Has 2016 been pants for you?
It has for me… starting in August, when I decided that I really needed to investigate making my own underwear. I experimented with using fabric from old t-shirts and relied on the limited functionality of my trusty old sewing machine… and I had some success. However, subsequent testing revealed that the zig-zag stich (the only stretchy one I could do on my machine) was not robust enough and that we wear our t-shirts until they are in such a state that they are not up to the job!
So, if I wanted to make my own pants (that’s UK pants, not US ones) I was going to have to have a rethink. And then Mr Snail offered to buy me an overlocker for my birthday (which actually isn’t until Monday). To avoid the madness of Christmas deliveries, this amazing machine was ordered and delivered ages ago and I was allowed to have it straight away. I have to confess that it was all rather intimidating…
I decided that I needed plenty of time to get to grips with it and so it was only today that I finally got round to having a go.
My initial trials produced nice neat sample seams:
testing-testing
And so I bit the bullet and cut out a pair of Scrundlewear briefs from some of the organic cotton jersey fabric I bought for the purpose and had a go. I’m still getting used to the overlocker, but now at the end of the afternoon, I have a pair completed and ready to wear and I’m very pleased with myself…
It was all my own work too, since my assistant this afternoon did not contribute much:
Max doing what he does best
So, assuming they are more robust than my last attempt, there’s going to be lots more sewing so that 2017 will be another pants year!
The Snail of Happiness 
coppicelearner
/ December 30, 2016Well done Jan. Let us know if they wear well. And Happy Birthday dor Monday!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ December 30, 2016I will report back… the seams are nice and firm and I think the overlocker is going to prove very useful for all sorts of garments.
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nanacathy2
/ December 30, 2016Foxy lady. Lovely!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ December 30, 2016I decided plain white was just too boring!
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BrokenTune
/ December 30, 2016Happy Birthday for Monday and I hope 2017 will be the kind of pants year that is worth celebrating! 😀
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MrsCraft
/ December 30, 2016Hope 2017 is completely pants (in the best possible way!) 😊
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The Snail of Happiness
/ December 30, 2016Me too!
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Ann
/ December 30, 2016Your overlocker looks awesome! So do your knickers!! And happy Birthday for Monday. XX
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The Snail of Happiness
/ December 30, 2016thank you… never before has my underwear been so admired… well, not since a certain fancy dress party 25 years ago…
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Ann
/ December 31, 2016Hahaha!!!
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katechiconi
/ December 30, 2016There’ll be no stopping you now. Have overlocker, will construct all sorts of garments… With one of those jobs, there’s really no need to use a sewing machine a lot of the time. A very satisfying and useful birthday present!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ December 30, 2016Yes, I’ve been hankering after one for ages and so many of the clothes I wear are made of jersey-type fabrics, that this really does open up all sorts of possibilities…
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Born To Organize
/ December 31, 2016Those overlockers can be quite intimidating. We had one in the theater department, and it was the only time I heard our other-wise calm costumer director fall apart. Good for you for making a pair. They turned out really well.
Happy Birthday!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ December 31, 2016It has taken me a while to summon up courage to use it! However, I decided that it could not possibly be beyond me and so I’m pleased to have finally made a start with it. I have plans to make a number of items… watch this space!
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insearchofitall
/ December 31, 2016What a lovely and useful early birthday gift. I’ve had an overlock machine for years and wouldn’t be without it though I haven’t yet used it to it’s full potential. You will grow to love it till you have to re-thread it. Some days it’s easy, some days, not so much. Love how your pants turned out. Happy New Year. 🙂
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The Snail of Happiness
/ December 31, 2016I was very lucky that the machine came threaded, otherwise I’d probably still be scratching my head!
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insearchofitall
/ December 31, 2016The secret is to never un-thread it. When you want to change colors, cut the thread where it begins at the spool, and tie the new colors to the old. Then gently, very gently, pull those two upper looper threads all the way through. The two threads that go through the needle are much easier to thread. 🙂
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Nice piece of work
/ December 31, 2016Wow, awesome pants! I can see why you’re wanting to show them off 🙂 Maybe Mr S is hoping for some customised underwear himself….?
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The Snail of Happiness
/ December 31, 2016I think that’s probably one of my 2017 projects!
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ayearinredwood
/ December 31, 2016Wow! That IS some machine! And Happy Birthday too!
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Garden Correspondent
/ December 31, 2016That is some nice work! Here’s to a pantsy new year!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ December 31, 2016🙂
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