My two prompts for making undies were Helen and Caroline on Love 2 Sew, and Love_Lucie. It seemed a new challenge, and also one small way to address some of the leftover knit fabric which is starting to mount up.
Three pairs in I was hooked. A year on there is an opportunity for some performance reviews.
Pattern: Megan Neilson Acacia Undies.
Fabric: I learned early that more stretch is better, much better. And in 2023 I fell in love with some rayon knit. This was leftpver from mighties, so soft to wear. But I must confess that this fabric has not withstood the rigours of regular washing - even in my front loading machine.
Elastic: At first this seemed tricky to find, but then, courtesy of a 10 minute search I managed to order a bunch of different colours, and some patterned. And get the sense that like so many sewing 'materials' it is easy to build up a stash which realistically may last quite a while! At the time of writing I have just released some of the earlier purchased patterned elastics, as this do not equate to comfort, especially around the legs. Fortunately there is a perfectly timed Fabric Rescue event in my area . . .let it go . . . let it go.
As everyone acknowledges, size is always personal preference, and adjustments may be required in only one dimension.
1 I made S14 to start - slightly volumous in a very stretchy rayon.
2 Then a pair same size in a less stretchy cotton knit. Same deal, slightly large.
3 But downsizing in the same fabric and using a lingerie elastic which required folding the fabric in created a pair which are possibly a little brief for my taste.
So I have a wee pile of fabric and an opportunity to play with the sizing.
My 2024 batch of 8 pairs, all from leftovers, has taken my making process up a notch. Starting with the pattern I made a pair in S12, and another in size 12 tapering to S14 in the back, matched with a size 12 front. Small modification to the leg elastic, 1cm longer, and I reckon this is about perfect for the 2024 me.
Fabric for this batch was cotton, cottom/lycra, merino, and unknown. Matching elastic colours worked well for 3 of the fabrics and was more challenging for my pea green merino. I found a cool hot pink FOE at the local Emporium, and liked the colour combo. Sadly though this did not have near enough stetch.
I can see that finding the optimum fabric will always be a bit hit and miss. But this will not deter me from continuing!
