Briefs, briefly

So I finally got around to making a oair of knickers, and do you know, it wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be.

I picked Wearing History's Panties pattern, which doesn't seem to be available anymore. It's a good pattern and very easy to follow. I sewed these up in white flannel and can confirm that they're just the thing for warming the stocking-gap in winter

I'm in the middle of making another 2 pairs using Sew Vera Venus' free pattern, though they're not coming together quite as well. The pattern is pretty good but inserting the 'placket' and gusset are a bit tricky - though I've certainly not helped myself by using very slippery satin! I'll let you know how I get on once I've finished them!

Next up I'm going to try out Anna from A Few Threads Loose's pattern, which I bought through Etsy.  Anna's written some very handy sewalong instructions for these, so hopefully they'll be a doddle!

My hope is to find a very simple pattern which I can use to create plenty of everyday underwear without spending a fortune!
Has anyone else found a simple and reliable tap pant pattern?

Things I've done this week

In no particular order.

1. Received my Wearing History Panties pattern. I've been wearing my Kiss Me Deadly girdle and because it comes so high, my underware just doesn't work with it. I figure the best solution is to get some genuine 1940s shorts to wear instead! I love the pair with plain legs and am planning several pairs in satin and flannel as recommended. I might make some of the bloomers to keep my thighs warm in the cold!

2. Oggled lots of other people's sewing spaces over at Blue Gardenia. I love being nosey and this satisfies that and my love of craft rooms! I'm really interested in these sewing boxes that Gabriella has her patterns in. I've never seen them before but I want some!

3. Had my eyebrows threaded and my nails painted. Essential maintainance stuff and good prep for the wedding I'm attending tomorrow! I feel so much better when I've got all my primping up to date!

4. Bought a red beret from Accessorize. The assistant in the shop was trying one on next to me and was really nice about my outfit and how the hat looked. She made my day, even if she was just trying to make the sale!

5. Visited Ikea and planned my new tv/dvd/cd unit. As well as a stand and dvd racks, we're going to build (!) some shelves ourselves to fill a large alcove to put all of our books on. Not being DIY savvy, this is a big project for us, but it'll give us more space and make tidy our books up.

6. Made some progress on my current cross stitch project. I'm making one of the samplers from Moira Blackburn. It's taking an age to work through. I'm working on a space that's about 1/4 of the total area to be stitched and it's taken me months! I'm really pleased with how well it's turning out though, and the colours of the silks are so beautiful it's a pleasure to work on. It's perfect in front of the TV work!

7. Had my 4th tutorial for my History A-Level. I'm really enjoying it, and I've gone from 1906 through to 1922 so far. It's amazing to see where the political world today came from, and the changes in society during that period. Sadly Votes for Women is something that we're only touching on and I'd like to cover it in a lot more detail, but I don't really have the time to read into the details too much. Hopefully when I've done the exams I can take the time and do my reading then.

8. Watched First Light on Tuesday. First Light is the dramatisation of a book by one of the youngest pilots in the Battle of Britain. It follows his short and brutal experiences in 1940 and 41 and the effect the horrors he saw had on him. It's a great drama and all the more poignant for the fact that it's true. The snippets of the Geoffrey Wellum talking today made a difference. His last line in particular made me think.

"Nobody wants a medal. Nobody wants a thank you. But it would be nice to be remembered. Because then you must remember us all, and not just those who survived”.

9. Wore winter tights with a skirt to deal with the cold-but-sunny days we've had this week. My favourites are these grey cotton tights with lacy diamond patterns through them. Warm but not too heavy. Perfect for autumn!



10. Had a wonderfully girly night in with Millions Like Us. It's a film made during the war and, although it has an unmistakable edge of moral boosting propoganda, is an absolute delight. It's the story of one very ordinary girl who goes to 'do her duty' for the war and ends up in a very unglamourous factory. It's very funny in places (there's a fantastic tongue in cheek description of oranges at the start which I thought was genius), and sad, and interesting. From a fashion point of view it's great because of how ordinary all the girls are - for once this is high street and not couture fashion we see!

I laughed so hard at the lead character's day dreams about her as a beautiful nurse, a hard working WREN or a dashing ATS driver, each time with some handsome officer alongside. It's so true to (my) life! There's a fantastic review at Cargo Cult Craft, which is also where I stole the picture from. Go read what Susannah has to say. I really couldn't have put it better myself.