My inspiration for these were the Fade Out Dobby Be Free Knicker from athleta.
I don't like my exercise clothes to be too tight at the waist, so pockets around the waist are no good to me. If I put anything in them, it tends to just drag the pants down whilst I am running. Side pockets seem to work well and need to be big enough for my phone (I need the runkeeper app as motivation to keep on running). Capri length means that it is no hassle to put my knee brace on and off. The mesh panels are mostly just for looks. I put a blue waistband on these, but this doesn't show up in any of the photos.
I started with the Stylearc Monica pant pattern. It is probably my preferred leggings pattern because I like the wide waistband, where the waistband sits, the behind the knee mesh and the seaming details.
I traced off the pattern pieces next to each other, eliminating the seam allowances, and drew on the style lines that I wanted for my capris. I have relatively short legs, so I shortened the legs above the knee, so that the mesh panels would sit in the correct position. I redistributed the curves at the waist side seams among my pieces and I eliminated the separate gusset. I find gussets fiddly to sew, and in this stretchy fabric, I don't find that they add much benefit. The red lines in the photo below are the changes I want to make for next time, mostly reducing the width of the panel with the side pocket.
The stitching on the last few leggings I have made with multiple seaming has tended to come undone at intersecting seams, so for these ones, I coverstitched each seam before sewing the next one.
The main fabric is a titan lycra print from funkifabrics.
These capris have been perfect for winter, but now I need to make more shorts with pockets.
4 comments:
They look great, really love all the seamlines you added and the print. Do you find the funkifabrics Titan is a good weight for capris and leggings, I would love to make more activewear, but struggle to find the right kind of fabric to hold wobbly bits in place (not a concern for you I know!).
Well they look great even if they aren't practical in the summer heat. You should create a pattern for shorts because the fit and the lines are just right.
I am into shorts and skorts already too and I am so much further south to you. So hot all of a sudden! I would love to hear how you find the titan base fabric is to wear. I have only ordered the flex so far as I use it for my headbands (backed with supplex). Also a Monica fan, need to make the capri length next year.
Thanks Allison! The titan is a good weight for leggings as it holds it all in pretty well. A bit hot for summer here though. It is not as stretchy as typical lycras, so if I am using a Jalie pattern with a lot of negative ease, I need to size up a few sizes. These have been my go to pair all winter. The lycra is very smooth, so it is comfortable to wear.
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