Saturday 17 January 2015

New Year: New Pants


I spent a lot of the festive season staying with relatives (i.e. away from my sewing machine) so when we finally returned I was itching to attack some projects. What are the two most satisfyingly quick sewing projects known to man? Baby/toddler leggings and undies!!! So in under a week I managed to crank out eight pairs of baby/toddler leggings using the Playful Kitty leggings pattern I used previously and the four pairs of pants/knickers/undies (pictured above). A super-productive first week of 2015 that I have no intention of trying to replicate going forwards! But it felt great to get those all much-needed items under my proverbial (and in case of the pants - literal) belt.


What better way to welcome in the new year than to remove from your undies drawer the ropey old pants that make you feel less than attractive, and whip up some new ones?! If there is one, then I can't think of it. It probably won't shock to you learn that the pattern I used for these is my own self-drafted one which is available for free download here. BTW, I just checked and the pattern has been downloaded over 22,000 times! How mental is that?!


These were also a great project for skint-January as I was able to construct them entirely from pieces of jersey and elastic I already owned. When that happens, no matter if I bought the fabric and notions myself at some earlier point, I always feel like it's somehow free! For example, both the leopard print fabrics have been used for a couple of other projects apiece previously, including these epic leopard print baby trousers. The blue leopard print fabric is very synthetic, so I used a frilly/lacy style of elastic round the waist of that pair to try and soften the look and avoid them appearing too much like swimwear or dance wear. 


The floral pair were made from leftovers from the toddler leggings I made for our niece for the Christmas before last (during times I really should have been napping). The cotton lace elastic came in the batch sent to me to make undies samples with by my blog sponsor Maggie at Textile Garden, and you can buy it here. The nautical pair are made with remnants from the short-sleeved dress version of my Dolores batwing pattern.

These are too hot-off-the-press for me to have had a chance to try them all out and determine a favourite, but on visuals alone I think the leopard print ones have stolen my heart!   

11 comments:

Minnado said...

Lovely pants! I must get round to trying to make some this year. Xx

Knitwitsowls said...

I guess that means when you start potty training the baby you'll make her some pants! As a mother of a potty training child can I re commend ooooh about 100 pairs?
Frankie
http://www.knitwits-owls.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1

Anonymous said...

Pants are the perfect pattern for all the leftover jersey scraps I've got. It's something I want to master this year. No more trips to M & S.

Marie said...

'Ropey old pants' Ha, this is my situation entirely! Bra making is my 2015 resolution so I'm starting with a watson and definitely having a pants overhaul too!

Hana said...

These are so adorable. I must try to make it someday :)

110 Creations said...

I made a couple of these last week using your pattern! I thought I was done, but seeing these makes me want to dive back into my pile of larger scraps and make some more!

JustSewJenna said...

I will make pants in 2015!! Great pants, I love them all xx

Pienkel said...

Nice! They're looking very polished, I'll download the pattern, just like the 22.000 others!

Alice said...

They are all very pretty! Is there a place to buy batches of assorted lingerie elastic that you know of? There doesn't seem much point in making your own pants if they can't be pretty!

Marilla Walker said...

Pattern printed and first pair cut! I will make pants, I will!!!!

Symon said...

Wow, that is very productive!! ^__^ I tried to make undies once but it didn't work out so well LOL… at the time I thought it was me, but now that I'm a bit wiser (haha) I am pretty sure it was the pattern - so i have downloaded your pattern and will definitely give it a go!! Thanks so much for the pattern and the instructions - you make it seem so easy! ^_^

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