Sew-A-Long Ottobre Boxer Briefs Morphed into two peice ouchless pattern (lots imgs)

[MakadamiaNut]

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Hi Ladies -

I had promised to take some pics the next time I needed to trace a new size on the Otto boxer briefs. I didn't see this in any of our sewalongs or tutorials so I'm hoping I'm not repeating anyone's work!!!

INTRO:

I started with Ottobre issue 4/2004 and some rib knit for the sides/butt and a patterned knit for the cod peice. The boxer briefs pattern is orange on Sheet E.

For this pattern, I like rib knit best for the sides/back- I think it provides a sleeker silhoutte. I do often use PRR or some other jersey for the cod peice. In this case, I used a camo rib knit.

For the purposes of the sew along, I used clear sheeting to trace the pattern so that you all could see what I was doing... The serger is using a 4 thread overlock with white thread, the sewing machine is using red thread and a triple stitch for everything except the last step which is a zigzag.

Trace-A-Long:
So, here we go tracing the side leg...



Then you take that tracing and slide it over to the pattern for the butt peice. Butt the patterns together (pun intended ). You don't want to allow for seam allowances since there won't be a seam. Let the bottom area overlap - it'll work out in the end, I promise.



Then trace your "cod peice". I traced it, flipped it and traced the other half so that I can then use it for ease when fussy cutting to get a certain design to show up on that pattern peice.


Ignore the fact that you should do a "dart". Just let the fabric be a little wider. Who wants seams on their Pee-pee?

Then line up your butt/side panel pattern with the fold of fabric (the right hand side in this case) and cut it... I usually add an extra inch or so on the leg length as I like that look a little better than the super short legs.



And cut out the cod peice, ignoring the dart issue altogether:


Next, serge wrong sides together. This is often counter-intuitive for experienced seamstresses (can't tell you how many times I've done it wrong!)--- you want that seam on the outside - not rubbing against the family jewels.




When you get towards the crotch, you will have more of the side/butt panel fabric than the cod peice. Don't worry about it.



Then using a sewing machine with the triple stitch, sew down the seam so that it will lay flat. I like to sew it so that it ends up folded towards the leg panel. Stitching in red thread.

Here's what you should have at this point:


Then, put the other wrong sides together and serge the other side of the cod peice to the side/butt panel.

Showing you the wrong sides are together:


and then serging wrong sides together:


Now go for that triple stitch again, but be careful how you hold the fabric - you don't want to catch part of the boxerbriefs in that stitch:


Holding carefully:


I then serged the bottom of the legs - I don't like a folded over or rib finish, I think it's too bulky under clothing - and a serged edge is just fine for unders, IMO. Normally I would do this step earlier in the process (LIKE FIRST Thing) so that I don't have to do any sewing in the round.


Then do a nice curve along that crotch seam (again on the OUTSIDE of the fabric)
\

And you get this:





I like the crotch seam to also be flat, so I carefully position it on the sewing machine and do a triple stitch across the seam... it's a little tricky but not too hard.



Then you have this:


Now you just prepare your elastic-


Serge it on:


Then you have:


Fold the waist band down and zigzag around the waist... and Voila! Ouchless Boxer Briefs!


If you can imagine black serger thread and black sewing machine thread, you can see that you'd get a great looking pair of boxer briefs!

I hope you enjoyed this extensive sew along!


Q&A:
Ok, so what is a triple stitch? I thought you meant a triple coverstitch/three needling, but it doesn't look like that in your pics, so please enlighten me!!

The Triple Stitch icon looks like this on your sewing machine:

lll
lll
lll

It's a straightlined stitch that is suitable for a stretchy fabric (if you do a normal straight stitch, the fabric wouldn't give at all). When you sew with it, your feeddogs will feed the fabric forward, then back then forward and back and forward and back, etc - it comes out looking like a straight line, albeit a bit wobbly of one.

"Fold the waist band down and zigzag around the waist..."
Are you zigzagging below or through the elastic?


I am zigzagging through the elastic - but just through that bottom part. The way that I do it, is I stretch the elastic and stretch the boxer briefs together, I hold it all and just zip around. When you let go, the zig zag will tighten along with the elastic.

By the way, when you serge your elastic onto your boxers, you will end up using a little less elastic than you would if you were encasing it. This is because the serger will stretch the elastic a little. I usually plan on about a half inch to an inch less than the pattern normally would call for.






Thanks for looking!
maria