Frankly, I'm so dang glad I pushed through and finished these. I needed to complete them rather than get rid of the UFO.
Let's start with skin-colored bike shorts to wear under skirts. I began by trying the Oh Lulu pattern. That's where I originally got stuck on this. Oh boy. In my infinite wisdom, I drafted to my actual measurements. But somehow, I got a lot off. I mean A LOT! The Oh Lulu original pattern is the smaller outline that doesn't even reach to the crotch curve of the cut out edge. I cut the fabric to this size and was surprised by how huge the leg. I mean, I measured, re-measured and measured again! Hmm... it went to the UFO pile for 5 months.
- my legging pattern is the tiny one (blue) laying atop ... #2
- the gigantor below (red).
- The crotch that is shallower and less curvy is that of the original Oh Lulu (green).
The Oh Lulu also is WAY shorter (depending on several inches of stretch lace) than my legging pattern. My inner thigh is round as is my outer thigh. To prevent chafing, I like a longer length.
Well, this does seem a bit more realistic doesn't it? Shows me that the Oh Lulu is designed for a less stretchy fabric than I've been working with too.
- Topstitching creates the longest lasting activewear garment
- Triple Stitch Zig Zag is the strongest and the most stretchy, even more so than a straight zig zag. "It's the Sh*t" as Kelly says.
It was really fun sewing this in and figuring out how it would work best. I didn't read any instructions and mostly guessed. Even though I've made one before, I didn't recall how they did it. I also measured down from the tips on the gusset the width where the stitching would begin to overlap. I only stitched to that spot, Then, I allowed the points to naturally fall into the crotch curves. I had no weird folds, catches, or other issues. Yay! Good guess, Gwen!
I have a few girdle patterns and books that I'd like to try. Now that I've made 2 pair of bike shorts, I think I have a better feel for fit and can invest in the firm, firm stretch of girdle like fabric. I found a really great source! That's on my 6-month sewing goals list. So, stay tuned for that in the future!