Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: Pickleball!

Image
By

I recently discovered a new thing: Pickleball. And I’ve become a little obsessed with it! Naturally, I needed new clothes to wear when playing, and when I saw the collection of Beyond Yoga performance fabric arrive at Fabric Mart, I knew I needed it! 


After getting some inspiration from the Beyond Yoga website, I selected three fabrics from Fabric Mart with my $50 budget – two Nylon/Lycra “Sportflex” fabrics (purple and olive), and a polyester/Lycra featherweight Jersey knit (blue). 

I’m a big fan of Jalie patterns for all things sportswear, so once again I turned to their collection for each of these creations (disclosure: Jalie gifted me the patterns for this project). I decided to use the same top for each of my outfits, and then use various patterns for the bottoms. I struggled to find a simple dress in their collection, so in the end, decided to use the same top pattern, but self-draft a quarter-circle skirt for it. There are a couple of things I’d do differently next time, but overall I’m very happy with how everything came together! 

Each top in this collection uses Jalie Audrey. I love how this pattern includes a built-in bra with pockets for bra cups. The first one I made (purple), I miscalculated my size (remember: measure twice, cut once) and went a size too small. I was going to make it again, but decided *it would be fine*. I made the correct size for the subsequent tops! I also added an extra inch in length on the purple version. I’m not sure if that was totally necessary though. 


When modifying Audrey for the dress, I ultimately ended up cutting off 1” from the lower hem so that the dress seam would sit at my natural waistline. One thing I didn’t factor in before starting is that the back of Audrey cuts diagonally into the front bodice as a design feature. Now, this is fine as a standalone top, but when attaching a skirt, this becomes a problem, as the side seams of the skirt don’t align with the seams on the top. If I were to do this again, I would trim the extra wedge from the back bodice and add it to the front pattern piece before cutting everything out. 


To create the skirt, I measured my waist, decided on a length (28 inches), and plugged everything into a circle skirt generator I found online! After measuring and cutting everything out, I then realized that there was as circle skirt template already marked out on my cardboard pattern mat. So, if you have a cardboard pattern mat, take a close look at it before drafting your own circle skirt! 

 I used Jalie Loulouxe skirt with inbuilt shorts (with a pocket!!) for the purple set. I think this will be really cute for pickleball, though I’ll make the pocket wider next time so the ball will fit easier.  

Finally, I used Jalie Clara high-rise leggings with the olive-green fabric. I had made these once before and found them too low, but upon reflecting, decided I’d used the wrong type of fabric. You need at least 60% stretch each direction for these, and the Beyond Yoga fabric was perfect for them. I love the height of these ones, but I found the back waist to gape just a little bit. I’ve made a note to take a triangle out of the waistband next time to account for my swayback. 

Overall, I LOVE all these creations and will be keeping my eyes open for more of these performance fabrics from Fabric Mart in the future! Happy sewing, friends! 


NATASHA  | @auschicksews

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar items by shopping the following categories: ACTIVEWEAR & BEYOND YOGA.

Comments

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

Sewing With Intention: New Look 6106 and a More Coordinated Wardrobe

By
Sometimes a sewing project begins with a beautiful piece of fabric or a pattern you just have to make. This one began with my closet. Recently, I did a major closet purge. I took a good look at what I actually wear, what I kept reaching for, and—maybe more importantly—what was missing. Once the pieces I no longer loved or wore were gone, something became very clear: I want to be more intentional about what I sew next. Instead of sewing individual pieces that I love but don't necessarily wear together, I want to build a wardrobe where my handmade garments coordinate with the clothes I already own—and with the pieces I'm planning to sew next. For this month's Fabricista project, this beautiful lightweight shirting from Fabric Mart turned out to be a wonderful place to start. The Fabric That Started It All Fabric Mart provided this beautiful oatmeal and black heathered shirting , along with the matching thread for my project. One of the things I love most about this fabric is ...
9 comments
Continue Reading »

Meeting Endless Summer Energy with a Maxi Dress

By
How are the temps still so hot?! I’m trying to make the best out of a blazing situation with a gorgeous swishy dress made in a splendid graphic print in an attempt to keep my cool when I am very much not. The heat persists, but so do I (while wearing sundresses)!  I really wanted a full length, all-fancy-design-details-included version of the new Chalk & Notch Noe Tank Dress since testing the pattern. This is View C. This version features a beautiful open back with a tie closure and the long gathered hem for maximum impact.  I chose the higher of two necklines. The pattern features full lining and I used the same fabric for both. I prefer to avoid any peeking-issues the easy way.  As I was scrolling through the challis options on the Fabric Mart site, this one stood out immediately, a beautiful kelly green with big abstract swipes of aqua. Simple, bold, (non-directional!), all of my favorite characteristics necessary for a showstopping dress. I wanted something very ...
2 comments
Continue Reading »

The Perfect Plan for this Linen Blend! Until I Changed My Mind.

By
Hello Sewing Friends!  It’s Sharon from Sharon Sews with another Fabricista make.  When I saw this linen blend designer fabric on the Fabric Mart Fabrics website, I was intrigued.  After all, I, like many of you, love to find designer fabrics at an affordable price. It is a linen/nylon/rayon/Lycra blend, and I wondered what the designer had created with the fabric as I wasn’t familiar with that combination of fibers.  Surprisingly, I discovered a sleeveless, lined, mid-length vest in the same color with an almost identical fabric composition. Perfect! I’ve been wanting to sew a longer vest with matching pants, and that discovery confirmed this fabric would work beautifully for the look I had in mind.  The vest I’m wearing, from the June 2026 Burda Style magazine, it is not what I was originally going to make.  You see when I found the designer’s vest, I remembered seeing a Butterick pattern that was almost identical.  I ordered the pattern excited to...
4 comments
Continue Reading »

Fall + Flannel = Shacket

By
If there is one piece that transitions easily between crisp fall mornings, mid-day warmth, and chilly autumn nights, it’s a shacket. Today, I’m excited to share my latest Fabric Mart make: the Ellie and Mac Patterns Connie Casual Shacket, sewn in a dreamy plaid flannel coating fabric . Here’s a glimpse at how it came together, along with a few construction tips for planning your own version! The Ellie and Mac Patterns Connie Casual Shacket pattern offers plenty of options needed to make the perfect transitional top layer for fall. With a relaxed body, oversized sleeves, three lengths, and a curved or straight hem option, you can make your dream shacket a reality.  For this sew, I selected a plaid flannel coating fabric with a soft blend of sage green and cream tones from the Fabric Mart website. Heavyweight flannel is ideal for a shacket because it provides structure and added warmth. As a bonus, this particular fabric is extra soft and snuggly, which I love. In addition to the fa...
1 comment
Continue Reading »