yoga – Sew Beach Life

Bobby and Billie

From Lounge Wear to All Day Wear to Workout Wear

I love versatile patterns, and the new Bobby Brami pattern from GreenStyle does not disappoint! It makes for super comfortable pajamas when paired with the Billie Shorts. You can lounge all day, clean house, sew, read, do laundry, and snuggle your cat, all while feeling cozy, yet cool.

I love the way he curls his tail around me when I hold him. He loves being held up on my shoulder like a baby.

I interrupted his nap for some kitty snuggles.

But the Bobby Brami isn’t just for lounging. I wear mine out and about while running errands, taking a walk on the beach, and while skating. Fabric choice makes a little bit of difference on which top I’ll choose. All of my Bobby Brami shelf bras are made with high quality nylon/spandex swim or athletic knit. I didn’t even bother using power knit as an additional layer, because the shape of the pattern pieces gives me adequate support. The coral floral print and bright green main layer (and Billie Shorts) sets are rayon/spandex. They are soft and cozy.

It’s been chilly here in Florida, but it finally warmed up enough for me to skate again. When it finally hit the mid sixties, I wore the coral floral Bobby with some Moxi bike shorts to skate.

Some of the side streets have been repaved and they are so much smoother and nicer to skate on.

You’ve just got to pause and have some fun when you get to the top of a little bridge!

As much as I love rayon/spandex, I’m unlikely to wear it while doing a sweaty workout. On those 90 degree days, I’ll reach for the nylon/spandex athletic fabric tops, like my palm leaf print or solid white versions.

When pattern testing, I like to take fresh measurements just to make sure I’m choosing the correct size(s). Garments fit best when you start with your upper bust measurement to get a good fit at the shoulders. Then you can grade for the full bust, waist, and hips. My upper bust is a size D, and my full bust is on the outer edge of D. My waist and hips are size F. So my pattern is graded from D to F starting below the bust. After making the first test version, I realized that my bust projection made the front of my top a smidge too short. But I don’t measure into or need the +2″ or +4″ FBA front pattern pieces. What I do need is a little bit of extra length at the center front. So I reshaped the hem similar to the hem on the FBA front of the Azure top shared here. Adding 3/4″ at center front, gently curving up to nothing at the sides made a world of difference.

See how evenly the hem sits? It’s the same length all around instead of riding up in the front.

I upcycled the pretty palm leaf print fabric from a now too large tunic top (shared here) for my third Bobby Brami. Because it has a higher percentage of spandex and would be more form-fitting and less drapey, I experimented with adding 1/2″ to the length of both the (previously adjusted) front and back of the top. I’m super happy with the results!

This top is so comfortable and supportive, I don’t even have to think about adjusting or pulling on it. Carefree clothing is the best!

The slim fit of the pattern and quality of the nylon/spandex fabric kept the top firmly in place even when doing cartwheels.

All four of my Bobby Brami’s have the V-neck front, U-back, and are the (longest) high hip length. Some may think that’s boring, but I like what I like! 😉 There are a lot of options: high neck, U-neck, and V-neck fronts; and high neck, U-neck, and V-neck backs, which can be mixed and matched; along with bra length, waist crop, and high hip lengths. They can be worn with shorts, leggings, and skirts, like the Paseo Skirt shared here.

I love the *just the right amount* of coverage of the soft V-neck.

The Billie Shorts have three length options from boy shorts to the longest length, which is what I made. There’s also a lengthen/shorten line if you need to adjust the rise.

I like the longer length, and if you’re someone who experiences “chub rub”, I can foresee these being made in a nylon/spandex to be both smoothing and to protect the inner thighs. I know someone who would probably really appreciate if I made her a pair or two, as this is the style that she likes, and struggles to find in her size. Speaking of size, these patterns come in sizes B-M, which range from a full bust of 30″-61″ and a hip of 32″-62″.

If you choose to make Billie Shorts as a smoothing layer to wear under scrubs or clothes, you’ll be happy to note that there is a liner pattern piece that should be made out of cotton/spandex, bamboo/spandex, rayon/spandex or other breathable fiber. Alternatively, you could just cut a second center front piece so that the full center is lined.

A freshly sewn burrito rolled main top and shelf bra may not look like much before it’s pressed, but when it’s done, you can’t help but admire the clean finish!

One of the sewing techniques used on the Bobby Brami is the burrito roll. Don’t let the idea of it intimidate you. It really is just rolling from one side over to the other armscye, wrapping the right sides around the rolled up fabric, and pinning, then sewing them together. When you pull the fabric out after stitching, it’s amazing to see the clean finish of your garment.

Have I mentioned lately that I love the coverstitch feature on my Triumph? It makes hemming and finishing elastic bra and waistbands so quick and easy!

Though it is a rather soft V (due to the negative ease of the pattern) the V-neck does come to a point. It can be tricky to navigate exactly where to stop and pivot your fabric. I like to use a disappearing fabric marker to mark the center line of my V. Then I can stitch, keep the needle down, and pivot to stitch the other side of the V. I use a lightning bolt stitch for this, as this is a knit garment with a bit of compression. Once I’ve stitched the V, I clip down to but not through the stitching line. Then I can easily serge the neckline while adding the clear elastic to the seam. Once serged, I very carefully snip the elastic at the center of the V, trying not to snip any thread. This will help the fabric lay smoother at the V. I generally use my seam ripper to do this, as the tiny point can easily get in there to do the job.

It was easy to tell the front from the back at a glance as I made V-front and U-backs on my Bobby Brami’s. But I’m making a U-back and front for my daughter, as she prefers a slightly higher cut at the bust. To make life easier, I put a clip at the center back of the main and shelf bra pieces. A simple tip that can make things faster, easier, and avoid confusion when sewing.

Although the tutorial calls for adding clear elastic at both the neck and armscyes, I cannot stand anything tight or constricting in any way in my armpits. So I used clear elastic only on the neckline seam, feel like I have great support, and don’t feel the need for it around the arms.

Good support and a flattering fit? Yes, please!

I’m super happy with my new makes and will continue to get so much use out of them! It was nice to wear a new top to yoga class on Saturday because I do seem to be running out of workout wear and get tired of wearing the same five outfits week after week. I’m in love with these new patterns!

I had intended to add a video of my backbend to wide legged forward fold to headstand and back to wide legged forward fold, but WordPress wants me to upgrade (and pay more for) a premium plan in order to add videos. Lame. So no videos for me. 😦 But check out my new Liforme yoga mat! I bought the XL length during their holiday sale and *love* it! My previous Liforme mat lasted me for six plus years of doing yoga 3, 4, or 5 times a week.

The details: Greenstyle just released the Bobby Brami and Billie Shorts patterns.

The bright green rayon/spandex, and palm frond print nylon/spandex were from Phee Fabrics.

The coral floral rayon/spandex was given to me by my daughter, no clue where it came from.

The white nylon/spandex double brushed jersey athletic knit was from Porcelynne. As was some of the nylon/spandex swim type fabric used for the shelf bras.

I can’t be the only one that curls their legs up when sitting, right? 🙂

The links to GreenStyle may be affiliate links (if I did them properly!) which means that I may earn a few pennies if you use my links without it costing you anything extra. Since this is my blog and represents me, I always give my honest opinion about any patterns, fabric, or supplies that I talk about. I hope that the time I spend writing posts and sharing sewing tips interests people enough that they take a look at the patterns I review. I write to share my love of sewing, patterns, and fabric, and hope that it encourages others to love sewing as much as I do! ❤

Hack Your Style: Endurance Sports Bra

Made More Fun/Challenging With An Upcyle

Sports Bras are kind of a staple in a lot of women’s wardrobes. Whether you wear them for sports, exercise, work, or just because they’re cute and comfortable. The challenging part is finding one that fits properly. Ready to wear sports bras often only come in basic sizes like XS, small, medium, large, and XL. While sizing like that may give an okay fit on some people, I think that it is unlikely to get a great fit with such limited sizing. Which is why I like making my own.

I started making GreenStyle Endurance Sports Bras this summer, and now have three, customized for my style. Funnily enough, none of them are made exactly per pattern directions with a front zipper and bound edges. What can I say? I’m no stranger to pattern hacking, and think it’s fun to try different looks by playing with a pattern.

The great thing about the Endurance bra pattern is that it has specific band and cup sizing. It’s designed to fit a full range of band sizes 28-40, and cup sizes B-H. You get a much better fit when you have cup size options! Speaking of fit, following the measurement chart is the best way to choose your size. My 32″ underbust (ribcage) measurement put me in a 32 band, and my full bust measurement put me in the E cup. The band is a good fit, but I neglected to take into account that the pattern cup pieces are intended to fit over bra foam pieces formed into cups, and I was not using the bra foam layer. So, the 32E sports bra fits, but it’s not snug. I don’t know about you, but I like my sports bras to fit snugly.

It’s still super cute, and I wear it all the time, but I knew that a 32D would fit better, at least with the way that I hack the pattern to use powernet basted to the wrong side of the main fabric, rather than using bra foam. So I made my second Endurance in a 32D.

As you may have noticed, beyond hacking the pattern to not use foam, binding, or a zipper, I also changed the straps. Rather than using the all one piece upper cup and strap, I trimmed the strap off about 3/8″ above where the strap starts. Since my bust is fuller at the bottom than the top, I also trimmed back the curve at the armscye.

I don’t show full pattern pieces out of respect for pattern designers hard work, but you can see where I trimmed off the strap and trimmed back the upper portion of the upper cup piece.

I thought it would be fun to have double straps, so I made straps out of 1-1/2 wide strips of fabric folded in half right sides together, zig-zagging over 3/8″ wide knit elastic that was aligned with the raw edge of the fabric, so that the zig just goes off the edge of the elastic and into the middle of the fabric, with the zag into the elastic, then turning the straps right side out and pressing.

The V and straight combination of straps is a unique look, along with providing additional support.

I basted two straps at center back, and placed the other two straps at 2-1/2″ away. After sewing the main and lining together along the top edges (except at the strap opening) and turning right side out, I tried the bra on to judge strap lengths. The center V straps ended up about 15″ long, and the straight straps about 14″ long. The length you need may vary depending upon the stretchiness of your elastic. I threaded the two straps on each side through sliders because it looked cute, and to give a slight amount of adjustability.

Aren’t the sliders a fun touch? And aren’t I lucky to have such a great wingman to ride along with me as I skate?

For my second Endurance I used size 32D, and again just sewed the center front together rather than using a zipper. For this version I made straps with 1″ wide knit elastic threaded through them.

Instead of skating around the neighborhood like I usually do, we decided to check out a county trail system. It was a workout with the little hills and elevation changes, but fun to have a change of scenery and to see the bicyclists and walkers that use the trail.

The trail is paved, and there are benches along the side every so often. It does cross quite a few busy streets though, so there are 4 way stops. You really have to watch for cars because they have a tendency to do more of a “rolling stop” than a complete stop.

The straps are just crossed in the back for a typical X back look.

Florida sun is intense, so don’t forget the sunscreen!

My new outfit (because of course I *needed* another outfit for skating) is an upcyle. I used some old capri length leggings and a workout top that was too big, unpicking them to salvage the pretty fabric. Working with limited fabric means that you’re going to get a scrappy look, but I tried to get intentional with it.

I managed to get the GreenStyle Moxi bike shorts front and back pieces, along with the Endurance Sports Bra cup pieces out of the capris. The old waistband fabric wasn’t as tall as the Moxi waistband, so the bottom 2″ of waistband was cut from the old teal workout top. Using the teal for the band of the Endurance bra gave it a nice contrast. I had to dig into my stash to cut the lining layer of the bra, along with the side panels of the shorts. The pockets were cut from the mesh panel that was in the center back of the old top. Like I said, it’s a scrappy look!

Looking scrappy (and happy) because I got to skate.

I love the support the bra offers, and the fact that it can double as a swim top. The V and straight straps are my favorite, so I used them on this bra too.

It’s fun to provide entertainment value by trying to take photos with cars occasionally driving by! 🙂 All you can do is laugh when someone rolls down their window and says, “Looking good!”

Reverse triple coverstitching helped soften the look of the multiple fabrics and bring them together. Superior Threads Sergin’ General thread in teal was a great match to the fabrics.

Don’t be afraid to upcycle, to hack, to adjust, to experiment, and to play with patterns and fabric. I also encourage you to rollerskate for fun and exercise. Even if it’s been a while, you’ll pick it back up. And like anything else, the more you practice, the better you get.

The details: I’m wearing the GreenStyle Endurance Sports Bra and the bike shorts from the GreenStyle Moxi Shorts pattern in all these photos. The navy and turquoise floral print is Align 2 fabric from GreenStyle.

Both the turquoise and purple shorts are supplex from Phee Fabrics.

The swirly print fabric used for the X back bra was secondhand fabric so I don’t have any information on where it’s from.

The rainbow finish sliders used on the double straps were purchased from Porcelynne.

You can make your own sports bra, and can customize it to fit your needs. It’s worth the sew! And a few more photos just because I have so many to share. 😉

Thank you for reading and sharing my love of creating, hacking, sewing, serging, great patterns, fabric, and making beautiful, well-fitting garments! ❤

The links to Greenstyle may be affiliate links, which means that at no extra cost to you, I may receive a few pennies if you purchase through my link. As always, I only give my honest opinion. After all, it is my blog, which represents me!

The Briny Swim Top

And a photo session with my daughter!

The timing of the new GreenStyle Briny Swim Top pattern test worked out perfectly with a scheduled trip to our daughter and son-in-law’s home. I make matching clothes for my granddaughters all the time, and they love it. They frequently ask to wear their matching dresses, tops, shorts, etc. But I very rarely get to match with my daughter because she lives so far away.

As soon as I saw the tester call, I sent a photo of the line drawing to my daughter and asked her if she wanted a cute new swim top. I knew that it was a style that she would look great in, and she loved the look. So matching swim tops it was!

My daughter is a smaller size than me, and has a smaller cup size, and the size D fits her perfectly! She chose to have the optional skinny strap, and thought that the bright blue nylon/spandex swim that I used as the lining fabric would be a cute contrast against the GreenStyle Align 2 Paradise print main fabric.

Isn’t she a beauty? Let me tell you, her inner beauty far outshines the outer. I am so blessed to have her as a daughter!

The crossed straps in the back highlights the fun contrast of the solid against the print, and the narrow versus wide fixed strap even better.

It’s such a cute pattern! Very on trend, and looks cute whether worn with swim bottoms or shorts. It’s so comfortable that she didn’t take it off after photos, and wore it for the rest of the day. She threw a white sheer mesh top over it, slid on a pair of pants, and wore it out for date night that evening. I should have grabbed a photo of her, but I was trying to give the girls their baths and ready for bed so that she and her husband could get out the door.

As I have a fuller bust, I made the size E with the darted bust option. Since I knew that I would be sewing while visiting, I had to pack up my serger and fabrics and attempt to sew during quiet times. Let me tell you, when you have very active three and five year old granddaughters who want to play all the time, (well, other than when they are asking for food :-)) there is no quiet time! Hahahahahaha! I don’t know how all you Mama’s with little ones do it.

I took the girls on lots of stroller strolls, visits to the playground and pool, played dress-up, built with magna-tiles, played with stuffies, played pet shop (where the girls pretended to be snow leopards, clouded leopards, cheetahs, pink kitties, puppies, etc. and I would “buy” them as my pets. They were super cheap, sometimes $3, and sometimes $5. It was hilarious! I had to pretend to pay for them (with a beep on the imaginary POS system), and could then open the imaginary cage doors (squeak) and go in and play with whatever animals they were being at the time.)

The darted front (FBA) bodice is the right choice for me size wise. Rather than just relying on compression and a bit of shaping, the dart gives more room, support and shaping for a fuller bust. I’d get even more support from the compression of powernet, which is something that I always use in sports bras, workout and swim tops. However, when packing for our road trip, I neglected to put it in my bag of fabric, notions, thread, and sewing supplies. 😦 whomp, whomp.

It’s such a cute top however, that I’ll likely go through the trouble of seam ripping it, and add a layer of powernet to the wrong side of the main fabric so that I can feel more supported when wearing my Briny as a sports bra for roller skating.

I added the optional strap to mine, and with a heavier bust, I chose to make my strap have a finished width of 5/8″, a little wider than than the pattern calls for. Surprisingly though, I think that if using powernet in the top, I would feel comfortable even without the extra strap. I guess I’ll just have to make another one, and check it out. 😉

I think the top looks great worn with my favorite GreenStyle Moxi Shorts bike shorts (the compression under layer to the loose shorts.)

If you ever have the opportunity to make matching clothes with your adult child(ren) and have a photo shoot, I highly recommend that you do it! It’s fun, you get the chance to be awkward and silly posing together, and you’re wrapping your child in a handmade hug. ❤

I swear my leg was higher than this! We only did warrior III because she said she couldn’t do a yoga toe hold. I think she can, especially if we held on to each other. 🙂

Hugging my girl in the cute handmade hug I made for her.

Since I’d never traveled with my sewing before, here are my best tips: pack your serger or sewing machine in it’s original box, so that it can be safely cushioned by the styrofoam and original packing materials. I brought my Babylock Triumph (combination serger and coverstitch machine) with me, and there is no way I would have done it without it being in the original box. Our car was completely full with not only suitcases, our cooler and bin of snacks, our pillows, and a small blanket, but a coffee maker, car seat, and our daughters order from Ikea as she doesn’t have one near her.

It’s a 13 hour drive, so a cooler with water, sliced veggies, and fruit is essential. Especially since I have food allergies, and can’t just stop anywhere and safely eat. My serger was safely tucked in the back, all snug and secure in its box.

Bring all the fabric (double checking that you have powernet if you’re going to need it!), thread in matching colors, elastic, and any sewing notions you may need. You can’t count on whatever local sewing or big box stores to have what you want in stock. Try to have your patterns printed out, and traced in the needed sizes. When you’re doing a pattern test, that’s a little challenging because there is likely going to be an updated version of the pattern before finals. If where you’re staying doesn’t have a printer, check out the local options for printing your patterns. Other than that, just enjoy and go with the flow. Traveling and visiting people you love is fun. And while things may not always work out as planned, enjoy those little moments and memories, and listen for every “Grandma, I love you” and take every snuggle and hug that comes your way.

Thank you for reading and sharing my love of creating, sewing, serging, great patterns, fabric, and making beautiful, well-fitting garments! ❤

New Year, New Workout Wear, New Supplies

It’s never a bad time to sew yourself some new workout wear, but losing some weight necessitates making new items that fit! My drawer full of workout wear is nearly all too big. Going to yoga class 4 times a week means that I need multiple outfits that fit.

Obviously making new workout wear is much more fun than seam-ripping apart your reverse triple coverstitched old outfits, cutting them down to a smaller size, and then re-sewing them! So I traced off a tried and true pattern (the GreenStyle Power Sports Bra) and tried a new pattern (the Sinclair Flex Leggings).

As a sewist, I always notice when someone in yoga class is wearing a new style. Several women had worn workout leggings with a deep V side panel with pocket, and I knew just the pattern to try. Sinclair Patterns is known for well drafted patterns that include petite, regular, and tall options in their files. There are quite a few Sinclair dresses, skorts, shorts, and tank tops in my wardrobe. They aren’t necessarily known for workout wear, but the Flex Leggings pattern is super cute, so I had to give it a try.

With no center front seam, the leggings fit smoothly across the abdomen and hips. The color-blocked V side inserts can include a pocket, which in my mind is a necessity. The pocket is deep, as in deep enough for even the largest phone to fit securely down into the pocket. I wore my leggings to Christmas dinner at my sister-in-laws house, and my phone never felt like it was going to fall out of my pocket. Of course I had my phone in and out of my pocket all day capturing moments with people that I love! (There’s one of us in every family 😉 and people sort of count on me to catch a few photos to share!)

This candid photo really highlights how much taller I am than my sisters-in-law. It also highlights the shenanigans present every time we get together! 🙂

The above photo also illustrates the only thing I disliked about the pattern. I need a contoured waistband, and always serge 1/4″ clear elastic into the top waistband seam in other patterns. The front and back waistband pieces on the Flex pattern are contoured, but fold-over. I added powernet to the front waistband piece, basting it to the wrong side of the fabric before sewing the waistband pieces together. Even with a double layer of powernet (since the piece is folded over) the waistband slid down all day long.

In all fairness, the tutorial does include optional directions to add narrow elastic threaded through buttonholes in the inner side of the waistband that could be tied to fit. I own one pair of Athleta leggings with an inner drawstring that in the past I have never bothered to tie. Since I’ve lost weight, I currently have the drawstring pulled tight and tied in a knot. But with a smooth front and smooth waistband, I didn’t really want a knot of elastic bumping out in the front. So I unpicked a small section of the waistband to leggings seam, inserted 1″ wide knit elastic, overlapped the ends by 1/2″ and zig-zagged the overlap, and serged the small section of waisband seam closed. I wore my new outfit to yoga class this week, and they stayed up perfectly! Problem solved!

Adding the 1″ wide elastic was the perfect solution! As always, I added a note to my pattern piece so I know exactly how long to cut the elastic (and remember to add it!) the next time I make these leggings!

As with every pattern, it is important to grade to fit your body. I have well developed calves (thanks to skating and yoga), so I knew I needed to grade my pattern pieces. The size chart doesn’t include calf measurements, but I’ve made enough workout wear and know my body shape well enough to estimate that my calves are about two pattern sizes larger than my hips. My knees are slender and I wanted to ensure that the leggings didn’t get baggy at the knee, so I started my grading just below the knee.

A french curve ruler is super helpful for making smooth transitions between sizes. The ruler helped me make a gradual curve on the outer seams of both the front and back pattern pieces from a size 8 out to a size 12 below the knee.

Since I couldn’t know for sure whether my grading was perfect or not, I basted the outer leg seam and tried the leggings on before serging the seam and reverse triple coverstitching. No one wants to have to seam rip that as an experiment! The grading ended up being just right, and now that I have the pattern perfected for my body, future pairs will sew up much more quickly!

These are the 7/8 length, and of course I want to make a pair with the lower leg color-blocking. So I’ll have to play around with transferring my changes to the color blocked pattern piece. What fun is sewing if you don’t challenge yourself, right? 🙂

I also like to challenge myself to see if I can still do a cartwheel. Yoga has kept my body strong and maintained my balance. Apparently it is also amusing/fascinating to watch a Grandma do numerous cartwheels while being photographed. As my husband finished our photo session a young woman lounging nearby at the beach smiled, nodded, and gave me a thumbs up. 🙂

The Power Sports Bra is a staple workout and/or swim top pattern for me. Women with smaller cup sizes can get away with flat front bras/tops, but a fuller bust is curvy and princess seams are great for fitting smoothly over your bust projection. I love playing around with it and trying new hacks. Doing double narrow straps with a criss cross was a fun, easy hack. It’s important to take your measurements and compare them to the size chart on a regular basis. I started by tracing my pattern in a smaller size. Previously I’ve used the 34 band size in cups E/F. The F is a little too high in the armpits, so I blend the E and F. My current measurements put me in a 32F. But my bust is fuller at the bottom than at the top. So I take away a bit of the upper curve on the side cup piece. Customizing the pattern pieces to fit your body is the key to a perfectly fitted garment.

Perfectly fitted princess curves fit smoothly over the bust with no puckering at the seams.

Porcelynne has some really pretty rainbow finish rings and slides that I wanted to incorporate into my top. Generally I use wide straight straps on the U-back Power Sports Bra because I don’t like straps pulling on my traps or up near my neck. I’ve found that I need the 1″ wide (final size) straps to be about 13″ long with either elastic or powernet in them, as in this post.

After cutting my four 1.5″ wide straps longer than needed, I zig-zagged 3/8″ knit elastic into the seam as shown here. It’s important to press your straps after turning, so they are as flat and smooth as possible. Also, pressing as you sew gives your garments a much more polished and professional finish.

Extending the strap connection point on the strappy U-back pattern piece by 1/2″ gave room to add the 3/4″ rings to the back by folding the fabric over the ring and stitching it in place. Then two straps were folded over each ring and stitched in place. The two outer straps were kept straight and the two inner straps were criss-crossed.

I love the fun shape the straight and criss-crossed straps form on the back. Kind of like a stylized W. I also like the muscles that I’ve developed over twenty years of doing yoga. 🙂 Not bad for a Grandma pushing 60, huh?

You control how close to the neck your crossed straps are by the placement of the 3/4″ slides. Slide them up, and the straps are pulled farther from the neck. Slide them down for maximum crossing. Once you’ve found the perfect placement for you, the straps get tucked into the bra front and stitched in place as per the pattern tutorial. My straight straps ended up 13″ long, and the crossed straps ended up 15″ long.

Using sliders not only adds a fun look, but gives you an option to slightly tighten or loosen the straps for comfort.

I’m definitely going to use rings and slides again because it’s just such a fun look! Making even a few small changes to a pattern is not only fun, it personalizes the pattern for your needs. I was also excited to try a new fabric called stretch eclon jersey from Mood Fabrics. Eclon is a brand name of nylon, and if you’ve read my blog before, you know that I am a big fan of nylon spandex. I avoid polyester, especially for workout wear because it doesn’t breathe and tends to absorb sweaty odors. Ewwww! Florida is usually hot, and my workout wear fabric needs to be moisture wicking.

I hope this inspires you to play with your patterns, and work towards a perfect fit as well as trying new looks.

I love the definition that reverse triple cover-stitching adds to accent the seam lines of well designed workout wear.

The details:

Sinclair Flex Leggings and GreenStyle Power Sports Bra, made of stretch eclon jersey from Mood Fabrics. This and several rayon spandex prints were my first purchase from Mood, so it’s a new supplier to me. I have to say that I liked all of the fabric that I ordered, except one (because it’s only a two way stretch instead of four way. Apparently I didn’t notice that in the fabric listing!)

The rings and slides were purchased from Porcelynne, along with some lovely nylon spandex fabric that I need to share. I made the cutest outfits for my granddaughters! Porcelynne isn’t new to me, I’ve purchased from her before but I don’t really think I’ve shared my makes using her findings before.

Seams were accented with a reverse triple coverstitch on my wonderful Babylock Triumph using Fantastico varigated thread #5028 Peacock Plume from Superior Threads in the looper using a stitch length of 3. Fantastico is one of my favorite threads to use for reverse coverstitching. It has such a beautiful sheen, and the short color repeat is perfect for adding a classy look to garments.

I’m very happy with my new favorite workout outfit, and will definitely be making more! Thank you for reading and sharing my love of creating, hacking, sewing, patterns, fabric, notions, thread, and making beautiful, well-fitting garments! ❤

My 2022 GreenStyle Fit Capsule

Sew Much Fun Making So Many Things!

I go to yoga class four days a week, so workout wear is an important part of my wardrobe. Roller skating has made it’s way back into my life as well, and I’m here to tell you, you can’t skate without smiling. I seem to break out into a grin every time I put my skates on. Having these two forms of exercise in my life brings a certain balance that just feels right.

It makes me happy that I was able to complete two workout outfits as part of the GreenStyle Fit Capsule Challenge. Even though both outfits are Spark Tights and Power Sports Bras hacked into workout tops, they’re very different looks. My first purchase of GreenStyle fabric was this super cool Super Nova Power Flex. It’s a nylon/spandex blend, and I love how colorful it is. Scraps of grape supplex (a color no longer available) from Phee Fabrics was the perfect accent fabric to pair with it, so I decided to go wild and color-block the bodice and then accent everything with a reverse triple coverstitch using MaxiLock radiant turquoise.

Coverstitching in turquoise really accented the fun colors and contrasted with the grape pockets and panels and cool Super Nova print.

I added a panel of white powernet to the back of my top for extra airflow during sweaty workouts. If you’re like me, and dislike straps near your neck, doing straight straps is such a game changer. There’s no need to ever adjust your straps again! To see how to do straight straps and add panels, check out this post.

I love using bra strapping and doing straight straps with the U-back.

My other Power Sports Bra workout top and Spark Tights combination is completely solid. I used a shimmery, almost glittery nylon spandex athletic fabric from JoAnn Fabrics. Since the fabric was shimmery I kept everything one color and achieved an extra pop of color by reverse triple coverstitching with Superior Threads Fantastico #5028 Peacock Plume. I just love their variegated threads!

The rising sun really picks up the sparkle in the fabric, and the beautiful sheen of the thread.

Once again I chose the U-back of the Power Sports Bra and used straight straps. Can you tell that these are well-loved patterns? 🙂 The straps were cut along the edges of the fabric where it wasn’t shimmery, just for a bit of accent. And to not waste that couple inches of fabric! 😉

The Valerie Dress, another well-loved pattern, hacked to be sleeveless and made in green rayon spandex will get a lot of use. I wear my Valerie Dresses all the time. Sometimes as a dress, sometimes as a nightgown or loungewear. I’ve also mashed it with the Staple Tank for a slightly different look, seen here.

It was a windy day, which made the dress cling to my body.

If it gets chilly, I can slide on my new Sunday Cardigan, hacked to have tiers, butttons, and a sleeve flounce. You can read about that here.

The cardigan works over dresses, shorts or pants, swimwear or workout wear. I love it!

Last but not least, I had to make another Staple Tank! You can never have too many of these tanks. I was gifted some pretty fabric scraps by a woman in one of my Facebook sewing groups. And this fun crocodile skin rayon/spandex print was actually large enough to eek out a new tank! It makes me smile to have such a fun printed tank!

I like using binding to finish my Staple Tanks. It gives it such a clean look.

Whew! That was a lot of sewing and posing for photos. 🙂 I was pretty inspired by the Fit Capsule Challenge this year, and I’m excited to have made so many cute things. It speaks volumes about how I feel about GreenStyle patterns and the way they fit my body so well. I may have plans to make myself another workout outfit. 😉 I bought some navy supplex, and have some pretty fabric scraps to coordinate with it. But I need to make a few things for other people first.

Thank you for reading and sharing my love of creating, sewing, patterns, pattern hacking, fabric, and making beautiful, well-fitting garments! ❤

The links to GreenStyle may be affiliate links, which means that at no extra cost to you, I may receive a few pennies if you purchase through my link. As always, I only give my honest opinion. After all, it is my blog, which represents me!

Porcelynne Jackie Bra and Tankini

Workout wear makes up a large portion of my wardrobe, so I like trying out new patterns and styles. Porcelynne is known for their bra making books and extensive bra making supplies. Their current warehouse is somewhat local to me, and that is how I stumbled across the Jackie pattern. Jennifer (the designer, author, and owner of Porcelynne) is in a Florida sewing group that I’m in on Facebook. She hosted a shopping event that included fabric from an estate sale at her warehouse. I chatted with her while shopping, and commented on the sports bra she was wearing, asking her which pattern it was. She told me it was a new pattern that would be releasing soon. Once the Jackie Sports Bra pattern dropped, I bought it, and the Tankini Add-On pattern.

Sewing workout wear is fun, and ensures that I have unique, colorful outfits to wear to yoga class.

Since Christmas was right around the corner, I spent the next month sewing for others and put off sewing anything for myself. January rolled around, and with it, time to sew for myself. The Jackie is marked as a more advanced pattern, so, as suggested in the tutorial, I decided to make the “simple” pullover version, rather than the zip up front to ensure that I had chosen the correct size. The size chart is extensive and includes fitting tips for uneven breast sizes, compression fit, etc. Knowing that I planned to workout in my bra, including upside down poses in yoga class, I sized down one size for the band, and used powernet in the bra. I did not size down in the cups, because I know powernet has a strong rebound factor. Snug but not not tight is the name of the game in comfortable workout wear! This meant that instead of making the 34F that I measured, I went with the 32F.

I always baste powernet to the wrong side of the main fabric before serging the pieces together, then pull all the basting stitches. In retrospect, I should have trimmed the powernet back 3/16″ around all the edges before serging to reduce bulk in my seams.

The Tankini Add-On is based on your band size and has some cool overlapped pockets on the front side panels. Although I like the looks of the pocket panels, all of my workout tights have pockets, so pockets on my top were redundant. Skipping the pockets meant a little more work to figure out the length on the side panels, but it wasn’t really that challenging to mark a new cutting line. The curving lines on the front panels of the tankini are super cool, but the curves on the side seams are not designed for my body shape. The tankini side seams were too “hippy” on me, with bulges on the sides, then a bit snug at the bottom, which makes the bottom want to slide up to a narrower point on the body. Part of this is probably due to the shape of my booty, which I frequently adjust for when making tops or dresses. Have you ever had a top or dress hem be too short in the back (shorter in the back than the front)? Even on a flowy dress, so you know it’s not because it’s too tight in the hips? Yeah, it’s super annoying, but there is an easy solution as long as it’s done at the “tracing the pattern” stage.

Whenever I’m tracing off a top or dress pattern and the back hem is straight across from center back to side seam, I know it’s going to be a problem if I don’t make an adjustment. Booties protrude from your back, and you need adequate fabric to cover them. Obviously you need adequate hip width, so do any grading out to the appropriate size first. In case you haven’t read my previous posts on the importance of grading, I am a stickler about grading to fit your body. Designers make patterns to fit an average of measurements, and they provide size charts for a reason. Just because your bust measurement falls into size x, it doesn’t mean that your waist and hips do too. Maybe they fall into the measurement range for a size y or z. It’s worth taking the time to grade to your size(s). Now back to the booty issue. If you’ve noticed the “too short in the back” issue on your makes, you need to add length at the hemline in the center back of your pattern, curving up to meet the side seam. Adding 1.5″ at the center fold line seems to be the perfect amount for me.

Notice that more length is added at the center back fold line to about the center of the pattern piece, then it curves somewhat sharply up from there.

Using a curved ruler can help you draw smooth even lines, but you can do this by eye. I do this adjustment on every fitted workout top I make. It’s helpful on more fitted tank and tee shirt patterns as well. Many flowy top patterns seem to include a curved hem. Occasionally after making a pattern with a slightly curved hem, I find that I need to add just a little bit more length to the curve at center back.

The hand on the hip is kind of pulling the fabric, but the top is the same length in the back as it is in the front.

Although I generally followed the tutorial directions when sewing the bra (which is a good idea when trying a pattern for the first time!), I’ve made enough workout wear to feel comfortable making a few changes. Since I had used powernet on all of the front and back pieces, using elastic along the top seam wasn’t necessary. The caveats to this being: first and foremost, having chosen the proper size; using a high quality powernet (not a flimsy powermesh); and using the differential on my serger. When sewing knits, always up the differential (to 1.3 generally speaking) to keep the fabric from stretching out of shape while serging.

Since the neckline has a somewhat squared shape where the center front meets the side front, I found it helpful to sew with a stretch stitch first, then go back and serge to ensure nice crisp corners.

The interior of the bra and modified band.

The bra pattern includes a normal rectangular band with 1-3/8″ wide elastic. The tutorial for the Tankini Add-On recommends serging narrow elastic into the seam when attaching the bra bodice to the tankini. I much prefer a nice solid 1″ wide elastic enclosed in a band on my workout tops. After all, I’m going to be upside down in headstands during yoga class and want a very secure band! On most tops the seam between the bra and bodice is relatively straight, but the Jackie bra has an interesting upward curve at center front. Rather than just using a simple rectangular band, I hacked mine to have a curve matching the curve on the center front of the tankini bodice.

Since I don’t like loose elastic floating around inside of a band, I always serge one long edge of the band into the seam when attaching the bra and bodice. Since I’m using 1″ wide elastic, my band is 2-1/4″ high (except for the top center, which is shaped to match the bodice). Here’s what works for me: have the bodice inside out; slide the bra down inside the bodice with the right side out (the bra and bodice will be RST); place the band (sewn into a loop) inside the bra, with the right side of the band facing the lining of the bra, matching all quarter points. Serge from the inside of the top, with the band on top. I like to use plenty of pins to ensure that all layers stay perfectly aligned. Just be sure to pull the pins before they get up to the blade so you don’t hit them! If you’re nervous about this, just baste the layers together, then go over to your serger.

Since different brands of elastic can be more or less stretchy than others, I like to pre-stretch my elastic 8 or 10 times, then wrap it around my body where the band will fall (just under the bust) and pull it to a snug, yet comfortable tightness with a 1/2″ overlap. (Using the 1″ elastic from Wawak, mine ends up 27-1/2″ long.) Overlap the ends 1/2″, and zig-zag together, securing the ends. Mark the quarter points on the elastic (I just use a pencil). Pin the elastic to the wrong side of the unfinished long edge of the band, matching the quarter points, and serge, stretching the elastic to match the band. Then fold the elastic up inside the band, overlapping, and just matching the top of the seam. Pin, then coverstitch in place. This will keep the smooth side of the band against your skin, with the seam on the side against the bodice.

No matter how you bend, the band will lay comfortably against your body.

The wrap-up: I like that the Jackie bra is unique, and different from other sports bra patterns. It’s rated as a more advanced pattern, and I’m glad that I have plenty of experience sewing workout wear. It would probably be intimidating to a beginner sewist, but Porcelynne has a pattern discussion and a sew-along group on Facebook, as I recently discovered. It can be helpful to have a group of people to refer to and ask questions of who are familiar with a pattern. When people ask questions in a pattern or sewing group, and I’m familiar with the pattern or problem, I always try to help. Share your experience to help others who are still learning. That’s how we learn and grow, by doing, and seeking help from those with more experience. And I want people to love sewing, not get frustrated with it and give up.

The contrasting inserts on the side back are fun, and give you more seams to accent with a reverse triple coverstitch!

Rather than the padded adjustable straps the pattern calls for, I chose to add fixed double straps of 5/8″ wide plush bra elastic. If I were going to wear the bra as just a bra, those padded adjustable straps would probably be quite comfortable. I really should make a version with adjustable straps even if only to show off the pretty rainbow rings and sliders and plush bra elastic I bought from Porcelynne!

The details: the Porcelynne Jackie Sports Bra and Tankini Add-On patterns are available in .pdf format as well as paper patterns.

The charcoal gray supplex, powernet, and plum nylon spandex were purchased from Phee Fabrics. This particular purple is from my stash and no longer available, but there is a very pretty purple nylon spandex tricot on the site. It’s easier to sew when you use high quality fabric, and moisture-wicking nylon/spandex fabrics are your best bet for workout wear!

When reverse triple coverstitching, I used Superior Threads Fantastico #5154 High Society in the looper. I just love the sheen, and how prettily it accents my fabric. Their variegated threads are fabulous!

Thank you to Ashley @coastalyoga for taking photos while at the studio after a sweaty Ashtanga class!

And thank you to my sweet husband for taking photos at home. Sadly it’s too cold and windy for outdoor photos right now!

Thank you for reading and sharing my love of creating, sewing, patterns, fabric, and making beautiful, well-fitting garments!

Spark My Interest

GreenStyle Spark Tights and a Power Sports Bra Workout Top Hack

When GreenStyle Creations comes out with a new leggings or tights pattern I get excited. Their patterns always fit me so well, and I always need more workout wear. 😉 I bought the pattern, but made myself finish sewing up outfits for my granddaughters before making something new for myself. Grandma love, you know?

The Spark Tights have a nice gusset, not quite as big as the Super G gusset, but big enough to provide excellent range of motion for yoga class. The pockets are generous, plenty big for even an oversized phone.

Normally, I don’t coverstitch my gussets because I don’t want to draw attention to the area. But the Spark Tights gusset is the perfect size, and I love the look of the coverstitching!

The back of the tights have a “bridge” section for shaping that curves down for the pockets. Sewing it reminded me of the sewing the Motion Shorts for my husband. I love that it’s a perfect opportunity for color blocking.

Isn’t the curve of the bridge fun? It’s a nice accent for the booty. Also, look how nicely the legs are shaped for the knee. No bagginess or bunching behind the knee. Just a smooth fit down to the calves.

The smooth fit of the legs is another hallmark of the excellent drafting of this pattern. I live in Florida, so I love capri length for my workout tights. The pattern includes thigh and calf measurements so you can grade the pattern to fit your body as needed. I didn’t need to grade at all, and I love that the tights don’t ride up my calves when walking or stretching.

There’s no center front seam and the legs are a smooth fit from top to bottom. The shaping is perfection! The high rise cut line of the waistband hits me in exactly the right spot.

Now, let me tell you about my fabric struggles, or rather the lack of fabric struggle. I thought I had plenty of Supplex in my fabric stash. I originally planned to make some very simple black or charcoal gray tights just accented with scraps from a pair of my Simpatico Leggings, and reverse coverstitched with black thread. Yeah. I only had little scraps of black and gray, and not enough of any one color to make tights and a workout top. I could have just ordered some fabric, but I had already waited to start making the pattern, and didn’t want to wait any longer. So I got super creative with my color blocking.

I knew I wanted to hack a matching Power Sports Bra into a workout top to match my tights. I was working with less than a yard scraps. With a very careful layout and using three colors, somehow, it all worked out.

To tie the green and turquoise of the tights to the green, turquoise and neon green of the Power Sports Bra, I decided to use neon green thread to triple reverse coverstitch my Spark tights. Of course I only had two cones on neon green thread, so I used the neon thread in C2 and the looper. I used emerald thread in C1 and C3. Take the time to coverstitch as you go, and the last leg seam will be the only challenging one. Since I was reverse coverstitching, my needles are on the inside of the leg. Start at the top and work your way down toward the ankle. Stitch as far as you can, and keep adjusting the leg so that you can work farther and farther down the seam.

On the left side of the photo, notice that I used the lightning bolt stitch on my sewing machine when adding the gusset, and pressed the seams open. That helped keep everything aligned and smooth, particularly at the pointed ends of the gusset. Pressing the seams open (or to one side when serging) also makes it easier to coverstitch.

I’ve hacked the Power Sports Bra into a workout top before, but wanted a different look this time. And due to the aforementioned fabric shortage, the back of the top would need to be colorblocked. There was a scrap of green left from cutting out the tights that was shaped like a long curved triangle. So that scrap became the center back of my top.

The folded scrap was clipped on the back fold line, and the shape was traced on the pattern with a red pencil. Then a second line was traced 1/2″ inside the red line.

Once a second line was traced 1/2″ inside the red line, the back body was traced from along the outer edges and over to the inner black line. This gave me a 1/4″ seam allowance for connecting the left and right body pieces to the center triangle. You may be wondering what pattern to use for the body. There are so many options! The Staple Tank, the Cami Tank, the Jillian or Lille Tanks. Which one(s) do you own and love the fit of? I like to add a bit of length to the center back of my tanks, curving up to the side seams. This gives me more booty coverage. If you love the way the Cami or Staple Tank fits, use it as is by folding the pattern under just below the bust, you don’t have to add length or a curve for the booty unless you want to.

The lower left pattern piece is what I got after tracing my pattern over to the black line drawn 1/2″ in from the red line. Don’t forget to mark the grainline! It’s super important to stay “on grain” when cutting out a pattern to keep the garment from twisting out of shape.

Follow the Power Sports Bra tutorial for assembling the bra, but stop before adding the bottom band. You can use any of the variations, I chose the U-back version, but played around with the straps. There have been several discussions in the GreenStyle Facebook group about whether the straps can be made wider instead of strappy, and whether the bra can be made with straight straps instead of crossed in the back. The answer to both of these questions is a resounding yes!

I love the wide straight straps with the U-back!

To make the straps wide instead of skinny, cut out four strap pieces as directed, but instead of sewing each strap individually, stitch the straps in place in the back. Then when the inner and outer layers of the bra are stitched together, the two layers of straps got stitched together too. When turning the bra right side out, it helps to feed the straps through with a safety pin, just like you would normally turn straps. Instead of elastic, I used a layer of powernet in the straps, as well as in all of the bra pieces for extra support. Try the bra on, and adjust the straps to the proper length. You will be cutting off a lot of strap length since straight straps don’t need to be as long as crossed straps.

The straps don’t shift or move whether I am folding forward or flowing through vinyasas.

I added a scrap bit of strap crossways like an H just for fun. I’m thinking of adding another cross strap where the neon bra and green strap meet. But since I don’t have any more scrap straps, I’d have to make one. So it’s probably not going to happen! 🙂

Once the triangle was inserted in the back and coverstitched, the front and back body pieces were serged together at the side seams. Mark the quarter points of the bra, and the quarter points of the body, and baste them right sides together. To make the band for the elastic, cut a rectangle of fabric 2-1/4″ by the length of elastic needed. Overlap your elastic to form a circle, zigzagging to secure. Serge along one long edge of the band, then stitch the short ends together. The band and elastic should be the same length. With the elastic on top, serge the elastic on the wrong side of one edge of the band.

Taking the time to baste (see the black thread?) keeps everything perfectly aligned and makes it easier to serge without worrying about pins or clips.

Then match the quarter points of the band to the quarter points of the workout top, pin, then baste in place. In the photo above you can see that the right side of the body and the right side of the bra are together. Then the right side of the band is on top of and facing the wrong side of the bra. Once it is serged, pull the basting stitches, and wrap the band around to enclose the seam. Pin it in place with the elasticated edge of the band not quite touching the seam line. Coverstich or top stitch it in place.

I love how beautifully finished the top looks on the inside and out.

Now I’ve got a colorful, comfortable, and completely customized new workout outfit.

If you’ve ever wondered whether the Power Sports Bra is supportive, check out the side view. For reference, I measured into and made a size 34F. I’m super happy with the fit of the tights and workout top.

Made with all these colorful scraps, and hacked to perfection, you can see me coming or going from a long ways away! 🙂

The details: The Spark Tights and Power Sports Bra patterns, as well as fabric are available at GreenStyle Creations.

The green and turquoise Supplex was purchased from Phee Fabrics, as well as the neon green nylon spandex tricot and powernet used for the bra.

The neon green and emerald serger thread is MaxiLock. The thread and 1″ knit elastic were ordered from Wawak.

The beach photos were taken by my sweet husband. The yoga studio photos were taken by Jaida Christina Wellness.

The links to GreenStyle are affiliate links, which means that at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission if you purchase through my link. 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 creating, sewing, patterns, fabric, and making beautiful, well-fitting garments! ❤

The GreenStyle Simpatico Leggings

A not so basic “basic”

One of my most worn clothing styles is leggings, which is no surprise. 😉 Between yoga classes and needing “pants” 🙂 for cool days, leggings are a go-to item. When GreenStyle Creations opened up testing, I quickly jumped at the opportunity.

The Simpatico Leggings are literally a basic style with no outside seams or pockets. But don’t let the simplicity fool you. They are perfectly shaped to fit actual bodies. That may sound funny, but we’ve all bought ready-to-wear leggings that are nothing but tapered straight legs that wrinkle behind the knees, feel too tight on your calves, and have waistbands that don’t end up where you want them to.

Excellent drafting skills went into the design of the Simpatico Leggings. The legs are shaped, they fit smoothly over your calves, they don’t wrinkle or sag at the knees, and the waistband is contoured (rather than a simple rectangle) so it fits and doesn’t gap at the back of the waist. And it has petite, standard, and tall options! For anyone that has ever struggled or been nervous about lengthening or shortening leggings, this is super helpful! A beginning sewist can feel confident about sewing beautifully fitting leggings, and a more experienced sewist can quickly whip up a pair when needed.

No knee wrinkles, and shaping that fits my calves!

You can also choose between a mid-rise or high-rise waistband, and capri or full length leggings. The high-rise waistband is perfect for comfortable smoothing under tops and tunics. I used powernet in the front half of my waistbands (for extra smoothing power!) and clear elastic along the top waistband seam. Whether I’m just walking around or doing yoga, the waistband stays perfectly in place.

My husband seems to enjoy being my photographer and making me laugh while showing off every aspect of my leggings! 😉

Whether you’re looking for simple leggings or capris to wear to yoga class, or a basic to throw on with a tunic and cardigan for running errands, the Simpatico Leggings are a solid choice.

The simple design is perfect for showing off a pretty print!

The details:

The marble print fabric is a nylon spandex athletic blend from JoAnn Fabric. It’s not as thick as supplex, but feels like a lightweight supplex. While I wouldn’t “go commando” at yoga class in this fabric, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality. The mint green top is the GreenStyle Studio to Street blogged here. I love that even in the deep V back version, I can wear a regular bra with it!

The navy Supplex is from Phee Fabrics. The top is the Waimea Rashguard blogged here.

The links to GreenStyle and the Simpatico Leggings are affiliate links, which means that at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission if you purchase through my link. 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 creating, sewing, patterns, fabric, and making beautiful well-fitting garments! ❤

Stitch Upon A Time Legend Leggings

When you go to yoga class four days a week, you need a lot of workout wear! I am super picky about workout wear because if it’s not comfortable, breathable, and able to stretch with me, it’s not getting worn.

Making leggings that work as hard as you do can be a challenge. Some patterns are meant to look cute as lounge or daily wear, but don’t really work for exercise. And obviously fabric choice plays a part in this. But the new Legend Leggings from Stitch Upon A Time meet my workout challenge, even after a sweaty Ashtanga Yoga class!

The waistband didn’t roll or give me a “muffin top”. I even wore a Titania Tunic tied up on the side, exposing my belly, which is definitely not the norm for the 50+ year old crowd! That’s how confident I feel in my new leggings!

I played around while doing photos and actually managed to get a few seconds of air time (while flashing my belly, gasp!) on a public beach. Hahahahahaha! Obviously I was never a gymnast or cheerleader, but I have built some decent upper body strength after doing yoga for nearly 18 years. 😉

The inseam free Legends can be shorts, capri, or full length. They can be solid or have stripes that curve to accent the booty.

You can keep it simple and let your fabric be the focal point, or go crazy and cover-stitch to accent all the seams. The waistband can be low or high, but being a rebel (which is so unlike me) I went halfway between for a mid-height.

I love leggings that give me flexibility in fit and style. I had no problems with them riding up or down, no matter how many forward folds, stretches, or holds.

I love leggings that are comfortable and versatile, that you can wear to lounge about or workout. Here is how I personalized them to suit me:

I am tall, so I added 1″ to the capri length. As mentioned, I cut halfway between the low and high rise for my perfect waistband height. To give the front waistband more tummy smoothing power (I like cookies, okay?) I added powernet to half of the waistband. (Cutting the powernet to fit the entire folded over waistband would give even more holding power.) The powernet was basted to the front waistband, then the front and back waistbands were sewn together as per the tutorial. I recommend cover-stitching the side seams or stitching in the ditch with a sewing machine to keep the side seams aligned if you add powernet. I also gave myself a little more booty room by cutting along the Medium inner back crotch curve line, while cutting everything else on my measured size Large cut line.

It was a great way to give a little more room for “the junk in the trunk”, especially since I like using highly compressive fabric for leggings. Keep in mind that if you have a similar booty/body shape, that you will need to stretch the back waistband a little bit, while easing in the body of the leggings. If you’ve ever had pants that fit nicely over your booty, but gapped at the back waist, this solves that problem.

The details: I used three different colors of Supplex from Phee Fabrics for this fun striped look. The reverse triple cover-stitching was done using a variegated thread in the looper. I just love the fun look you get from variegated thread, especially when working with solid color fabrics. And yes, I will definitely make another pair (or three!) of Legend Leggings. I think it would be a fun look to use powernet as the outer stripe. Kind of sexy and kind of fun, what can I say?!

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 link. 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, and fabric. ❤

Tempo Athletic Tights

How I Upcycled, And Made Them Capri Length

The fun curved details of the GreenStyle Tempo Tights finally made me break down and try a pair. 🙂 When they first released, I resisted because there wasn’t a capri option, and it is hot in Florida. I wear capri length tights to workout year round. As a creative sewist, I knew that I could get the length that I wanted, without sacrificing the curved insert at the bottom of the leg.

For my first pair, I decided to do some upcycling, and use a couple pairs of ready-to-wear leggings that were just taking up space in my drawer. So I carefully cut them apart by using my rotary cutter along the inner leg seam, and up the center front and back seams. With the fabric smoothed flat, I laid the side panel pattern piece on the capri length striped material. I aligned the center fold of my pattern with the industrial cover-stitched seam that was down the side of the old workout pants, and left the existing hem in place. Since the upcycled leggings had been capri length, I just folded up the bottom of the pattern to mark the length.

Then I used the fabric from a second pair of similarly dismantled leggings to cut out the front and back panels, as well as the bottom leg inserts. Matching up the seam lines of the bottom inserts with the seam lines at the bottom of the side panel, I folded the insert pattern piece at 1″ longer, to give myself room for a hem (since my side panels were already hemmed).

Then I followed the pattern tutorial to stitch everything together. I also had my first go at reverse cover-stitching. It’s definitely not perfect, but it was fun to practice a new skill at hopes of improving.

The look is fun, it kept two old pairs of leggings from being tossed or donated, and assured me that the fit was right. So I grabbed my Phee Fabrics black Supplex and got to work.

For my second pair I wanted an even shorter capri length, ending just below the knee. This was going to require more alteration than just folding up the bottom of the pattern! I took my side panel pattern piece, laid it on my master pattern (I always trace my patterns on waxed or parchment paper, and keep my master pattern intact, in case I need to make changes or grade sizes) and slid it down 4-1/2″, being sure to keep straight on the grainline. Then I traced the bottom curves in this new location.

Using a compass, I traced a line 3/4″ inside the curve, to give me the alignment for a new custom bottom insert. Since the original bottom insert is designed for your lower leg, it won’t fit up higher on your calves. But it was simple to lay a piece of parchment paper on my pattern, follow my drawn inner curve, and trace the side and bottom to match up.

Then I just cut along the outer curve and folded the pieces under in case I want to make the longer length next time. Can you tell I don’t want to have to trace the pattern again? 🙂

The tights would have been a faster sew the second time, if I had remembered that I wanted pockets, and didn’t have to seam rip to add them in instead of accidentally skipping right by that first step. Ugh! Oh well, pockets are totally worth it!

It is notoriously difficult to see details on black fabric. I love the length, I love the pockets, and I love the black powernet inserts at the bottom.

Which I of course tried to photograph with a fun yoga move. 😉

And my reverse triple cover stitch has greatly improved! Using the curve foot makes sewing the curves so much easier.

So, do the Tempo Tights beat out the Super G‘s in my workout wear drawer? The Tempo Tights have a simple triangular gusset, which is fine for daily wear, or workouts that don’t involve major stretching. Although I like the look and the variety, nothing beats the comfort of the Super G gusset for yoga, my preferred workout. So, should I hack the Tempo Tights to use the Super G gusset? Hmmmmm… that could work!

In case you’re wondering, the turquoise top is the GreenStyle Staple Tank, which is truly a staple in my closet! I have made at least 5 of them, all in Phee Fabrics rayon spandex, and I wear them all the time. The white workout top is a hacked GreenStyle Jillian Tank, blogged here. The purple top is a GreenStyle Power Sports Bra, hacked into a workout top, and blogged here.