workout wear – Page 3 – Sew Beach Life

Super Fun Super G’s

And A Simple Pocket Hack

GreenStyle Super G Tights are my “go-to” workout pants pattern. I’ve sewn more than a half dozen pairs for myself and a pair for my daughter. I’ve perfected the pattern to suit me, and decided to really have fun with this pair. Since it’s hot year round in Florida, I prefer capri length (or an inch or two shorter). It’s easy to fit capri length on one yard of fabric, with enough left over to make a workout top. The G in Super G stands for the gusset. It’s one long piece that stretches from calf to calf, and gives your workout tights lots of stretch and movement.

Since the gusset pattern piece is longer than 36″, simply fold up the ends on the gusset pattern, and cut the ends (adding in seam allowances) out of the same or an accent fabric. It’s a fun way to add another little bit of accent to the inside of your leg.

Supplex is literally the best fabric for workout tights. I’ve used Tricot as the accent fabric on the side pocket panels of my Super G’s, but my favorite accent fabric is Powernet. It gives a little more ventilation, and adds a little bit of sexy sheerness.

On the teal and navy pairs in the photo above, I used Powernet for the upper and lower pocket pieces. That makes the panels sheer all the way to the waistband. This doesn’t bother me, but if you’re looking for more coverage, use Supplex or Tricot for your upper pocket piece.

Normally, the lower pocket panel of the Super G’s gets stitched to the upper pocket, and the lower panel fabric gets folded under to form a pocket, effectively hiding the seam. Since I’ve made so many pairs of Super G’s, I thought it would be fun to give the pocket on this pair a different look. (It also means that you can use shorter pieces of powernet, 😉 in case you only bought a half yard.) The pocket can be moved down about an inch or so, and still be wide enough to hold a large iPhone. You may have noticed this hack on my Super G’s in this post, where the pocket is Supplex and the upper and lower panels are powernet.

The fold in the lower pocket panel piece on the left shows where the pocket seam will be. I cut 3/8″ above that (where I am pointing) to give a seam allowance. I added an inch to the bottom of the upper pocket panel piece, (on the right in the photo above.) Now I just need a pocket piece which was made by tracing the folded over pocket section (the top portion of that left pattern piece.) And then the real fun began!

I placed several long strips of plastic wrap on my glass dining table to protect it, and laid the powernet pattern pieces I had cut out on it. The little bit showing at the top left corner was used for a workout top. The small triangular pieces are the gusset end pieces. The pockets are on the lower left, and the lower pocket side panels are on the right. (I used Supplex for the upper pocket panels.)

Art is often an experiment, no matter what media you choose. It is a wonderful way to play and express yourself. And you get to play with color, yay! Since the grape Supplex I was using for my Super G’s was such a fun color, I knew I wanted to do something fun on the side panels. Michaels Arts & Crafts stores often have 50% off coupons in their weekly email ads. Which I greatly appreciate, since the Marvy Uchida Fabri-Ink kit I wanted to try was $25.

I chose the fluorescent set since the purple, turquoise, and green fit solidly in my little wedge of the color wheel. The set includes refillable brushes, but that didn’t sound as fun as randomly dropping splotches of diluted fabric ink with an eye dropper! The darker splotches were diluted 50/50 with water, and the lighter ones are about 25% ink and 75% water.

Things to keep in mind: I always pre-wash my fabric before it gets folded and put in my stash for use. Never, ever, ever skip this step. This removes any dust, dirt, or chemicals that may have gotten on your fabric from the manufacturing process or during freight. You do not want that on your skin, cutting mat, or machine. It also gets any possible shrinkage out of the way. Ink is permanent, so protect your work surface, hands, and clothes. I let the ink dry overnight (although it dries in a matter of minutes) then pressed it with an iron to heat set it.

Mark the back edge of each side pocket panel pattern piece with a clip to avoid confusion later. To assemble the panels, fold the top edge of the pocket under 1″, press, and topstitch with a decorative stitch. Lay the pockets on the upper pocket panels, right sides up, aligning the bottom edges, and baste along the sides. Then lay the lower panel on top of the pockets, right sides together, and stitch. Press the seam up (so it won’t be visible through the lower panel), and topstitch with a decorative stitch.

With the side pocket panels done, you can simply follow the pattern tutorial to finish up your super fun Super G’s.

I’ll tell you a funny story about taking these photos. This pretty foliage is along a rather busy road. It can be kind of awkward posing for photos with cars driving by. While posing so my husband could take a photo of the back of my Super G’s, I asked him if my booty looked good. Right then a truck drove by and the young man in the passenger seat leaned out the window and whistled at me. Straight-faced, my husband answered, “I think you have your answer!” 🙂 Hahahahahahaha!

I love these early morning photos because the colorful sky is a pretty backdrop for my super fun and colorful Super G’s. And who doesn’t love the sound of the ocean as background music?

Sewing is an art, so don’t be afraid to experiment with it, and with other forms of art to make your own fun projects.

All fabric was purchased from Phee Fabrics. The white Supplex workout top is the GreenStyle Jillian I hacked to have powernet inserts and a pocket, blogged here. The teal and grape Supplex workout top is another fun hack I’ll be posting soon.

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission/credit 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, patterns, fabric, art, and pattern hacking. ❤

Yoga Class Fun

If you follow my blog for sewing, you’ve likely seen that I sew a lot of workout wear. It isn’t that I run, or spend hours at the gym because obviously, I don’t! But I do love going to yoga class. I’ve been practicing yoga for 16 years and besides walking the beach, it’s my favorite form of exercise. Like anything else that you practice regularly, the more you do it, the better you get. I’m certainly not perfect, but it’s fun when I feel like I’m able to get deeper into a pose than I used to. I’ve had some excellent yoga instructors over the years, and am happy that I’ve found a yoga studio with classes I enjoy, along with instructors and regular attendees who make me feel like I am part of a happy little tribe.

I’ve never been able to get photos while practicing, but all of the other “regulars” at Friday morning Ashtanga were on vacation, traveling, had work commitments, etc., so I was the only student. Ashley, my favorite Ashtanga instructor 🙂 asked if she could take some photos as we did class. I had to laugh when she said after class that she “felt like the paparazzi, trying to get all up in there, taking photos.” Hahahahaha! Since I am not some Hollywood movie star or otherwise famous, the paparazzi will never be taking photos of me, so I found this hilarious!

Ashley was discreet while photographing, so you’re not subjected to photos of my sweaty face, just my sweaty back! Just for fun, here are my yoga photos:

It was super exciting to me when I was first able to get my head down on the floor during wide legged forward folds.

My elbows feel like they’re pretty centered and vertical when I’m in twisted side angle, I’m almost to the center of my chest.

There are so many variations of forward folds.

I really like this photo, the lighting was pretty. Can you see the sweat dripping up my spine? And can you tell that I never take off my cross necklace? 🙂 I need to work on getting my palms together though.

My Grandpa taught me to stand on my head when I was a little girl, so this isn’t a big deal, since I’ve always been able to do it.

It’s fun to be able to pike out of a headstand too.

If you’ve thought about trying a yoga class, I hope you’ll give it a try. It isn’t all about being able to stand on your head. It’s more about breathing, and learning to control your breath and your responses to the stressors in life. It helps you build focus, along with strengthening and stretching your muscles. As I’ve heard more than once, it’s a yoga “practice”, not a yoga “perfect”. It is also a perfect time to pray. I manage a couple of Hail Mary’s during the opening mantra, and an Our Father during the closing mantra. Faith is an important part of life, and there’s never a bad time to pray. I enjoy adding prayer to my yoga practice as much as I enjoy a quiet prayer while walking the beach.

Exercise, eat healthy foods, and take care of your body and soul.

If you’re curious about my workout outfit, the tights are the GreenStyle Super G’s, although I did hack the side pocket panels in this pair a little bit. My workout top is the hack I did on the Stitch Upon A Time Titania Top, blogged here. The Supplex, Powernet, and plush bra strap elastic were all purchased from Phee Fabrics.

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission/credit if you purchase through my links. As always, I only give my honest opinion, because after all, it is my blog, which represents me! 🙂

Titania Tunic Workout Top Hack

From Dressy Tunic To Workout Ready

Whenever I make a cute top, I can’t help but think about how I could make it into a cute workout top! The Stitch Upon A Time Titania Top & Tunic was the perfect base for a workout top hack. Since dresses are a year round staple for me, it’s also going to end up as a dress once I add 8 or 9 inches to the tunic length. The tunic itself turned out quite cute. I like the flowy body, especially in this silky soft circular knit. It has the perfect drape for this pattern. Can you imagine the twirl in a dress length?

Can you see my elastic error in these photos? Instead of following the elastic length cut chart for the armscye, I thought the elastic should be more taught. Making it 2 inches shorter than recommended gave me puckering and a bit of rolling at the armpits. I should know by now to trust Jennifer of Stitch Upon A Time’s design and testing and use the recommended length! The neckband was easy to sew, and despite being a higher neckline than I normally wear, the rounded shape doesn’t cut into my neck or shoulders. Using the built in shelf bra means not having to worry about wearing a strapless bra, or trying to find a bra with straps that don’t show. The stylish tunic would look great with skinny jeans or fitted pants like the Goldilegs Jeans, and of course with a slim skirt or shorts.

Hacking the shelf bra pieces into a workout top is easier than you think. Cut two bra fronts out of Supplex. Rather than cutting the back out on the fold of the fabric, I folded my pattern piece under 5/8″ from the center back, and cut out two left back and two right back pieces. You’ll also cut a bra front and a right and left back out of powernet or techsheen for support. For design purposes, I wanted the bra back to have a 2″ strip of powernet down the center, with a little opening between the bra top and the tank body. I used my favorite tank pattern to make the bodice. If you don’t have a tank pattern, trace any well fitting tank in your closet. Don’t forget to add seam allowances!

The trickiest part of this workout top is the V-cutout on the center front. Lay your clear ruler on an angle, starting 1″ from center front at the top, and down 5-1/2″. Do the same thing to the second bra front piece, then trim the 3/8″ seam allowance off the second triangle cutout opening. The trimmed version will become your front lining piece.

Lay the triangle you cut out of the bra front on your powernet. Add 3/4″ width to each of the long sides of the triangle as seam allowances. This gives you the front triangle insert. Cut a rectangular piece of powernet 2-3/4″ wide, by 2″ shorter than the length of your bra back at center back. This gives you the back insert.

Baste your powernet/techsheen bra front and backs to the wrong side of your bra lining front and back pieces. You will treat them as one layer from this point on. Right sides facing, sew one long side of your triangle insert to the cutout section of your bra front, using a 3/8″ seam allowance. Snip the center front of the bra down to, but not through the stitching line. And here’s where I’m going to make it easy to get a perfect V. With your bra top right side up on a flat surface, fold the seam allowance of the unstitched side of the opening under 3/8″. Apply Washaway Wonder Tape to the seam allowance. Making sure that your powernet insert triangle is laying smooth and flat, peel off the backing paper and press the folded under edge of your opening onto the powernet. You can baste that side into place, or just trust the Wonder Tape to do it’s job. (Although I am a big believer in basting, I trusted the Wonder Tape and it held fine until I was ready to topstitch all my layers.)

Right sides together, and lined up at the top edge, sew the rectangular powernet insert to one side of the bra back. Line the insert up with the top of other side of the bra back and stitch, using 3/8″ seam allowances.

Sew the front and back bra pieces together at the side seams. Sew the lining front and back bra pieces together at the side seams. Note: the pattern calls for 1/2″ seam allowances, so be sure to use this seam allowance on the side seams, even though I use 3/8″ seam allowances on the rest of this hack. Fold the center back edges of the bra lining under 3/8″ and baste.

With the bra right side out, and the lining wrong side out, place the bra lining over the bra. Line up the neck and arm openings, and pin in place. With right sides together, stitch along the armscyes and add the elastic in the seam allowances as per the pattern tutorial. Stitch the front and back necklines leaving openings at the shoulders to add straps. Cut two pieces of bra strapping 6″ long. Slide a strap down inside each shoulder opening at the back, and with the end of the strap flush with the opening, stitch the straps in place. You may want to go over the stitch line twice to ensure that the straps are secure. Turn the bra right side out. Ensuring that the triangle insert and cutout opening are properly aligned, top stitch around the triangle.

Lining up the edges of the back and back lining so that they are even with the rectangle insert, top stitch along the edges.

Now you can try on the bra, and adjust the length of the straps to fit. You may end up cutting a couple of inches off, but you need long enough peices to work with! Slide the ends of the straps down into the openings at the front shoulders, turn the top wrong sides out, and stitch the straps in place at the front shoulders.

Sew your tank front and back bodice pieces together. Then slide the bra down inside the tank with right sides together, and matching center points on the front and back, stitch. Using the measurement in the cut chart, wrap a piece of elastic around your underbust to check for fit. I used 1-1/4″ wide sport elastic, rather than the recommended width. Use whatever width of elastic that works for you, or that you happen to have on hand. The elastic should fit snugly, but not uncomfortably. Overlap the ends and stitch together. Mark quarter points on your elastic, and at the seam allowance, and pin together at those 4 points. Stretching the elastic to fit, zig zag it in place. Turn the hem of your workout top under 3/4″ and use a zig zag, twin needle or coverstitch machine to finish.

Smile, and go for a walk or run, or hit the gym or yoga studio in your fun new workout top!

I bought all of my fabric, the Circular Knit, Supplex, Powernet, and Techsheen from Phee Fabrics, along with the clear elastic and bra strapping. The consistently high quality makes and keeps me a repeat shopper!

*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, patterns, fabric, and pattern hacking. 😉

Stitch Upon A Time Water Faery Twist & Swim Top

Swimsuit And Workout Tank With Pockets Hack

Summer has arrived, so it’s about time for me to get started on sewing up some swimwear! When the Stitch Upon A Time Water Faery swim patterns were released, I eyed them closely, but put off buying a pattern because I couldn’t decide which one to buy. The Retro One Piece has a dress option, which I love the look of! But I never wear one piece swimsuits. I finally settled on the Twist & Swim Top because I knew I would wear the sexy yet modest top and could play around with the pattern.

The swim top has the option of a plain or twisted front. Since I was making the fun twisted front, I decided to follow the pattern exactly for my first version to see how it fit. I made my measured size, using the green extended cut line for the bodice, since I have the noted 4.5″+ difference between bust and under bust, and followed the tutorial. As I’ve come to expect from Stitch Upon A Time Patterns, the tutorial is well written, with lots of photos to help you visualize each step. The elastic measurements are perfect, exactly the right length for support and comfort.

I had some swim fabric from JoAnn’s in my stash that was left over from a project I made last year. There wasn’t quite enough fabric to make the straps the recommended width, so I made them as wide as possible, but had to omit the gathering on the straps. As experience has taught me when making bras or tops that need support, I used powernet in the front and back bodice pieces, as well as the straps. The resulting top is cute, and works great for walks on the beach, but had one small problem.

Knowing that my shoulder to bust apex measurement is longer than average, I should have taken that into account and lengthened the straps. Since the straps are too short for my body, the top cuts into my armpits a bit. Because the top is held firmly in place under the bust in front, the back is pulled forward and up, which keeps the back from laying properly. Fortunately, it’s a simple fix.

I just added an inch to the strap length before cutting out my next version. This time I used Tricot from Phee Fabrics. I think the hardest part was narrowing down which colors to use, since it’s available in so many pretty colors! Because I liked the way the narrower straps turned out, I decided to cut them at 3.5″ wide again. I also decided to play around with the bottom band construction, to use one piece of 1.25″ wide elastic in the band, rather than elastic at the top and bottom seams of the band.

I made the top as directed until I got to the band. I sewed the bands right sides together, along the bottom edge. I marked the band at the midpoint, then marked the quarter point by folding one end over and 1/2″ past the center pin, to account for the 1/2″ seam allowance. I also placed pins on either side of my center front pin to mark the V placement. I stitched between the two outer pins, using a 3/8″ seam allowance. (Note: I used a 3/8″ seam allowance on the top and bottom seams of my band so that I could use 1.25″ sport elastic. You can also stick to the 1/2″ seam allowance and use 1″ wide elastic.)

Then I carefully cut down to, but not through the stitching at both ends of this V stitching, and turned the band right sides out. Because I would need an opening to thread my elastic through the band after I attached it to the bodice, I had to carefully plan out stitching the short ends together. Placing the short ends right sides together, I stitched from one side for 1/2″. Then I stitched from the other side to just past the bottom seam. This left me enough opening to thread my elastic through, but ensured that the side seam was completely sewn on the outer side.

I turned the band right side out and basted the long edges together. When sewing the band and bodice together, make sure that the opening for the elastic ends up on the inside of your top!

Then I matched up the center front, center back, and the quarter points of the band and bodice, right sides together. Keep in mind that the quarter points may not exactly line up with the side seams, especially when you use the extended bodice cut lines. Stitch the band and bodice together and insert the elastic. Use the recommended underbust elastic length, and overlap and stitch the ends of the elastic together. You can stitch the opening on the inside of the band closed if you want, but since tricot doesn’t fray, I didn’t bother.

Yay! I had a perfectly fitting swim top! Now for some bottoms. I’ve owned the Scrundlewear 2.0 pattern for months, but had never made a pair. Since everybody seems to love Scrundies, I figured they would make great swim bottoms. I cut on the foldover waistband line, tapering in at the top following the side seam cutline to give me a high waisted look. The front height was great, but the back was too high. I tapered from 1-5/8″ down at center back over to the height of the front side seam.

The legs felt too low, so while wearing the bottom, I carefully pinned where I wanted the leg line to end. I added in the 3/8″ seam allowance I was going to use for turning my swim elastic under, marked my pattern, and cut off the excess fabric. The photo below shows how much fabric I cut off compared to my new higher leg cut line.

I also cut a front and back out of swim lining. And as you can see, the swim lining from Phee Fabrics is nothing like the stuff I’ve bought from JoAnn’s. It’s soft and lays smoothly. The edges don’t curl up, and it’s super easy to sew with! I also cut a front piece out of powernet. Hello tummy control! Not only is powernet great for bras and swim tops, it works fabulously to smooth out the tummy and hold everything in place. Baste the powernet to the fabric front, and sew the front and back together at the side and bottom seams. Sew the swim lining front and back together as well. Place the swim lining layer inside the fabric layer wrong sides together, and baste at the leg and waist openings. Using a zig zag stitch, sew the elastic on the inside of the leg openings with the elastic lined up with the edge of the fabric. Turn the fabric under and top stitch using a zig zag with the stitch length set to 2.5, and the stitch width set to 3.0. This will give you a professional, even finish.

I used a strip of 2″ wide fabric to make my waistband. I sewed the two short ends right sides together, then layered the swim bottoms and waistband, right sides together, with 3/4″ knit elastic on top. I stitched through all three layers, using a 1/4″ seam allowance. This was easier than anticipated, since all three layers were the same length. I didn’t have to worry about stretching or pulling. I flipped the waistband open, and carefully folded the waistband fabric around to the inside and pinned it in place. Using the same zig zag settings, I topstitched the fabric in place just below the waistband.

My Scrundie swim bottoms were a success, and I have a cute new swimsuit! I love that it’s modest enough, while still being sexy. My husband definitely approves of my creation!

Since I seem to think that every bra or swim top can be made into a workout top, read the 5oo4 Escapade Experiment, Hack At It, and the GreenStyle Power Sports Bra Workout Top Hack as proof of my workout top obsession! 🙂 I decided to make the Water Faery Twist Top into a workout top too. I made the Twist & Swim Top out of Tricot, per directions (with the narrower and longer straps out of Supplex) through to basting the completed bodice layers together along the bottom. Then I got to work on the tank portion. Supplex is my absolute favorite fabric for workout wear, so that’s what I used for the tank. The pattern includes a tankini option, but since I was making a workout top rather than a swim top, I didn’t want the negative ease that the swim top has (to keep the tank from floating up while in the water).

If you have a well fitting tank pattern, you can use that, or you can just trace the tankini piece wider, with a gentle slope down to the bottom, rather than with the inwardly shaped waist curve of the original. I thought it would be fun to color block a stripe down the center back, and add some pockets to the front for practicality and a pop of color. I cut a strip of tricot 4.5″ wide by the length of the center back tank piece. Then I folded my tank pattern piece in 1.5″ at the center back. That way, when I cut out the two back halves (not on the fold), I would be missing 3″ from the center back. Sewing the strip to each of the back pieces right sides together, with a 3/8″ seam allowance meant that the color-blocked back ended up the same size as my tank pattern piece.
I cut out two 4-3/4″ x 7-1/2″ rectangles for my front pockets. I wanted them to be hidden seam pockets like the one I did on the GreenStyle Jillian Tank. I laid the pocket pieces on the tank front and marked the 3/8″ seam line at the top and bottom of the pocket with a pin. I flipped the pocket toward the center, and with right sides together, pinned the pocket to the tank, then stitched 3/8″ in from the pocket edge.

I flipped the pockets back to the outside edges after stitching and basted them in place.

At this point, I should have been able to sew the tank front and back together, and sewn the bodice to the tank. But I had made a couple of rookie errors. 😦 The first was that I had made the tank too wide at the top. This was easily remedied by angling the tank in at the top so that it was the same width as the bodice (and the original tankini pattern piece.) The second error was not considering the fact that I am tall, and should have added an inch to the length of the tank. The problem was remedied easily enough by adding a band. I cut out the band pieces, and sewed them onto the bodice per the pattern tutorial, except using a 3/8″ seam allowance, and spacing my bodice front center V only 1/2″ apart. I don’t want to show too much skin at yoga class!

Because the 1.25″ wide sport elastic had worked so well on my swim top, I decided to use it for my workout top as well. With the bands still folded up on the bodice, I used pins to mark the quarter points on the top, and a pencil to mark the quarter points on the elastic, and stretching to fit, stitched the elastic to the seam allowance. I had the elastic lined up with the stitching line, and hanging down below the bodice. Then I folded the inner band down, and stitched the elastic to the band.

I brought the outer band down and basted it in place before attaching the tank portion. I sewed on the tank, hemmed the bottom, and I’ve got a cute new workout top!

Everything stayed perfectly in place during a sweaty Vinyassa Flow class that included inversions. Everyone in the lobby when I walked into the yoga studio commented on my top. None of them could believe that I made it, including the instructor, who knows how to sew. I went for a walk later in the evening, and the pockets worked great to hold my phone and house key. It looks like I’ve got a great new swimwear and workout top pattern to add into my rotation!

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.

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!