Steeplechase Leggings!
Hi, guys! Hope you’re all well! It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve blogged! Most of my sewing energy this month went towards the final projects for my tailoring class, but that’s over now so I am free to sew more fun stuff, yay!
Apologies for the pasty-white limbs… it’s been a long winter!
This is a little bit embarrassing, but, you guys, I can’t touch my toes! Even worse, I’ve NEVER been able to, not even when I was very small! So I’ve started doing yoga recently in a sad attempt to gain some flexibility and strength, and decided to sew up some clothes I can wear to class (I wore my lycra crazy dog lady leggings to my first class and oh wow, they do NOT breathe at all!).
I used the Fehr Trade Steeplechase Leggings pattern. Melissa Fehr and her husband visited several weeks ago and I got to play Garment District tour guide, yay! Melissa was kind enough to bring me a copy of this pattern, so I was stoked to sew them up! I’ve admired the Fehr Trade patterns for some time, but, to be honest, I’m not very comfortable in snug workout clothing. But loose clothing just doesn’t make much sense for yoga, so I’m grateful for the opportunity to try this pattern. PLUS, this style is modeled on equestrian garb, and you guys KNOW how I feel about horses! :D
I bought supplex at Spandex House on Melissa’s recommendation. I don’t know anything at all about athletic wear or technical fabrics, so I relied on her expertise and this fabric seems like a much better choice than lycra for a situation where you’re working out. Plus, it’s softer and not as slippery as spandex… definitely better for yoga! I bought a yard each of navy and fuchsia for $12/yard, and I was able to fit the full-length pattern pieces onto a yard (perfect for days when you don’t want to shave your legs before working out… I KNOW YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT), so the material cost was only $12 for each pair! And I even have some small pieces left over, enough to sew into sports bras when I need to replace my current ones. I don’t often feel like I’m saving money when I sew, but athletic apparel is so expensive that making your own can save a bundle!
These leggings are pretty interesting to sew up- there’s no inseam, which is probably comfortable for people who run more than the few miles at a time that I can muster up! The pattern piece is pretty crazy-looking… it was fun to see how it went together! My waist is a size larger than my hips, so I opted to sew up the size that fit my hips since there’s an elasticized waist. The pattern has an optional inner pocket where you can stash money or a house key- I added it to one pair, but not to the other, so I could decide if I liked it or not. I shortened them by 2″ so they hit right at my ankle, and my rise is slightly lower than Melissa drafted because I used the 1″ elastic I had in my stash instead of the recommended 3/4″. But my personal preference is a pretty low rise… I might even shorten it a bit if I make another pair. Oh man, one more thing: I keep noticing on RTW and in sewing patterns that leg openings are really tight around my ankles… do I have cankles? Is there a cankle fit alteration???? Ugh!
Alright… let’s talk about what’s driving me CRAZY. The curved seams look AWFUL. They’re lumpy and ugly, and look sooooo homemade. I wish that I hadn’t serged the seams- I think that added a little bulk. In hindsight, I probably should have experimented with my serger to see if I could get a flatlock effect… I think that’s possible with the basic Brother that I have? Anyway, it’s kind of a bummer that these look so crummy, but they’re definitely wearable and will keep me comfortable during yoga, so really, that’s all that matters. But if anyone has any suggestions for how I can fix this, I’m all ears!
Alright, guys, do you make your own activewear? Is it possible to blind classmates with electric pink leggings? Am I the only one who really wants to give up mid-class and just lay face-down on the yoga mat?
