Red Roses Active wear

Back on the activewear making.

This make was all about the fabric again.  I found this fabric at Sewfisticated Fabrics and couldn't resist it.  It's a medium weight scuba knit fabric in white with a printed design of huge red and pink roses all over.  I knew I wanted to make leggings out of it, but knew that I'd have no tops to wear with it so bought this pink with red dots poly lycra fabric to make a shirt to go with it.

I started with the pants pattern I was working on last time and put the three pattern pieces back together so I now had a pattern with just a single seam up the inseam and the gusset.  I added a little extra width at each seam line so that the pattern isn't quite so tight,  I then extended the length down to the ankles.

This was a quick sew using the serger and sewing with a scant 1/4" seam allowance for extra width. They fit beautifully from the knee up, but there is a bit of extra fabric around the knee that I can't quite get rid of without an outside seam.  For the time being I will live with them as is.  The top of the pants are finished with 1.5"wide elastic turned under once.

Then I wanted to make a top to go with these leggings.  Again I wanted it to incorporate my crop top bra and I wanted it to showcase the roses fabric to tie it into the pants.

I decided I wanted to try and combine my crop top pattern with the raglan sleeve shirt pattern, but then make it a tank top.  The first thing to do was to modify the back of the crop top pattern to include a rounded strap like the front.

I would then hang the rest of the shirt from these seam lines at front and back.  I basted the  crop top together and cut out the polka dot fabric and pinned it in place matching the two fabrics around the arm holes and cutting it off at the top at the curve from the strap.  I thought I had it all beautifully matched but when I put it all together I ended up with some pulling around the sides at the top.  It's fine if you pull it down firmly as it's shown here, but it has a tendency to ride back up as you're working out.

I finished off the armholes with a binding of the polka dot fabric and the bottom of the crop top with a piece of 1.5" wide elastic.

Whilst I had the legging pattern out I decided I wanted to make a few pairs of leggings to wear under dresses this winter.  I started with a medium weight sweater knit in a blue and black geometric pattern.

I wanted to try and remove that extra fabric around the outside of the knee so I took my pattern and added a outer side seam,  I then took a dart at each outer knee pattern piece based on the excess fabric I pinned out of my roses leggings.  I then tried to remove the inner seam and replace it with one going diagonally from knee to outer seam and whilst this worked OK on paper when I cut it out and basted it together it really didn't fit well fro the knee down.  Luckily I had just enough material to re-cut it with the standard inner and outer seams, though I did have to piece the new front sections at the knee but I like the way they fit better now.

I finished off these with 1.5" wide white elastic and this time did not turn it under for a really high rise legging.

Finally I wanted to make a really snuggly pair of leggings so I grabbed some beautifully fabric that I found.  Its a knit fabric backed by a fleece and feels so snuggly inside.  I bought this in both a bright green and a grey.  I used the grey for the leggings.  I cut this with both the inner and outer seams and like the way this fits.

I have an observation that I want to put here so I can remember for next time.   Using this pattern in a fabric with 4 way stretch remove 1" from the top of the front pattern piece tapering to nothing at the side seams.  If using a fabric with only 2 way stretch make sure you have that extra 1"at the front and also add 1"to the top of the back pattern piece across to the side pattern piece and tapering to the existing point in the front.  Also add 1" to the length of the legs - as seen in te photos this second pair ended up quite short - I may go back and add a cuff to them later.