Hello friends!
I was thinking about what post to share for Second on the Second and I was thinking about sewing since I haven’t done much proper sewing for a while. So I trawled through all the posts that reference “sewing” and came across this post which I think is quite funny because of what I made, and is also quite sweet because of the two visiting cats that are also included in the post, both of which are sadly no longer around. The first because he was really old even back then, and the second because, well I don’t know. She used to visit daily and then she disappeared. I like to think it was because of something like her people moved or something instead of the alternative. It was not long after this post, a few months, that a very small and frightened Miss P turned up and after a few months of living in the garden decided to moved in!
Second on the Second
Bleubeard and Elizabeth’s Second on the Second Challenge asks that you bring back a post that you’re proud of or an old one that was shared before anyone knew of your blog. The post I chose for Second on the Second today is one from March 2013 – remember this is a second look at an OLD POST, this time from 2013, wow 10 years ago, not a current post! Hope you find it amusing. Enjoy…
original post is below
So back in the day, I used to make EVERYTHING myself, at least everything I could make with my sewing machine! Partly it was because of having no money, and partly it was just for the challenge and the thrill of making it myself. Plus it also meant that you had something unique that no one else had, because even if you used a commercial pattern and fabric purchased in a fabric shop, it was still pretty unlikely that someone else would make the identical same item as you, and even if they did, if you want to get really meta about it, the stitching would be different!
One of the things I challenged myself with was making lingerie and swimwear. The challenge with lingerie was working with tricky, fragile and often slippery fabrics and the need for swimwear was because I did a lot of swimming, so I needed it. So this week I decided to give myself something different to do from the usual stuff I have been sewing lately, and make these lacy knickers.
I chose this bright, almost neon, pink lace to work with – hey it was either that or neon lime green!
I cut out the pieces – two in total – and obviously identical – oh and a piece for the gusset which you can’t see. The way this pattern is cut, means there are no side seams but one big seam that goes from the front to the back.
I needed to find some lace to trim the edges and found this one that I had in black and white. The black/pink combination really wasn’t my cup of tea, so I went with the white.
There’s really not much to do on a pair of pants, it’s just fiddly and small to work with, and because of the smallness, accuracy is important. What you could get away with on a bigger garment, would really show and/or affect the fit on something this small. OK, so maybe no one will ever be inspecting it lol but on swimwear it would definitely be obvious. So I sewed them together, added the gusset (cut from some t-shirt fabric) and then edged them with the white lace, and suddenly they look like pants!
In other news this week, we had two visiting cats come a-calling. This old guy, I feel so sorry for him. He always looks so beat up and I don’t even know if anyone takes care of him, he often has abscesses or cuts, probably from fighting and it makes me sad. He is also clearly used to being chased away from people’s gardens as he tends to take off as soon as you open the door, but he has got a bit more used to me now and so if I see him, I give him something to eat. Sometimes he has trouble eating too, and I worry that his teeth are bad and causing him pain. Here he is being very brave and peeking in the door.
Someone who is not at all cautious and in fact is very cheeky, is this little girl. Here she is looking cheeky and is leaving the house after not being invited in but came in anyway for a look around. She also climbs up on the roof and down onto the bedroom window ledge so she can peek inside!
original post is above
I hope you enjoyed a second look or probably a first look, at this post from 2013.
Challenges
Funny how color can change the image of something. The black lace trim on the pink panties makes them look very sexy. The white on pink looks very feminine. I enjoyed reading the stories of your two visitors. Happy 2nd on the 2nd
Big, very big WOW on this! Oh, it loks so pretty/sexy!
Oh, glad you took care of the cat!
The little girl is cute, too!
To the 2nd! and sweet memories!
This was definitely a first look for me, Elle. My grandmother was a marvelous seamstress, bu8t to my knowledge, she never made undies OR a swimsuit. Especially not for me. I am super impressed with your sewing abilities. You made it look easy, even though I know it wasn’t.
My heart goes out to you for helping those two cats, especially the old one. That is a truly wonderful gesture and shows how caring you are. Thanks for this incredible entry you have given us as your second look on the 2nd, dear.
I used to make dresses with matching panties for my daughter when she was small. Fun post! Hugs, Valerie
My mom made me a swimsuit once when I was a kid. It wasn’t bad at all, but she was a very good seamstress and really enjoyed it. But I am impressed you made some undies. They look great. And I’m glad you helped those kitties too. I’m with you about the old guy, but you can never take them in, can you, in case they are someone’s cat? This was a fun post to see, and Happy 2023. I hope the year has started off in a good way. hugs-Erika