Knicker making part one: inspiration

These lovely (but predictably patterned) pants were made by my good self at an organised knicker-making workshop last year. It was brilliant fun, everything is cut out and ready for you, all you have to do is choose your trimmings and sew them up. Being naturally lazy, I was perfectly happy with the thought that this was the only way I was ever going to make my own knickers.

But the more online 'research' I did and the more beautiful hand sewn undies I saw, the more convinced I became that I should give knicker making a proper go. Where to start though?  There's certainly no shortage of inspiration out there, so I thought I'd share a few of my favourites before actually going for it. 

There are endless options for making your own frillies. You can make them from a pre-bought kit like Tilly did,

You can use a pair of existing pants as a template, or try one of the awesome patterns out there, many of which are free. Free patterns include a simple pair of everyday pants by 'So, Zo…'

the Amerson free undies pattern by Madalynne, beautifully made here by Karen

or the Rosy ladyshorts by Amy at cloth habit. 

Or you can use a regular pattern which is how my two favourite pairs of on-line undies came to be in existence. My favourite self-made knickers by a long shot, are ooobop's High Waisted 50's silk pants.

Made from a Burda pattern, they're just perfect, and the lovely vintage-style cut gives them an oh-so-glamorous edge, exactly what I would want to wear myself. I can't in all honesty say the same thing about my other favourite pair, but I can sit back and admire the workmanship. If French yoked boxer shorts made from a 1940's pattern are your thing, then you're in for a treat.

You can read all about Peter at Male Pattern Boldness's pants here and marvel at the amount of detail that's gone into these undies: an adjustable buttoned waistband (no elastic in those days) 

and a gathered back section to accommodate the backside (no stretch fabrics in those days either). Truly a work of art - and he's even done what no other sewing blogger has done before - model them himself…. 

I don't usually post pictures of men in their underwear on my blog (there are secret Pinterest boards for that kind of thing...) but in this case how could I resist?! And before you ask, I did obtain permission from Mr MPB before posting a pic of him in his under crackers.

Other knicker patterns I've been mightily swayed by are some of the Ohhh Lulu designs. I thought long and hard about attempting the Betty High Waist Pants.

Gorgeous as they are, I think they might be just too ambitious for my first attempt - I do have a cunning plan concerning the Betty pants though, which I'll reveal in the next post... I like the look of the new Grace pattern too - it seems a bit more achievable for a novice like me. 

The shape is very similar to what I usually wear, although if I'm honest, I prefer my pants a bit higher, hence my swooning over ooobop's pair. What also drew me in is that they're designed to be made with a combination of woven and stretch fabrics - good if you're a bit unsure about diving head first into stretch fabric territory. And, you can use up some of your favourite woven remnants too. The possibilities are endless - matching knickers for every outfit if you're not careful…

There's too much choice - I'll have to go away and mull it all over I think. In the meantime, any advice on knicker patterns (preferably not too low slung please) and/or knicker making tips will be very gratefully received.  x