Or multiple knickers. Whilst I love the word “knickers”, my friend Hélène suggested the word “bobette” and I like that even more! So let me introduce my two new bobette patterns, the free Acacia from Megan Nielsen and the Mary Knickers from Measure Twice, Cut Once. I bought the Mary pattern for two reasons; the first being that Susan has had a year from hell and I thought buying a couple of her patterns would show some love, and also because Hélène had mentioned that boy leg bobettes were her favourite, and I fell in love with the style when I wore my boyleg swimsuit, and I haven’t seen any other boyleg knickers.
I got home from Singapore and printed out the patterns quick smart and then when shopping in my scrap bin, and came up with this little pile of fabric and elastics.
I decided to use my coreopsis dyed cotton for the test version of each pair. They are a bit rough and ready. That triangle on the Acacia is a bit of visible mending because when I did the dyeing over an open fire a spark scorched the fabric. I thought it was a flower and it was only when I scraped it off that I realised that it was a hole. Ah well, least said, soonest mended and all that!
In terms of fit: the Acacia were a bit loose in the legs. I measured the elastic as per the chart, but I have scrawny old thighs so this is a common problem for me. I took 3cm off each length of leg elastic and they now fit perfectly.
The Mary knickers needed a little more attention. I felt that they were a bit low in the centre back and added 1.3cm. The legs didn’t give me as much coverage at the back as I like so I added a centimetre from the side to about where the lining hits. I have shaded my additions so that you can see how much I added and where. 
By the way, after the first pair I decided to put a notch where the liner needed to go as it’s much easier than trying to fit it evenly whilst sewing. All I did was put the liner on the pattern and mark the spot where it finished.
Later update: One thing to be careful of is the instruction for the elastic; it says to measure the opening and reduce that by one-third. I finished up with a piece of elastic 48cm long – not in my wildest dreams! In the end I eyeballed the ease for the first one and that gave me the measurement for subsequent pairs. There is no elastic round the legs, just a turn up and stitch.
Once I was happy with the alterations I traced off the patterns onto vilene and got to work. Two pairs of boyleg Marys, one with some marriage equality elastic and the other is some Jockey brand elastic turned inside out because I didn’t want the logo on the outside. I think this elastic came from my mother’s stash.
Then two more pairs of Acacia. I used fold over elastic on one pair and picot edged elastic on the other. I did not enjoy the application of either.
I found a pair of self-drafted bobettes that I had cut out and not finished, so I did something a little different with the elastic. I coverstitched it to the outside, using woolly nylon in the looper, and used plush backed lingerie elastic round the waist. I have decided that this is my favourite finish.
This pair also qualifies for Jungle January and will be my only make for that challenge.
I’m not quite finished making my bobettes, and of course I have to make the matching bras for all these…