Fabric Mart Fabricistas

New Year, new handmade running gear!! I have been a bit obsessed with obtaining technical fabrics and sewing up functional (and colorful!) clothing for my running routine for the past years.  A major amount of my technical knit stash is from the Fabric Mart a ctivewear category , including all of the yardage I've used to sew up these Jalie Cora Tights #3462 and Jalie zip top # 2682 .  The animal print is still actually in stock at this moment I am typing! They even sell Jalie patterns now. I've never found Fabric Mart to label their activewear fabrics as "wicking" but the animal print material is actually sweat wicking!  It's rare to find prints that wick!!!  How do I judge whether a mystery fabric can suck up sweat or let it just sit there and irritate the crap out of me and cause problems during very long runs??  I let a few droplets of water fall off the side of the material that touches the skin-- does it get absorbed immediately or form a perfect wate...

I sew nearly all of my running gear.  Why?!  Several reasons: I want a better fit than I can get in ready-to-wear stuff. The nicer quality activewear I covet is much too expensive for my budget.  Plus I love crazy, loud running clothes-- for the fun of it and for high visibility & safety for the my urban running.  I'm not a fast runner by anyone's standards (but who cares!!) and have not been a super long distance runner but am starting to train for a half marathon in late spring! Making my own running clothes is a huge motivator for me... I sew a sassy new pair of leggings or top, then I just have go out for a run to try them out. I sewed up three long-sleeved tops and a pair of tights. I used the newly released  Surf to Summit Top  pattern from Fehr Trade along with the  Ooh La Leggings   pattern from Papercut. I've sewn every single one of the Fehr Trade patterns (& have been a pattern tester for every single one but actu...

Hello! Today we have something special to share with you! We recently went on a search for 3 seamstresses who work with knits to give you some tips and tricks on how to sew this sometimes stressful fabric. We have selected Kathy, Amber, and Meghan. First up is Kathy who will be sharing with us she uses Activewear knits. An supplex/activewear knit can be a mixture of polyester, nylon, and/or spandex. These knits are created to wick sweat away from your body to keep you cool. Perfect for making sports bras, work out tops, running shorts/skirts, etc.   Here's Kathy! Kathy is a seamstress and blogger living in Baltimore, Maryland. She has a background in arts marketing and a degree in Art Education but sewing has been a self taught adventure for the past 15+ years between work, school and life. As a stay-at-home mom these days, most of her sewing is done while her sweet little two year old naps. She goes between working with knits and woven fabrics but always concentr...