the My Account page
• Login to your Small Bobbins account, if you haven’t already
• Look for the “Upgrade to Wholesaler” button
• Fill out the form
• *If you do not have a VAT number, you can fill in “n/a”, but please note that only eligible orders will have VAT removed at checkout. (You will still be able to add your VAT number at checkout, or update your VAT number in your account at a later time.)

If you do not have a Small Bobbins account yet:

• Go to the Wholesale Registration page and fill out the form
• *If you do not have a VAT number, you can fill in “n/a”, but please note that only eligible orders will have VAT removed at checkout. (You will still be able to add your VAT number at checkout, or update your VAT number in your account at a later time.)

Once your request is approved, you will receive an e-mail notifying you. Then you will be able to login to your Wholesale account, view the Wholesale products and prices, and order directly.

Wholesale orders work exactly the same as regular orders. You can browse the Wholesale categories, see the prices and product descriptions, add them to your cart, and place your order directly through the webshop. You can read more about this on the Ordering, Payment, and Shipping page. All orders placed through the webshop, wholesale or otherwise, must be paid for in full prior to shipping.

Once you are logged into your Wholesale account, you can browse the sample section to order sample products. Not all items are available as samples; for example, if you would like a sample of lace, you can order one meter.

Any product available in the Wholesale category can be purchased directly at any quantity: in other words, there is no MOQ. There are price breaks depending on the quantity you’d like to purchase. If you are logged into your Wholesale account, then you can see the price breaks on each Wholesale product page, which is reflected in your Cart automatically.

Please feel free to e-mail Kirstin at hello[at]smallbobbins[dot]com! Read more about our offerings and services on the Wholesale/B2B page.

There are some items available in the Small Bobbins webshop that are only available in small amounts and are, therefore, not available in wholesale amounts or with wholesale pricing. You are welcome to inquire about a custom order of items you see in the webshop, but their availability is not guaranteed.

If you are looking for assistance with sourcing a specific product, material, fabric, size, color, etc., you are welcome to get in touch with Kirstin at hello[at]smallbobbins[dot]com, but our main focus is on selling the products and materials that you can already find in the webshop.

No. Small Bobbins is not a factory and cannot be hired to manufacture or sew a product.