Red Underwear

My dad was one of 5 brothers (with a lone sister in the middle of them). They had a tradition of wrapping up the same pair of red underwear each year and giving it to one of the boys for Christmas. Some one re-introduced the tradition when my cousins and I were in our teens and twenties. There was always the dread extra package under the tree at the family party. Sometimes it was well disguised. Sometimes it was just an extra package. It wasn't getting the underwear that was such a problem. It was the fact that you were expected to put it on and model it! Over your clothes. For everyone. People with cameras. Have you ever contemplated putting on a pair of long johns over top of your velvet Christmas skirt and sweater? In front of 30 or so of your closest family and prankster cousins, with cameras? Think about it. Gotta love those family traditions.

As an aside, not everyone dreaded the underwear. One cousin loved to get it because he would wear it for the rest of the winter. I think his wife had to pry it out of his hands to wrap it up and pass it on. Thus the underwear started to fade from its original red to a reddish orange.

It always reminds me of an old Girl Scout Song

I just lost my underwear
I don't care, I'll go bare
Bye bye long johns

They were very dear to me
Tickled me, Eee Hee Hee
Bye bye long johns

If you see them you'll know where to find me.
They were the only ones who knew all about me.

I just lost my underwear
I don't care, I'll go bare
Bye bye long johns...
Long johns, bye bye.

I know the internet is full of what is probably the correct version, but this is the one I learned way back when.


When I saw this fabric with the long johns on the line, I knew I had to start making some special presents for some very special people. Now the question for them is... is the package a sweet little mug rug or ...

The details... this is a little mug rug about 8 x 8 inches. It is made from Heather Ross Laundry Line fabric that is a cotton linen blend. It is mixed with linen and the orange is another print from the same collection. I is machine pieced, has a cotton batting and is hand quilted with pearl cotton and quilters cotton. The little flower is a raw edge applique.