Activewear 101: Leggings 2 – Pattern adjustments

So we have made our muslin and know what needs to be changed. I like to adjust my paper patterns as I go (just incase I forget what I am adjusting!) but here we will transfer the markings from our muslin to our paper after we’ve done all of our adjustments.

Adding to the inner seams and removing from the side seams

I’ve added to the inner leg seam here the whole length but you can just add at the top of the seam if you don’t need the extra width the whole way down your leg.

Drop front/rear crotch or Scoop out crotch

So theses are the stitch lines on my muslin;

This adjustment is nice and easy, just draw or trace the stitching lines onto the paper pattern, allowing the seam allowance too and trim off.

Transferring a wedge that’s been pinned out

This is the wedge that I pinned out on the side of my leg. I line up the muslin next to my pattern, measuring from the bottom up to where I have pinned it and marking it. Then I measure from the top down to where I have pinned it and mark it again.

I now cut it straight across

Over lap the cut and match the two marks up and tape shut.

Do the same to both the front and back, then match up the side panel and cut/tape that too. Walk your seamlines to make sure it all lines up.

Adding a height to the back rise

So if you ever have trouble with your pants sitting too low at the back, or having to yank them up when you sit down, this is for you!
Very simple, measure how much higher you would like the pants to sit at the back and then cut and insert a wedge into the centre back of the pants.

Finishing touches, make sure you re-mark the grainline (mine had changed because of the wedge I took out from the side seam). I also had to true up the hem (again, because of the wedge I took out from the side seam). Walk your seamlines to make sure everything matches.

And you are done!