Knickers to This!

I need underwear. Preferably fancy with lace and ribbon and silk. Something like the gorgeous night set I saw in Harrods for 200 pounds, so I set off last week to John Lewis and bought some lovely hot pink silk and a lingerie pattern. I also bought a lingerie book which was delivered though the post in a brown wrapping. My boyfriend wondered if I had been buying pornography. No, thank you very much. After studying this book on the tube all week, trying desperately hard not to look at the pictures of knickers when anyone was looking over my shoulder, I learned about sewing lace to silk and matching darts. Yesterday, I sat down to make a pair of tap pants(little sleeping shorts).

Well, you'd think I would know better, but I made every mistake possible. I forgot to flip the pattern which meant I had two left sides for the shorts. I started again and flipped the pattern to cut the mirror image, but somehow managed to cut a third left side. I didn't have enough material and going to the store would waste another two hours, so I sewed together the pants - one side shiny silk, the other side the underside of the fabric. Of course, if ever questioned by the boyfriend, I will say I designed them this way.

I then managed to sew seams on the outside so I had to unpick everything. Later, when ironing down the top to create a tube for the elastic, I melted the fabric on the iron, so had to cut off a large chunk of the waistband. The shorts now are actually quite short and actually quite cute. Don't know if I'm ever going to tap in them though. I hear this is how Catherine Zeta Jones seduced Michael Douglas.

I had the pants. Now I needed a top. I didn't have much fabric left, but cut it out the best I could. Again, I forgot to cut the mirror image of the pattern piece that fitted over the bust. How can I do this 3 times in one morning!!! Yes, I had had my cup of tea. I sewed and gathered it, pinched and pulled. Finally when I tried it on, the back was gaping open and the top in general was far too short. I forgot I had a long body and usually have to add extra fabric. Not that I had any. Anyway, I added elastic to the back so it fit. The sides kind of stick out to the side, but again, I of course meant to do this. Yeah right.

I tried making the straps the fussy way the pattern company did - sewing a seam on the wrong side and pulling through to the right side. How the heck anyone can pull it through, I have no idea. After stabbing myself with the needle six times and straps that look like rags, I threw them out and dug out my ribbon box. I found some lovely bright pink ribbon I had bought in Amsterdam and sewed that on. It wasn't exactly the right shade, but it'll be dark when I'm wearing it and if anyone says anything different, I shall snap them with my knicker elastic.

Pictures to follow soon.