The sewing thread

silvasava

Only sewing I've managed this week is to a jersey dress hem for my friend as the tension on her machine was playing up!

[Deleted User]

I am fed up with sloggi lately, another pair of pants tore yesterday. I think they are now using poor quality cotton with a limited life ie number of washes, they get thinner with each wash. I remembered that I have an underwear pattern jalie 2568, three different types of panties with different variations. I am going to make style A with lingerie elastic at the waist and a narrower elastic on the legs, just like sloggi. Style A is very close to sloggi style in my size. I have already traced the pattern and it is a doddle to fit together
https://jalie.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=2568
jalie is good, always turns out and is very easily gradeable as there are 27 sizes on the one page. A large good quality paper page, easy to trace

I cut them out in a white stretch cotton/elastane and think I can get 3 pairs to a metre and lingerie elastic is easily available. I hapen to have both widths of elastic, lovely to get to use ancient stash. The worst thing for me is attaching this elastic so I will be researching first then I will be on a roll. It will be easy to cut several pairs of pants and to sew in sequence. The ones I bought last time were 3 pairs for £25 plus £4 delivery. I think I can get 3 pairs out of one metre ie saving almost £20. There`s money in the knicker business and this utilitarian sewing is very satisfying

[Deleted User]

I have to stay stitch first and then will serge the side seams. I found a video re elastic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prd9Ss5BCPg

so that is what I will do today. I am going to look for the fold over elastic and will then be able to get to work on silk knickers, yes silk, I have quite a bit in my stash, originally bought for linings but genuine silk and will use cotton inside gussets. Lol, I`ll be able to make my size :j ooh I am liking this, maybe I won`t like silk knickers but no harm trying

PollyWollyDoodle

Wow. I recall years ago (about 1978) making a slip and French knickers from a Vogue pattern - well, I still have the pattern but it wouldn't fit me now even with a very FBA! :rotfl: it's not crossed my mind to make my own knicks but it's a tempting thought, I don't buy Sloggi but they're still not cheap.

Artytarty

Seeing knickers is a great idea. I might try it some day.
In my deepest cupboard somewhere at have the hand made silk crepe du chine worn by my grandmother on her wedding day in the 1920s.
They are cream silk with a little drawn thread embroidery work and elastic at waist and legs, e elastic has dosed now. They would be mid thigh length I reckon. Rather lovely and I have to keep them but not much use these days!

[Deleted User]

Ahh arty that is so nostalgic

Knick making is going great, made lots of mistakes and learnt a lot. I can see me doing this in future
First pair was thin cotton stretch, white as a trial from stash. ok, did sides on serger and rest on s machine. Got into a real mess with the legs and they were small enough to strangle me, I pulled the elastic so tight. Lesson learnt, googled and advice is that if the legs fit, then do not stretch elastic, except a little at the back of the derriere as it stops the leg holes expanding where you don`t want them to go. I binned them

Made a second pair from t shirt fabric, thicker, rurquoise with orange hearts. Found fold over orange elastic (FOE) in my stash and used that alond the leg holes before sewing the sides, good move btw. Then put the same FOE on the waistband. It was good, they are much better than sloggis and btw my current pair of sloggis on now have developed a hole too, three pairs in two weeks. I have ordered FOE from ebay and it is very cheap, they are advertising it for childrens hairbands. Got 4 x 5m of arounf £5

Was not that much give in this fabric so next time with similar fabric, I will make a bigger size. If fabric is very stretchy then I will make the same size. That elastic gives a lovely result, much better than my messed up effort with picot elastic. The second pair was made entirely on my s machine. Its a very good use of old t shirts. I need practice, I have good t shirt fabric in sombre navy, think I will order red FOE and make a few pairs in that combo. When I am good at it, I will get out that lovely stretch lace that I know I have tucked away.

You don`t need to buy a pattern, there is plenty on google about how to get going after dismantling a pair as a pattern

[Deleted User]

gorgeous
http://www.tillyandthebuttons.com/2013/03/knickers.html

sigh
mine have to be granny knicks

found it, free
http://dixiediy.com/2013/02/new-free-pattern-from-madalynne.html

[Deleted User]

wish I had seen this first
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjnAe6YU9rk&feature=youtu.be

PollyWollyDoodle

D'oh - there I was thinking I have nothing in my stash that would be suitable for making knickers. Old t-shirts - I have a couple that I love but which have got stains that make them unwearable. You're a genius Kittie, your earlier link posted a couple of days ago shows how to cut a pattern from an existing pair. Got to be worth a try!

[Deleted User]

hehe, yes we are living and learning. I am quite enjoying the knick-making journey. Not reached perfection yet but the second pair was far better than the first. Next pair will have 3 step zig zag stitching to fix the leg FOE, no wonder there wasn`t much give as I used straight stitch but they are useable

I cut three pairs out of a stretch cotton patterned remnant last night, ready for turquoise FOE to arrive. I found a selling site on etsy last night, good reviews and free postage, kraftykoalauk, I have ordered a few colours. Its very satisfying to put remnants and old t shirts to good use