@sewover50 has been running the #So50Visible Challenge on Instagram and I wasn’t too sure if I’d make their deadline of March 15th! And what do you know… I did! And not only did I, but I found out that I could also enter the #BGchallenge (Breaking Ground Challenge)!
The aim of #So50Visible is to make a pattern from a pattern maker who has models over the age of 50! How many of those do you see day to day? I was lucky to find this collection!
The aim of the #BGchallenge was to make something from a pattern maker you haven’t used before! And what did I make from a pattern maker I haven’t used before who uses models over 50? The Tuesday Stitches Citrus Leggings, of course! You can link to their pattern here if you’d like.
The sewing of this pattern went really well and the finished leggings feel so good – to be honest the first pair of leggings I have EVER worn! And I am going to make and wear MORE!
Yes I had to print out the PDF pattern and glue it together. Some sewists download the PDF pattern onto a flash drive and take it to a printer to have it printed off on large paper for cutting out. Unfortunately the nearest print shop to me is 35 minutes away … who can wait that long … so Sophie and Simon and I just cut and glued ourselves happily into the night!
I had two meters of the BEST fabric. I should have taken a photo of the bolt end so I could remember it’s content. I remember it had a spandex content though with a good four way stretch, as recommended by Tuesday Stitches, and it was quite thick compared to some of the stretch knit fabrics I see. I chose to do view C without the gathers, so that I could squeeze TWO pairs on to my fabric, so it was easy to sew all the seams – skipping the gathers. Maybe I’ll make a pair with gathers, view A or B, next time. I used a narrow long zig zag stitch and didn’t have much of a problem except for when I sewed through a couple of thicknesses for the hems.
Tuesday Stitches has a tutorial for a hidden wide waistband elastic here, which I used and liked. First though, I put the leggings on inside out and measured where the waistband elastic should go.
There are three seams on each leg that you can use for fitting. Let a bit out here, take a bit in there! I think I might let out the seam along my calves just a bit, that seems to be the only place I am not right on with the fit. Big calves! Otherwise, these are really really comfortable!
Now excuse me while I go over to Instagram and submit my entry to the #So50Visible and #BGchallenge and tell them what a wonderful job they are doing running these challenges. I think I’ll go tell Tuesday Stitches how much I love their Citrus Leggings pattern too!
Have you made yourself a pair of leggings yet? If so, which pattern did you use?
Happy Sewing!
STASH BUSTING WITH THIS PROJECT? Well, no change there … still 131.2 meters left … I bought two meters so I could make these Citrus Leggings and I used it all up!