In May, I attended the Education of the Textile Arts Expo in Herndon, Virginia. It was great to have an opportunity to talk with so many enthusiatic sewers. I was able to take classes with some amazing sewing teachers like Lyla Messinger, Kathy Ruddy, and Emma Seabrooke. For me, the highlight of the expo was the three classes I took with Pamela Leggett of Pamela's Patterns. I came home with a camisole, undies, and an almost finished slip (had to leave to check out of the hotel or that would have been finished, too). Here are my 3 pieces of lingerie from Pamela's UnMentionables Worth Mentioning Pattern:
I especially like the undies and plan to make a dozen more of these. Yep, I'll have undies to match my knit tops - what a great way to use scraps. They take about 30 minutes to sew on a slow day (which is me on most days). They really do have no visible panty lines, as advertised. I made the high cut undie. These have good coverage which is important to me and still don't show under pants. I like cotton underwear because I live in steaming heat and don't want to wear fancy bikinis. That's about all I can find in my small size unless I special order them. I'm thrilled!! I do plan to make the full cut in the near future so I'll let you know how those are. I love the one undie that I made.
I love the slip, too. Finally, a slip that is short enough. It's almost faster to make a new slip than hem the crap sold at the stores - a lot less expensive to make and with better quality fabric. The slip does fit comfortably snug on my body, without the winkles showing in the flat picture. The sewing time is 30 to 60 minutes. I'll be making more and probably will get fancier - with lace, appliques and a camisole to match.
I'm not sure about the camisole in Pamela's pattern. It is a bit awkward to put on and get lined up probably. I'm sure that I'll get faster. I hope so because I'm usually in a hurry to get dressed and go.
Among the many things that I learned from Pamela (info coming soon as I apply them to garments), is that a great iron makes a big difference. I was using a Rowenta tank iron. It's a good iron. I certainly will keep it as a back up, but it doesn't work as well as the one Pamela sells. It's a Reliable Velocity Sensor iron made in Canada.
When the steam button, with low and high options, is on, the iron gives steady steam just by touching the handle. There also is an option to not turn off after a short period of not using it. I understand that there is a law now that requires the auto shut off. Of course, it has various heat option for diffent types of fabric.The iron is not cheap. I paid close to $200 at Expo pricing. It is worth every penny!
I'm excited just writing about this lingerie pattern. I think that I'll go cut out a pair of pink knit pants to match the top I made last week. This pattern can be addictive!
Happy Sewing!!
