Shopping for RTW activewear can be a minefield for curvy women. The garments promise so much – waterproof, windproof, wicking, mosquito repellent – but often seem designed to fit only a small minority of women: those with a “sporty” shape. For me, it’s almost impossible to find trousers or jackets which fit my waist as well as my hips and thighs – if the ranges even go up to my thigh size. For others, it’s the assumption that anyone who wants to be active must have a small bust that’s the problem.
Having said that, it wasn’t necessity that led me to the Sewaholic Pacific Leggings. As soon as I saw the colour-block version of the leggings on the Sewaholic blog I knew that I wanted to make them. The curved seam just looks fantastic.
I bought a metre each of grey and teal nylon lycra from Funkifabrics and downloaded the PDF pattern. The pattern was straightforward to print out, join and cut out. I cut the 16, which is for an 89cm (35”) waist and 119cm (47”) hips. The sizing goes up to 99cm (39”) waist and 130cm (51”) hips. I’m a definite pear shape with wide hips and thighs and a smaller waist, and Sewaholic drafts for this shape. Having had a look at the pictures of Sewaholic’s Tasia in her Pacific Leggings on the Sewaholic blog, I suspected that the rise would be too low for me as it usually is in both RTW and patterns, so I added 6cm to the top of the trousers just by sketching it in chalk above the pattern pieces once they were laid out. The idea was to pin-fit and use this as an extra-wide seam allowance, but in the event I ended up using all of it. I also shortened the legs by 15cm at the shorten/lengthen line. I’m 158cm (5’ 2”) tall with legs that are even shorter than that implies, with an inside leg of around 65cm (25-26”).
The pattern pieces fitted together beautifully with all notches lining up. The instructions made perfect sense to me as a beginner sewist (having done a very small amount of sewing in my youth I dusted off the sewing machine in September), with the exception of a missing step 5. This was the bit in which the zip is added to the pocket/back waistband pieces and I was able to use the Sewaholic blog to work out how it was supposed to go. I’ve emailed the company about the missing instructions but not had any response as yet (it’s closed for Christmas). The gusset was somewhat fiddly but very doable.
The elastic is very cunningly fitted to the seam allowance of the waistband to keep the waistband flat. This works well, but after trying the trousers on and running up and down the stairs a couple of times I decided I wasn’t confident that the waistband wouldn’t wiggle down when running. I did consider redoing the elastic to make it tighter, but eventually decided to put in a drawstring instead: I threaded an old bootlace through the tiny holes I’d accidentally left at the top of the pocket seams round to slits that I cut in the inside of the waistband at the front. This has really solved the waist issues. I don’t know if I could have ever got the elastic to be the length at which it was comfortable but wouldn’t slip down, especially if I had my phone in the pocket; I did size up from my actual waist measurement (86cm) rather than down. Maybe in this pattern it would be better to go down.
I love the finished leggings, which are really comfortable and really functional, as well as looking great. The curved seam adds to the running aesthetic. The cuffs are a fantastic detail which I’d never be able to have on RTW leggings because my legs are just too short! The leggings aren’t particularly tight around the calves and ankles; this may be because in shortening the legs I basically got rid of all of the narrow bit in the lower leg. For my shape of leg a second lengthen/shorten line higher up might have helped matters, but it would be complicated to incorporate the curved seam. In any case, this isn’t something that bothers me. I had been concerned about the seams rubbing my skin when running, but they don’t.
The fabric is a great match to the pattern. I had been concerned that it would slip around when I tried to cut and sew it, but in fact it clings to itself so that wasn’t a problem. Other knits I’ve sewn with tend to bunch up when I try to backstitch the beginning and end of seams, but this didn’t. The leggings stay warm even when damp with sweat and they dry quickly.
I’ll definitely make this pattern again; on the Sewaholic blog Tasia demonstrates a version in which the seams are topstitched in a contrasting colour as a fake flat-fell and I’d love to have a go at that for the next pair.
Size range – 4 – it’s a reasonable size range and Sewaholic have recently added another two sizes at the top end, but it could go larger.
Instructions – 4 – this would be a 5 if it wasn’t for the missing step 5.
Construction process – 5
Final fit – 4 – a point knocked off for the slightly too large waist; however, this probably wouldn’t be a problem if I intended to use the leggings for cycling or yoga for example rather than running.
Overall rating – 4 – although I absolutely loved the pattern, I can’t give it a 5 without hearing back about the missing step 5. The end result is a definite 5 though!
I love the seamimg on this pattern
Great review, thanks!
Thank you so much, this is perfect timing! I’ve been looking for RTW leggings for 4 months already and haven’t found any that would even remotely fit. I was just saying to my hubby yesterday that I may have to look for a pattern and sew some instead. And here you are, solving my problem for me! Thanks!
Glad to be of help 🙂 As you can probably tell I’m a big fan of the pattern!
Ooo they look great! I love the colourblocking. 🙂 Just a question though: did you basically use bathingsuit material? I’m trying to figure out what sort of fabric to use for my (upcoming – I hope) dive into activewear sewing, specifically leggings that fit(!!), but I’m sort of stumped by fabric choices. I’d appreciate your input!
I’m not the author, but I’d look for performance fabrics at reputable fabric shops (online or brick & mortar) like gorgeousfabrics.com, emma one sock, vogue fabrics, mood. I’m not affiliated, but I have found all reliable with descriptions and service. Fabric.com has had performance fabrics in the past, and I’ve ordered. I have the found to have been uneven for their performance fabrics with one being too light weight even for a lightweight T. I may use it for pockets on a cycling jersey or the Fehr TRade open side kimono shirt. Something that surprises a lot of people is that most performance fabrics are polys or other synthetics or a blend that are usually treated and knit in ways that help wick moisture. the best performance fabric I have is made from recycled plastic bottles!
Ah yeah, American fabric stores are off the list for now when our Canadian funds are only worth 70 cents (and dropping) there. 😛 But I’ll check out some of the shops here in Canada, see what I can find. I was hopeful that I could use the swimsuit fabric I’ve accumulated when I heard her description of “nylon lycra”!
Thanks for the info, btw! 😀
Another great source for these materials is thefabricfairy.com. They have the best variety of colors and prints that I’ve found, and at pretty good prices too! Most importantly, everything I’ve got from them is nice and opaque–a MUST for leggings 🙂
Hi Heather, yes it basically is swimsuit/dancewear material I believe – a nylon/lycra blend- in fact, I’m planning to make a swimsuit out of the leftover fabric! It’s shinier than some RTW running gear but not to the extent that it looks odd. The composition is 80% nylon, 20% lycra. I’m not sure that it wicks but it does dry incredibly quickly. And as L’Anne says I’d go for the synthetic fabrics and avoid cotton and especially viscose if you’re planning to sweat in them! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Fabulous leggings and review. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
Wait. Mosquito repellant fabric? Someone make it so. I’d be on that like (insert cliché here). Thanks for the helpful review.
Seriously. I’m currently wearing a Craghoppers “Nosquito” dress which is supposedly mosquito repellent. (Just below freezing here at the moment so not many mosquitos about tbh.) I wouldn’t say its performance was entirely convincing when I was at Lake Constance in the summer a couple of years ago though…
Wow! These look great!
Thank you!
They look awesome! Well done 🙂
Thanks very much 🙂
I love them! you did an awesome job. Great review as well.
Thank you. It was a pattern that really worked for me 🙂
Great looking pair of leggings! Love the color combos you chose too.
Thank you – colour-choosing ability was a major reason for making them as it’s quite hard to get any women’s running gear at the lower-priced end of the market here that doesn’t involve pink – nothing wrong with pink per se but it’s sometimes nice to have other colours!