workout wear – Page 3 – Sew Beach Life

GreenStyle Jillian Tank

Powernet “Colorblocking” And A Hidden Seam Pocket

I love sewing workout wear for several reasons. First of all, I need something to wear to yoga class. Secondly, I am far too frugal to spend $50 or more on a cute workout top. And last but not least, I can customize my makes to suit my style and color preferences.

I have had the vision of a white workout top with powernet inserts floating around in my head for a while. I just hadn’t gotten around to sewing one up. Enter the GreenStyle Jillian Tank. The pattern is loaded with options: a bandeau top; an inner tank, with or without a built in sports bra; and an outer tank that can be made with knit or woven fabric. I chose to make the inner tank with a built in sports bra.

I used white Supplex and white Powernet from Phee Fabrics to make my Jillian Tank. I like the simple design of the Jillian inner tank, because it gives the powernet inserts the opportunity to stand out. Adding inserts is really easy, it’s basically a simple color blocking technique. I cut two right angle triangles out of my powernet, being sure to cut them straight on the grain, with the greatest stretch going side to side. The sides of the L part of the triangles were 7″ long. I laid the triangles on the bottom corner of the tank front, and trimmed off the excess powernet to match the shape of the corners.

I marked the tank front 6.25″ up and 6.25″ over from the bottom corner and using my quilting ruler and rotary cutter, cut off the (smaller sized) triangles from the bottom corners of my tank front. Then I laid the powernet triangles on the tank front right sides together and stitched them together. I pressed the seam allowances toward the Supplex and top-stitched them in place so that you wouldn’t see them through the powernet.

I like to walk the beach whenever I get the chance. Since I don’t want to have to carry my phone and keys, I need pockets. I put pockets in all my workout tights and shorts, but occasionally, I’ll find myself wearing something without pockets. So why not start adding pockets to my workout tops? A hidden seam pocket gives cleaner lines than a patch pocket, not to mention how much easier it is to keep straight while sewing!

I cut a 4.5″ wide by 8″ tall rectangle out of powernet. I made it that large to ensure that my phone would stay snugly in place, yet still be able to reach in and grab a key or lip balm from the bottom of the pocket. I folded the top of the pocket down and stitched it in place. Then I laid the pocket right sides together 3.75″ from the right edge of the tank back at the bottom corner. I stitched along the right hand side of the pocket.

Then I flipped the pocket over and basted it along the side seam, and zig-zagged it in place along the bottom of the pocket. (Had I cut the pocket a bit longer, I would have lined it up with the bottom of the tank and just basted it in place.) When the tank is hemmed, the bottom of the pocket is securely sewn in place.

After these simple modifications, I just followed the pattern tutorial to complete my tank. I made another small adjustment to the pattern out of necessity. The pattern calls for double straps threaded through the top of the front shoulder strap. Rather than cutting and sewing the straps, I used plush bra strap elastic to speed up my sewing time. Since my strapping was wider than the sewn straps would have been, I went with a single strap.

I love having a solid white workout top to mix and match with my Super G‘s. The powernet inserts and pocket give the simple lines a little extra pizazz.

I can style it with a skirt or shorts for a completely different look.

I could see myself using this simple color-blocking technique to add in coordinating fabrics if I were trying to match workout tights with color-blocked side panels. The hidden seam pocket can be customized to fit whatever you want to carry. It’s so much more useful than the tiny little key pockets you find on ready to wear!

Go ahead and sew all the workout wear! After all, it is #memademay.

*This post may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission if you purchase through my links. As always, I only give my honest opinion. After all, it is my blog, which represents me! Thank you for reading and sharing my love of sewing and pattern hacking. 😉

5oo4 Escapade Experiment

From Ties To A Strap, And A Little Ventilation

I literally cannot seem to stop myself when it comes to hacking patterns. I’ll buy a pattern because it’s a cute design, or has lots of options, and I may or may not make it as written. Then I’ll start thinking, “Maybe it would be fun to add…” or, “What if I changed that into…” There are some really talented .pdf pattern designers out there, and I am so impressed by them, because I don’t have the talent to design a pattern. They’ve done the hard work of figuring out fit and design. And I get to do the fun part of personalizing patterns to suit me, or fill a need in my wardrobe.

I bought the 5 Out Of 4 Patterns Escapade Top and Dress pattern months ago, and hadn’t gotten around to making it yet. I love all the options: bikini top; tankini style top, and dress. When I first bought the pattern, I think I planned to make the dress first. I love dresses. And since the Escapade has a built in bra, it’s an easy way to get dressed in the morning! But I usually go to yoga class 4 days a week, so a workout top was a bigger need than a dress. Which is what led to my experiment.

The Escapade is designed to have a drawstring style strap that can be tied halter style (handy if you are nursing or want to easily adjust the strap length), or tacked in place as straight or criss-crossed straps. Since I enjoy Ashtanga and Power Flow yoga classes, there is a lot of movement involved, and I do NOT want any movement or shifting of my straps! There is also a center front tie that gives separation, shaping, and lift to the bra front, but I didn’t want to feel the tie when we do upward bow or other floor work. So that’s what led me to my hacks.

I made my Escapade using Supplex and Powernet from Phee Fabrics. Supplex is hands down my favorite fabric for workout wear. It’s moisture wicking and antimicrobial, so you don’t feel all sweaty or get stinky clothes from your workout. High quality powernet is essential for good support when you’re making bras, so I always use it in the front and back of my workout bras.

I cut out all my pattern pieces except for the drawstring strap, since I made that by cutting two 1.5″ x 30″ strips of Supplex and one strip out of powernet. I sewed them with the Supplex right sides together and the powernet on top along the two long sides. I used a safety pin to turn the strap right side out, then pressed it flat.

I basted the powernet to the wrong side of the bra front and back lining pieces, then sewed the lining together at the side seams. I also sewed the bra front and back together at the side seams. I turned the bra right sides out, and slid the bra lining over it, right sides together. I pinned them together along the top edge, then sewed along the top edge leaving an inch in the center back, and an inch at the bra front top points open.

I used a strip of powernet 1.5″ x 4″ to make my center back strap loop. I folded it in half lengthwise, and sewed it with a 3/8″ seam allowance. I turned it right side out, made a loop, slid it inside the center back opening I had left in the bra, and stitched it in place. Then I sewed 1/4″ clear elastic in the seam allowance along the top of the bra using a zig zag stitch. I stretched it slightly from the side seam up to the bra front points. I also stretched it slightly along the center front from point to point.

Stitch one end of your strap in place at one of the bra front points, turn the bra right sides out, string the strap through the loop and try it on. Adjust the strap length to fit you comfortably, while still feeling supportive. Then turn it inside out again to stitch the strap at the appropriate length, and trim off the excess. I think I ended up cutting a couple of inches off of mine.

Because I didn’t want the center front tie, I just made a gathering stitch down the center front of the bra top, and stitched my gathers in place with a zig zag, followed by a stretch stitch to ensure that my gathers stayed in place even with the frequent wearing and washing my workout tops get.

To add interest and a little ventilation to the back of my top, I marked a spot 5.25″ down from the top of the center back bodice, and 2.5″ from the center back fold and cut this triangle off with my rotary cutter.

Then I cut a 6″ triangle out of my powernet. You can use the triangle you cut out of the bodice, (adding 3/4″ on the two sides to give yourself a seam allowance) as a pattern.

Stitch the powernet insert in place on the center back, taking your time when you get to the point, lifting your presser foot, and swiveling to continue the seam up the other side of the triangle. I’m not going to lie, my triangle shifted a bit while sewing, and I seam ripped and resewed the point more than once. Oh, the joys of perfectionism while sewing! Use lots of pins to hold things in place, take your time, and hopefully you won’t have to seam rip and resew like me. Press the seam allowance toward the Supplex so that it won’t show through the powernet, and topstitch in place.

You can follow the pattern tutorial at this point to finish up your top. I wore my top to Ashtanga yoga class yesterday, and appreciated the ventilated triangle in the middle of my back. It was a great, rather sweaty workout and I felt cute and comfortable.

I paired the top with my GreenStyle Super G’s, which have powernet side pocket panels, so my new Escapade top gave me a cute matching workout outfit.

Don’t be afraid to try a hack to make a great pattern suit your needs. I will definitely use this pattern again. I think I will try the dress version next. Maybe in circular knit, or tricot… Which do you think?

Pace Skirt

Tips For Pretty Pleats

Like many (most?) sewists, I like looking through patterns, and thinking about new clothing I can add to my wardrobe. I have eyed the GreenStyle Pace Skirt several times, and even when I’ve made bulk pattern purchases to get the discount, I’ve hesitated on the Pace Skirt because of the pleats. Pleats may seem intimidating, but you really can sew pretty pleats! I want to share some tips for making pleats, so you won’t be afraid to try this fun pattern.

The Pace Skirt has a plain front and pleated back, with optional attached briefs, or shorts with pockets! 🙂 Secret hidden pockets to carry your keys and phone? Not having to worry that a big gust of wind will come along, or that you’ll have to perform some kind of quick un-lady-like move while chasing a little one around? Sign me up please!

The pattern is drafted for a stretch woven skirt, with a stretch knit waistband and briefs/shorts. Since it can be challenging to find a stretch woven fabric, GreenStyle has a note in the directions that you can use a stretch knit by sizing the skirt portion down a size. I have learned to trust the extensive testing and excellent pattern drafting, follow my measurements, and make the recommended sizes. I like to print and tape a master copy of my patterns and trace out my size on parchment paper. That way I’ve always got my master pattern to go back to, even if my pattern pieces get torn or a bit crinkled up from use.

So here is my first tip: pay attention when you are tracing your pattern pieces. Because I was using a stretch knit, I had to remember to trace a smaller size for the skirt front, back, and upper back pieces, while using my measured size for the waistband and shorts pieces. This is also the time to lengthen or shorten the pattern pieces as needed. I am tall, so I added 1-3/8″ to the skirt length. I also used the high rise waistband pieces rather than the standard pieces. Can I just add here that I love that both rises are included in the pattern? I didn’t have to worry about adjusting the pattern to add to the rise, and those that prefer a shorter rise also have the appropriate pattern pieces.

Tip #2: Make sure that you are laying out your pattern perfectly on the grain. Grainlines and direction of greatest stretch lines are included on patterns for a very important reason. They help you line up the pattern with the fabric so that your garment will hang properly on the body. This is super important on the skirt back piece, because you will want to reference the grainline when pressing your pleats. If you cut it out on grain, it will make it so much easier to get perfect pleats. If you cut it out crooked, you will get crooked pleats if you follow the grainline while pressing.

Tip #3: Mark the pleat lines on the skirt back. The pattern piece is clearly marked with how to fold your pleats, so they go from the center outwards. You could use tracing paper or a disappearing pen, but I found it easy enough to use pins and clips. I placed pins along the top of the skirt at the pleat marks. And where each pleat folded over, and the next pleat started, I also added a clip. That was my reminder of where the pleat ended. In the photo below, I’ve already pressed all the pleats on the right outward toward the right side of the skirt. (I used the metal hem guides to help hold my pleats in place while I made the folds to pleat the other half of the skirt back. You could also just use pins or clips to accomplish this.) Since I had made sure that I cut my pattern piece on the grainline, it was easy to follow the grainline to press the entire length of the pleat down to the hemline. And obviously, I need to clean my iron, because little white specks of build-up have flaked out of the steam ports! 🙂

Tip #4: When pattern directions suggest that you baste, take the time to baste! The small amount of time that it takes to baste, will save you so much more time when you are sewing your pieces together. Once all of your pleats are pressed, pin them in place so that you can baste them down before sewing on the upper back piece. Check out those pretty, pressed pleats!

By following the pattern directions, you will end up with a fun, flirty, pleated skirt! It can be casual everyday wear when paired with a simple tank top. In this case, a rayon spandex GreenStyle Staple Tank.

You can use the built-in briefs option if you prefer it when playing tennis or golf. If you’re like me and want pockets to hold your stuff while power-walking, I recommend the shorts. I love the “secret” pockets!

I also love that you can change the vibe and wear the Pace Skirt for dressier occasions by wearing a chiffon top, or adding a jacket or cardigan. This RTW top had been languishing in my closet because I didn’t really have anything to wear it with.

I am very happy with my new skirt. My husband complimented me on it, and said that he loves the pleats. ❤ Even with the built-in shorts, I don’t feel overheated because I used Phee Fabrics circular knit which is moisture-wicking and super comfortable. There’s no need to feel intimidated by pleats. If you have any questions about sewing or pleats, feel free to comment and I will try to help you out. Take your time, use my tips, follow the pattern directions, and add some cute new skirts to your closet!

My GreenStyle Fit Capsule Roundup

Sew All The Workout Wear!

I’ll start off with my newest makes from earlier this week. Before I spent three days helping my Mom and before I ended up with the flu. 😦 I knew I had to get my sewing fix in before I left for my Mom’s, so I made a couple things I really wanted and needed.

My love for Super G’s is strong, so I made a pair in navy Supplex with navy powernet pocket panels. As soon as these new colors were listed on the Phee Fabrics website, I had to place an order! Navy is a great basic, so I will wear these a lot. Since I always find myself reaching for a Studio To Street Top when I get chilly, I decided to make another one in Phee’s pretty periwinkle rayon spandex. I did the V-neck, V-back, curved hem version, except I cut it straight across in the front, and did a 4-1/2″ split hem on the bottom sides. This kept it a little bit longer in the front, and gave me a cleaner, (though similar look) to the split band version I made previously.

Since it’s not a capsule without at least three pieces, here’s my flat lay photo that includes my Brassie Jogger shorts. If I have enough Supplex left in any other colors, I plan to make more Brassie shorts because they are seriously the most comfortable shorts ever! It’s a bummer that I couldn’t capture the true colors with my indoor photo.

My Lille Tank and Norah Nightgown mash-up was the anchor for my teal and charcoal Supplex capsule. I used powernet in the front and back bodice, as well as for the pocket panels on my Super G’s. And look, it’s another pair of Brassie shorts!

Plum Supplex and neon green tricot made such a striking combo for my Power Sports Bra and Super G’s. I rounded out my capsule with a plum Supplex Lille. Because it’s a solid, I’ll be able to mix and match it with items in my other capsules.

Hacking the Power Sports Bra into a workout top was my first Fit Capsule item. And it looks great with my gray Supplex Super G’s. Of course I need to include one of my comfortable rayon spandex Studio To Street Tops to round out this final capsule.

All in all, I have really enjoyed sewing for the Fit Capsule Challenge. It pushed me to expand my workout wardrobe and to finish up some pieces that I know will get tons of wear. Here’s hoping that I can get over this flu and get back to yoga on Monday!

Hack At It

GreenStyle Lille Tank + Norah Nightgown = A Fun New Workout Top?

I’ve made the GreenStyle Lille Tank before, and it is a great basic racerback tank. I use the optional built-in bra on mine. I could share a pretty modelled photo, but I like this outtake photo better. I really can do a nice Dancer’s Pose in yoga class, despite my laughing and falling out of it while doing photos! I thought it would be fun to hack the Lille with the Norah Nightgown. Say what? This means I can avoid doing binding (which is a win in my sewing book!) and use two great patterns to make something new.

When I do a pattern hack and it turns out successfully, my creativity seems to spark and I like to see what else I can come up with. After hacking the Norah Nightgown to be more supportive and loving the outcome, I figured I could easily mash it into a workout top. I used the same method as in my previous post here, so I won’t repeat myself by showing all of the steps in this post.

Because I am making workout wear, moisture wicking, antimicrobial, and supportive fabric is a must. I used Supplex as my main and lining fabric with Powernet sandwiched in between. The Supplex from Phee Fabrics is my favorite workout fabric.

I made one additional change to the Norah front bodice. I measured 10″ up from the crossover point and made a mark. When cutting out the bodice pieces, I used my clear ruler and rotary cutter to cut a straight line from the point up to the 10″ mark. This gives the bodice a bit more coverage. I also decided to not use the dart or gathers so that I could overlap the front more. I ended up overlapping by 7.5″, This gave me good coverage, and lined up nicely with my band pieces. It’s a good measurement to start with, but you will want to pin or baste, and try on for the best fit.

I used the Lille Tank pattern for the main body portion of my top by using the bottom 14″ of the tank pattern, cutting straight across the top. This ends up being the perfect length for me, you may want it a bit shorter or longer.

I used powernet in the bodice front, back, and straps. As with my nightgown hack, I used 3/8″ elastic along the front 10″ of the bodice, and along the front armpit curve. Because you want lots of support while working out, I gave the elastic a little more pull while sewing this time. When laid flat, it looks rather gathered. But on the body it comfortably hugs and supports the bust. It’s also important to use elastic in the band.

Then it’s just a matter of sewing the Lille front and back together at the side seams, and attaching it to the band. To find the perfect length to hem your top, here’s a tip I picked up from Beth Doglady: “Spread your legs in a standing A shape. Hem it where it rolls up to. This way it won’t roll up on you in workouts.” Brilliant!

I tested my top with some Vinyasa Flow and everything stayed comfortably in place, even during inversions. Now I have a fun new workout top for all my yoga classes. Since working out is more fun when you’re wearing new workout wear, I need to do more sewing! Which pattern should I make next?

GreenStyle Power Sports Bra Workout Top Hack

How I Made A Good Bra “Workout” Better

I was lucky enough to be one of the GreenStyle Power Sports Bra pattern testers. As soon as I made my first Power Sports Bra, I knew that I was eventually going to hack it into a workout top. I like pattern testing. It gives you a chance to try a new pattern, give your feedback on the fit, construction, and pattern directions. At the end you get to show off your beautiful creations, so you feel like a model wearing something that you made. I like the fit, style and multiple options on the pattern, and knew that it would make a cute workout top!

I used gray Supplex from Phee Fabrics for the bra portion of my top. Since the bra needs to be comfortable, supportive, and able to withstand sweaty workouts, your fabric needs to be moisture wicking with good stability and excellent recovery. Supplex is my go-to fabric for workout wear. I used tricot for the body portion and straps because it comes in fun colors, and is also moisture wicking and abrasion resistant. It is important to use powernet when making a bra. The support and smoothing provided by powernet is, in my mind, essential to achieving a high quality finished product. An added bonus is that I don’t have to use bra cups when I use powernet! It’s that good at keeping “the girls” in place.

Omitting the band, I cut out my bra per pattern directions, as well as cutting a layer of powernet for all the bra pieces. I trim the powernet about 1/8″ smaller on all sides (which is much easier if you have a rotary cutter). Doing this will cut down on the bulk in your seams. I then baste the powernet to my lining pieces, and treat them as one piece moving forward.

Other than the straps, I sewed the bra together per pattern instructions. While I love the look of the double straps, they are more time consuming to construct. So I still cut out four strap pieces, but used them flat (as main fabric and lining fabric) rather than as double straps sewn to each shoulder. I used powernet in my straps rather than adding elastic.

Once you’ve sewn your main and lining pieces together along the top, try the bra on, adjust the straps to length, then push the straps through the openings and stitch.

To avoid bulk, be sure to trim the seam allowances at the back strap openings on an angle before turning the bra right side out. It’s important to press as you sew. It helps everything lay more smoothly, and gives your projects a more professional finish. See the difference pressing makes between the left and right straps in the photo below?

Now you’re at the part where you would normally add the band, but are instead going to make it a workout top. I used the GreenStyle Lille Tank as the tank portion of my workout top.

I literally used a Lille tank that I had made previously, but never wear because I didn’t do a good job on the binding. Since it was just taking up space in my workout wear drawer, I decided to upcycle it by cutting the top straight across below the arm openings. The extra length gave me the opportunity to add ruching to the sides.

The Lille body was wider than my bra. If I were making the body out of Supplex, and wanted it more fitted, I would have slimmed the top of the body a bit. Since I was going for a drapier fit with ruching, I just matched up my quarter points and eased the body to fit the bra.

I could have added a band with elastic on the inside at this point, but wanted to try something else. I used 3/8″ swim elastic cut to fit me at the snug yet comfortable length (just like you would trial fit the wider elastic in the band). I overlapped the elastic and stitched it together making a circle. Then I matched up my quarter points, and zig zagged the elastic to the seam allowance. After that, I flipped the seam allowance toward the bra, and top-stitched it in place.
To ruche the sides, I cut two pieces of swim elastic a couple of inches shorter than my side seams. I zig-zagged the elastic to the side seams and ta-dah, instant ruching!
When I go to the beach to get photographs in my makes, sometimes silliness overtakes me. But we’ll just say I was jump testing the workout top to ensure that everything stays in place!

This workout top passed the jump test with flying colors! 😉 Working out is more fun when you wear cute, comfortable, me-made outfits. 🙂

Happy Sewing!

GreenStyle Super G Tights

Workout Wear Within A Yard

I like yoga. I love sewing. Combine these two statements and the logical conclusion is sewing workout wear. If you’ve looked through an Athleta catalog, or wandered through Lululemon or any other high-end workout wear store, you have probably been a little taken aback by the prices. There is some justification to their price because high quality performance fabric isn’t cheap. And you want fabric that is anti-microbial and moisture wicking if you’re planning to work up a sweat while working out. However, $98.00 yoga tights aren’t within my budget, and the fabric isn’t that expensive!

I go to yoga 4 or 5 times a week, so I need a lot of workout wear. I’ve made workout leggings out of swim and “Loungeletics” fabric from JoAnn Fabrics, and they are cute and comfortable at first. But the fabric gets a bit baggy and stretched out after wearing them all day. And they certainly aren’t moisture wicking. Which brings me to Supplex from Phee Fabrics. This is the high quality fabric that the high end stores use for their workout wear. It is 18 oz./linear yard (400 grams per square meter)! It holds everything in place, and has wonderful 4-way stretch with excellent recovery.

I recently bought the GreenStyle Creations Super G Tights pattern and was excited to add a new style into my rotation. I chose the Super G’s because there is a side panel with pocket option. And we all know that pockets are life! 🙂 Especially pockets that are big enough to hold a large phone in a sturdy case. I like capri length workout tights because I live in Florida, and Ashtanga yoga is sweaty! The Super G’s have a gusset that gives the tights excellent stretch and flexibility without irritating seams in sensitive areas.

However, the gusset pattern piece is longer than 36 inches, and I was working with a yard of fabric. I turned this potential problem into a design element by color blocking my fabric about 3″ at both ends of my gusset piece. It gave me a fun triangle accent on the inside of my calves. I used white powernet for the color-blocking and side pocket panels. It gives my legs a little bit of ventilation as well as being a great accent.

I added an inch to the rise of my tights because I am tall and a little curvy. Could I have gotten away without the extra inch? Absolutely! But I’m sure I’m not the only one who likes a little extra coverage on the tummy! I also decide to curve in the center back seam a little bit before adding the waistband. I made sure to alter my pattern piece for future use.

I took larger seam allowances on the contoured waistband to make it a bit smaller as well. Adjusting patterns to suit your body shape is one of the reasons we sew. We can customize the fit, and design fabric and color combos that work for us. The simple gray and white color scheme of my workout tights means that they will match nearly every workout top I own. And since I only used a yard of Supplex, they are well within my budget!

If you haven’t tried yoga, I encourage you to try a class or two. It’s not only great exercise, but the steady breathing helps bring calmness and focus into your life. And if you haven’t tried sewing workout wear, give it a shot! The Super G Tights are a great pattern, and Supplex is a wonderful fabric. You’ll end up with workout wear that looks like a hundred bucks, but costs you a whole lot less. And it’ll probably fit you better too!

Now I need to make some strappy workout tops out of Supplex (and perhaps some Tricot). This ready to wear top with sleeves was way too hot for yoga class! What is your favorite workout pattern?