Burda 6202 with Roses

A simple set I made this week for Gaby - raglan blouse Burda 6202 and a pair of panties from the remnants of the fabric. I bought the fabric from a store for Italian textile, where I shop fabrics from time to time and I think it is the same print as this fabric I sеwed for Gaby last year, but in different colors.

I asked for 1 m of the fabric, but when I returned home and washed it, I found that I had only 82 cm. I was of course, a bit upset, but I still managed to make exactly the blouse I had in mind, with a pair of panties, as I had planned it, so all was good in the end and I was even super proud with myself and patting myself on the shoulder for my fabric-Tetris mastery :)

The pattern I used is one I've been rediscovering lately - Burda 6202 raglan top. I made a similar one for myself early in the summer and I soon found, that I did not like the wide elastic, so I replaced the elastic with a cuff and I've been wearing that blouse with preference ever since. So, I thought Gaby might enjoy a similar one as well. It is, of course, another matter when she will get it, but as the pattern is more or less classic, I don't think passing fashion would be an issue.

Pattern: Burda 6202 from Burda Catalogue 1 / 2020

Size: 36, shortened

Fabric: cotton knit fabric, 82 cm.

Time to make: 2 days

Pattern: Megan Nielsen Acacia

Size: 0

Fabric: cotton knit fabric

Time to make: 1 day

 

Lingerie

I've piled again some new makes, needing photographing. 

Because lingerie takes so little fabric, soon after embracing clothes sewing I was hooked on making our own lingerie, mostly for myself and husband.

Although my first experience with Megan Nielsen Acacia Underpants was not very successful, I went down a size, changed the shop, from which I buy the elastic, and now these are my go-to undies for myself. I made two new pairs, using fold-over elastic for one and lingerie elastic for the other.

Pattern: Megan Nielsen Acacia Underpants

Size: 0

Fabric: cotton jersey

Time to make: 2 days

I also sewed two pairs of boxers for husband. Cotton boxers are his preferred underwear in these hot summer days and I've perfected the Shkatulka pattern to fit him comfortably.

Patter: Shkatulka Men's Boxers

Size: 52, modified

Fabric: cotton

Time to make: 2 days

Movie Night Pajamas

A few lounge wear items I made recently for Gaby - Love Notion's Leggin's size 14 and the top of Women's Movie Night Pajamas by Sew a Little Seam.

I had been eyeing this yellow butterfly bamboo knit for a while specifically with these pajamas in mind and when I finally decided that I like it enough  - it was gone, just about a meter left. I bought the remnant and made the top of the pajamas, but now I'll have to find a matching fabric for the bottom. 

I chose the crew neck with the placket style and long sleeves, but I don't think I'll be making more pajamas with buttons - so much work for nothing. Still, I wanted to experiment with the placket as I also bought a piece of fabric, intended for a t-shirt with a placket, so the practice on these pajamas was definitely useful.

Pattern: Movie Night Pajamas by Sew a Little Seam

Size: 0-2, shortened

Fabric: 100% bamboo knit

Time to make: 2 days

 

I had about 30-40 cm of fabric left, so I made a matching bikini.

Pattern: Acacia by Megan Nielsen

Size: 0 

Fabric: 100% bamboo knit

Time to make: 1 day

T-shirt Underwear

A while ago I had this idea to try sewing underwear and even bought some picot edge elastic, but my lack of experience with knits and the fact, that I don't have a serger stopped me. Until I came upon Indigochild's free bikini style T-shirt underwear  - an excellent beginner's choice, IMHO. I was so inspired after I read her instructions, that I couldn't wait to finish my work and get to sewing bikinis.
I should mention however, that I had trouble with printing the pattern and the lack of a control box made things even more complicated, but it might have been my computer and/or printer. I managed to get it right in the end and the pattern proved worth the effort - the xs size fits Gaby perfectly.

For my test bikini I used an old Alex's top and Indigochild's instructions for the simplest version, taking advantage of the hem of the top to put an elastic in it.

The bikini came out fitting perfectly, just a bit snug at the waist so I cut the elastic for the next pair a bit longer. The pink pair of undies was made out of an old Gaby's nighty, following the same instructions.

Now I want to try fold-over underwear elastic and some of the extras.

The second free bikini pattern I tried is So-Zo's. The pattern is made very professionally with a test box and printing and preparing it was super easy. However when it came to making the pattern everything went wrong. First - because the T-shirt I chose was long but narrow, I decided to try cutting the pieces not along but across the grain - mistake. I bought 3 mm underwear elastic and finished the leg openings with it, but I don't like it as the picot edge elastic, my stitching is very uneven and very amateur looking. The panties came too deep and too cut-out, sort of 80es style, but it might be just my wrong cutting, so I'll give the pattern a second chance.

In conclusion - making undies is fun and not mission impossible without a serger.  But, as much as I love recycling, the cute and little worn T-shirts I have are from the children and to my surprise they turned too small for a pair of panties and the big old T-shirts of my husband are too worn out and in dull (male) colors. So, having established a pattern, that works well I'll buy some good quality underwear fabric and work with it. But there's going to be some more panty making here soon, that's for sure!