Mentioning the un-mentionable | Week 32 | #52wonderfilledweeks

Underwear, skivvies, underpants, panties, lingerie, briefs, etc...we don't talk about them but we all wear  them...or... ahem...we should wear them! I rarely buy myself new "unmentionables", mostly because they're not seen in public so what's the big deal if they're less than new looking (or feeling)? But the fact is, as I have said many times before, when you look good you feel good and everyone can see that confidence, and this absolutely applies to your skivvies! When I was pregnant with Bubba I made one pair of undies, I admittedly used the wrong kind of fabric (not enough recovery) and used bamboo knit for the bands.  The end result was a comfortable fit but as the day grew longer...so did the briefs! I avoided making any new ones until I was done with Bubba in the baby stage.  I knew my body would be changing throughout the year I was nursing and I thought it pointless to spend the time, energy and money on something that may not fit well after a few months.  

We weaned from nursing a few weeks ago and I just had my one year postpartum check up and I thought now was as good a time as any! Actually, truth be told I want to make some sleep sets and I thought starting with the bottoms might be easier since I had made them once before.  I used the same pattern, Stitch Upon a Time (SUAT), Scrundlewear Pattern (and this is the original, not the 2.0, that it was updated too!).  It's a really easy pattern and I worked on one pair first (a muslin if you will) to make sure that it still fit right and with the correct material held "up" (LOL).  The only change I made from that first pair over a year ago was to use lingerie elastic.  The muslin pair turned out GREAT and were UBER COMFORTABLE.  I was amazed and instantly went to work making 4 more pairs, in an assembly line fashion!

This pattern is a good scrap buster and it allowed me to try a few different finishing techniques before I used some specialty fabric I specifically bought to make into skivvies (those are still to come).

 

This was also great practice in using my fabric in the most efficient way possible.  By moving the pattern piece down the in example above I saved a larger, square piece of my fabric, which is more likely to be able to be used in a later project!

 

The above pictures show a scrap that you might think there is little hope to be used in something! But it fit the front pattern piece perfectly! And if I had been even more frugal I could have folded the scrap over even more so there would be even less to be wasted! I love a good puzzle and cutting patterns efficiently and matching prints/stripes are a favorite brain game of mine.

The first two pairs I made (the muslin pair and the first of the set of four) I assembled as directed (except for making the elastic into a loop...more on that).  I attached the elastic to the front of the briefs and left the edges (raw) but I really didn't love how that looked...keep in mind, you can only see it when they are not in use but I just felt like they "looked" homemade.  Also the liner piece seemed to be a touch smaller than the actual front and back pieces and didn't always get "caught" when sewing down the elastic.  I decided it was worth the effort to go ahead and serge my edges before I attached any more elastic.  I love how it looked finished (and it will look even better when I use matching thread) and I love how it let me tack down my seam allowances in the direction I wanted and the liner without having to worry about getting the elastic in the right place while stretching it all at the same freaking time!!

Don't you think it looks better?? I wish I had taken a picture of the liner/crotch area, it looks so much better serged.

Now the elastic! I love this so much more than the bands!! I think that it is easier, quicker, and looks RTW (ready to wear, or off the rack...store bought...you get the idea). The instructions have you cut your elastic an inch longer than needed to account for a 1/2" seam allowance.  This makes a bulky seam and I instead opted to use the flat seam/joining approach. I cut my elastic one inch shorter than indicated and butted the cut ends up to each other.  Then I sewed over the seam with a wide zig-zag stitch.  Just enough to hold the ends together.

Once I quartered the elastic and undies I attached them with ball point pins! I just picked these up and they were so helpful.  I felt like I could really tug on the material and elastic while sewing without anything shifting.  I started sewing the elastic to the material about where my thumb is in the above picture and sewed over the seam and continued around the waist/leg opening, ending just below the elastic seam. So I essentially sew over where the two edges of elastic meet twice on the actual garment.

Sewing these in an assembly line allowed for me to move through the steps much quicker.  I know some women who keep these pattern pieces out all the time and when they are done cutting other items and see that they have enough scraps for some "scrundies" (as these are referred to in our SUAT FB group) they cut some out right then and there, once they've collected several cut pairs they can sit down and sew them up all at one time.  I love efficiency like this and I think I am going to start doing the same thing.

Don't they look great? So I know you're all wondering how's the fit? The feel? How do they look on? I struggled with the idea of modeling them...I'm fluffy, but I'm also pretty secure in my body...and I also think it's important P knows that you should love yourself no matter what...so...here goes...

Don't tell anyone I showed you...
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Wait, did you think I'd actually pose in my scrundies for you?!?!? I am TOTALLY comfortable in my new brief's but as far as how they fit you'll have to take my word for it......they fit great!  I wore a pair this week and it was heaven...seriously...and when I went back to my RTW pair I was grouchy...I am so excited to make some new sleep wear and feel like WonderJo again...not just P and Bubba's Mama but my own WONDERfilled person.