Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Workout Yoga Pants

Image
By
I think I have turned into an activewear fabric junkie. I can't get enough of them! Well, I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I joined a gym again and have been doing a lot of physical activity this summer. The last time I bought activewear clothes was like five years ago when I joined a gym. I went for about a year and lost interest. I would still wear the yoga pants and gym clothes, but honestly, I was really tired of my look. 

 So I looked for some good activewear patterns and came across a few from Kwik Sew. I wanted to start with a pants pattern and Kwik Sew #3988 looked perfect! The pattern comes with a two inseam lengths. Since it is summer, I wanted to make the shorter length. Sue made the long pants HERE. And her success with the pattern made it better for me to decide on this pattern too. 

I had an activewear knit fabric in my stash from a previous Fabric Mart buyout a few years ago. So I dug it out from the bottom of the pile and got started. (You can find our selection of activewear fabrics HERE.) I read some reviews that you should almost go down a size with this pattern so you get the best fit. So I tissue fit the pants on my body and one size smaller seemed to do the trick. Remember -- activewear clothes usually fit closer to your body than regular clothes. 

I did not do any alterations to the pattern. I wanted to see how it went right out of the envelope. And it was great! The hardest part was probably the gusset and the inset piece on the side of the pants. But the directions are clear, I just needed to focus a little bit more. Oh, and all the double top-stitching! I was having a hard time getting the double needle to work properly on my machine (I was getting tunneling.) And everything I did to change that didn't work. So rather than messing up the pants, I decided to stitch using a single needle, just doing it twice. I'm pretty good at keeping my stitching straight, so I wasn't concerned. I used the knit stitch on my sewing machine (I have a Bernina). I also serged all the seams.






My only complaint would be that when the pants aren't on me, it has some rippling at the waist. The only thing I can think of is that maybe I was pulling on the fabric when sewing, but I didn't think I was. The waist has elastic stitched in which also helps keep the stretchy fabric on your body. I also may make the legs a wee bit thinner next time because it gets a little loose at the bottom. 

I'm really happy with my workout pants and can't wait to make more! It's time to replace the old ones in my closet. Now on to some tops!

Have you ever made your own workout clothes? Do you have pattern recommendations? 
Happy Sewing!
~ Julie 

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 30, 2015 at 5:20 PM

    These look so awesome! I've never sewn this pattern, I really like that it has a crotch gusset. I just realized that the new Jalie tights have that gusset like this, I might have to try one of these patterns. Is that top handmade, too? The fabric is so cool.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fabric MartAugust 31, 2015 at 8:50 AM

      Thanks, Kathy! I didn't make the top (but as I always say...I could have!) I love the fabric too! I may use it as a pattern for other tops.

      Delete
  2. Ann BrodskyAugust 30, 2015 at 6:07 PM

    Very nice! That looks like a great pattern for workout pants too. I've also got several cuts of dry-flex that you had offered a couple of years ago that I need to sew up. It's wonderful stuff!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fabric MartAugust 31, 2015 at 8:48 AM

      Thanks, Ann! Yes, dry-flex is great to work with. Trying to find more so we can offer it to our customers again!

      Delete
  3. UnknownAugust 31, 2015 at 10:31 PM

    Love it! Maybe one day I will have the courage to sew activewear

    ReplyDelete
  4. Cinderella KAugust 26, 2016 at 4:21 AM

    No one wants to finish a workout to look in the mirror and see a saggy butt or limp thighs. You want to see that you accomplished something, and even if most of the visual work is done by the workout tights, just that can keep you coming back to the gym to push out another workout session as you work to obtain that taught physique.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Richard C. LambertJanuary 26, 2019 at 3:04 AM

    Thanks for the post and great tips..even I also think that hard work is the most important aspect of getting success.. best yoga pants

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownMay 13, 2019 at 2:10 AM

    Maybe you can try nortiv8 sandals made from yoga mat for comfort summer ,lol !

    ReplyDelete
  7. Leah LewisSeptember 9, 2022 at 5:01 AM

    I always wear comfy flat shoes instead of sneakers for workout haha

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Recent Posts You Might Like

Office Attire to Remember

By
Hello everyone! I’m very excited to contribute to Fabricista blog once more! I made another brand new cosplay: Reiko Kujirai from Kowloon Generic Romance! Kowloon Generic Romance is a sci-fi, romance & mystery manga series. It was later adapted to a TV anime and live action film! This series takes place in Kowloon Walled City. It’s about a woman named Reiko Kujirai who suffers from memory loss and doesn't remember her past. She works at a realty estate management company with her co-worker Hajime Kudou, a very easy going and brash man who’s also her crush! Reiko lives her life in Kowloon, while also trying to discover who she is, and the mysteries of this city (I will not spoil everything! You’re going to have to check it out for yourself!). I binged the anime in one day and really enjoyed it. The story and the characters are very intriguing. I love that the main characters are in their 30s, which is very rare in anime! After watching the anime, I knew that I had to cosplay Rei...
5 comments
Continue Reading »

Return to work wardrobe in ITY – which is your favorite?

By
In June of this year, after spending nearly 11 years at my place of employment and after restructuring and cost cutting, I took a separation package. I was so fortunate to be able to take a few months off, and also to very quickly find a position with a new company. I start my new job on September 14th and I’m super excited!  This new position is also different for me in that it is local to my area (whereas before I worked remotely and traveled to the office every few weeks) – so I’ll be going into the office three times a week. So of course I needed to sew up some new outfits! I’m a huge fan of ITY knit fabric ; ITY stands for interlock twist yarn, which describes the way the yarn is knitted together. I love it for tops, dresses, skirts, and even pants: it’s comfortable, easy care, low wrinkle, and comes in so many beautiful prints. I sewed up three new outfits over the last two weeks and I’m excited to share them with you today! Oh, and also – I need help choosing what to wear fi...
18 comments
Continue Reading »

Double Back

By
Have you ever used a fabric that you loved so much you had to buy more and make it again.  I can only think of a handful of times that I’ve done that as I am very much a use it all for one project type of person.  However after I first used this snakeskin print stretch twill I knew I needed more of it. It started off when I decided to make this dress for my upcoming high school reunion. I loved the fabric even more in person. When I was playing around with the dress I envisioned making pants with it as well in the future.  I was able to order some matching thread and zippers to complete my dress look. Then I ordered 5 more yards to give myself a second look.  I love to use Pinterest to help me gather my ideas. In the end I came up with this lace up detailed look.  I wanted a slightly rockstar inspired look but still something I could keep in rotation in my wardrobe.  I sketched my idea out and sourced the patterns that I wanted to use.  I used Viki Se...
3 comments
Continue Reading »

Foray into Shirtmaking

By
I love playing with volume and texture! I've always loved well-made shirts: the soft yet crisp fabric, the structure and tailored fit. I love the deceptive simplicity that tries to conceal the precision and details that go into their construction…everything about well-made shirts is fascinating. And despite my interest, I somehow never really owned one. Let’s change that! I took my time with the finishing touches. I decided to bury my nose in a couple of David Page Coffin books on shirtmaking and became even more determined to try my hand at sewing one for myself. Everything I read about shirtmaking emphasized the need for really good fabric, so this 100% cotton shirting was a no-brainer (SKU: DMC 5116). I mean, look at those stripes! It's incredibly soft and light, with lots of body and a voluminous drape. It holds its shape remarkably well, and it was a delight to press. For my first go, I wanted a forgiving pattern that could hide any potential mistakes behind gathers and v...
9 comments
Continue Reading »