Happiness is....stripey underwear that makes me smile!
Thanks for your comments on my last post about the Maria Denmark Lotta Lady Bag! It is one of my most favorite bags ever. At work I need to carry my laptop back and forth to another building with my notebook and it is perfect for that.
Here's a pair of UW I stitched up back in September, but never blogged.
The fabric is from PR Weekend Chicago, in some dive-like fabric store.
The elastic is from Pacific Trimming in NYC.
I use ATP's "Make Your Own Undies" tutorial whenever I make undies. I don't enclose my elastic like she did, but rather zig-zag on my picot edge elastic RS to RS then flip it over and zig zag again from the RS. If anyone wants pix of what I mean, let me know!
One of my friends calls this "comic relief" sewing, in between my larger projects. It takes me about 90 minutes from cut to finish.
So, even though this was supposed to be comic relief, it had its own drama.
I had started this pair on a weekend, then got to the point where there was 20 minutes left and was too tired to finish it off.
Came home after work one night that week and thought I'd feel accomplished and finish it....
Then this happened!!! This has NEVER happened to be before to this extent. Somehow the fabric/elastic got sucked down into the throat plate and I had to unscrew the plate and physically remove the fabric/elastic out.
When I removed the bobbin casing I got to see all the lint inside. Great opp to clean it out!
And this is what it looked like, stuck in the throat plate
It actually tore my elastic!!! But I didn't have enough to cut the new piece of continuous elastic, so I had to make do with what I had. So now one of the leg holes has two joins in it instead of one.
I put it away for a few days and then went back to it again and finished it off.
But without a bow, the UW looks a bit....naked.
So I made my own bow, having no white bows in my bow stash. I know from experience that making my own bow and cutting ribbon like this makes the raw edges fray after washing. I googled to see if there was a way for me to finish the edges, but didn't like any of the suggestions....
So I used Fray Check on the edges of the cut ribbon. The Fray Check does sort of stain the ribbon, so I cut the tails slightly longer than I wanted, dabbed on the fray check, let it dry the requisite 15 minutes, then used my rotary cutter to cut the new edge so that just the very edge of the ribbon had the fray check on it...which is hardly visible.
I have washed and dried this UW several times now and can report that the ribbon is only fraying on the top edge...next time I might leave more of a buffer and/or make sure that the fray check really covers the whole cut edge...maybe I didn't go far enough? Or just buy some white bows. My local Joann's doesn't have any of the size/style I was thinking of, and Pacific Trimming didn't have any either (they had other colors but no white bows!) I might have to buy them online then.
Here's a little holiday cheer, the Christmas Tree in Palmer Square in Princeton. I spent last Saturday at work, and went into town to grab some dinner afterward. Seeing the tree is always a nice treat and a great way to wrap up a productive day!
So, are you tempted to make your own undies??? Or have you already?
Be well!
When I was a teen my mom's sewing machine could suck any fabric through the throatplate so I know your pain. That evil possessed Kenmore could not only pull fabric up to and including denim through the throatplate it had a secret stash of oil that it would smear on the fabric once it got hold of it. No matter how often or thoroughly you cleaned the machine that oil was there. When I was old enough to have money of my own I went and bought a well-behaved Singer and told my mom to give the Kenmore to demon hunters.
ReplyDeletePulling denim through the throat plate? That's impressive! Good to let that Kenmore go!
DeleteIf I could make undies that cute, I might try. But if you had trouble, then I would have double trouble!
ReplyDeleteYou can do it! It was a random thing, I think. Usually it's no big deal.
DeleteThose are adorable. I need to make some panties as horseback riding takes its toll on my Utrousers (as my hub calls his).
ReplyDeleteThanks Mary! Utrousers...ha ha!
DeleteI see London, I see France... ;) Very cute, I really need to try this, I'm such a chicken!
ReplyDeleteHa ha for London/France!!! After all the other things you've made, underpants will be a cinch for you!
DeleteI usually use a flame to seal the edge of ribbon. If you lightly touch the edge to the flame, the polyester melts and seals the edge without color change.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip but I'm a chicken when it comes to fire and flames....
DeleteYes, I make my own undies and they last longer than the ones I buy. I don't put bows on them but after seeing yours I might start doing this. They do look naked without. Yours are very cute. Katherine
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome that you already make your own. A bow really does put a finishing touch on them....makes them look very RTW.
DeleteYour Utrousers (hah!) are neat. I did the prep work for making mine, now I have to sit down and actually make them. One day!
ReplyDeleteWow! Your machine really sucked in that fabric! That has happened to me a couple of times and certainly not to that extent. I am glad you were able to resolve the problem and both the machine and UW were saved in the end. I think those undies turned out so cute!
ReplyDeleteTheir cute! I came upon a bunch of bows in the garment district here in LA, but it's so hit and miss! I think I would do the flame thing in a pinch. I have found that the free pattern from MakeBra is my favourite after trying a few that didn't work out from Kwik Sew. I have a mereckwaerdigh pattern that includes a panty, so I think I'll try that out next.
ReplyDeleteYou have posted the blogs are really fantastic and informative.
ReplyDeleteGosh, everyone is making such cute undergarments . . . I really want to try!
ReplyDeleteIf the ribbon is synthetic, melting the edges is the way to go. If you don't like the idea of a match, you can light a candle and slowly move the edge of the ribbon toward the flame. You really don't have to get that close before things start melting.
I am a complete wimp when it comes to fire, but I have never had an issue with burning myself or the ribbon catching on fire (although I would recommend doing this near a sink in case you need to throw some water around!).
Great job -- so cute! The bow is definitely perfect. I've never made lingerie of any kind and am not really motivated to try it, but I've seen such cute pieces (yours included) -- perhaps someday!
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