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Sewing Adventures – Tights

This year I’m taking on my stash, I’m using things up to make useful things. I have no interest in making things that are wasteful or making them with the aim to giving them to charity so it’s using with a purpose in order to get the stash down.

First up is a remnant of athletic Lycra from Pitt Trading, I think I had got it to make a swimsuit or maybe a rashie but then realised I could make a pair of 3/4 tights. I grabbed my self drafted tights pattern and got cutting.

I didn’t have enough fabric to cut the waistband with the greatest stretch going around  (I use the waistband from the Jalie Clara tights as I love how high it is) so I did some calculations and cut it on the opposite stretch. It makes it feel very firm so you have to be careful with your calculations or you feel very sausagey. Due to a scar on my torso I wear my waistbands very high to avoid irritating the area with the scar.


Using the 4 thread on the over locker I threw it all together with some swim elastic in the top waistband join. At this point I had to stop working as I was off to go dog sit for some friends so I threw the tights in to finish while I was there.

Working with what I had with me I used black thread to top stitch the top of the waistband (where I inserted some swim elastic). I used a 3 step zig zag so it sat as flat as possible. Hems we’re done with a regular zig zag.


While the yellow colour feels very uh yellow! I know these are going to get a tonne of wear for doing workouts on the roof and this week they’ve been great for dog walking.

Pattern: self drafted tights with Jalie Clara waistband (modified as I adjusted the size based on stretch and I changed the construction).

Fabric: from the stash, originally from athletic Lycra from Pitt Trading

Alterations: cut shorter leg to make allowances for the fact it was a remnant, cut waistband on the cross grain due to fabric useage.

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Sewing Adventures – Jalie Clara Tights Camo edition

It’s winter which means its cold and the temptation to stay on the couch cuddled under a blanket eating biscuits, drinking tea while reading books is big.
Sadly I know I need to move more. I have to get fitter and rebuild strength in my core and back.
So in an effort to motivate myself with new clothes to workout in I purchased the PDF of the Jalie Clara tights.


These are so intriguing as they have no centre front seam and only a back seam and an inside leg seam.
I measured myself and decided to go with the size Z with the 3/4 leg option of size O.


Cutting was easy and I added in the gusset, centre back seam and inside leg. At this stage I tried them on and decided I need to size down. Instead of unpicking and recutting I basically used my overlocker to cut down a size.


Tried them on again and decided on taking a dart like wedge out of the centre back and tightening the inside leg from mid thigh down the leg.
Popped them on again and was satisfied. Added the waistband using my overlocker and then twin needle stitched it in place using my coverstitch and hemmed (also on my coverstitch) and I was done.


I’m 5 foot tall so the top waistband sits really high on me (like just under my bra high) which is fabulous as it goes well up and above my surgery scar. It also goes above the weird swelling shape and weight gain which means it’s not going to move while I exercise.


There is some wrinkling around the knee that I’m not wild about but am going to wear them for awhile and see if there are any other changes to be made before I set about fixing that.


Great pattern, really impressed at the results and loving this Lycra from Pitt Trading which has no grin through of the white base fabric and isn’t see through even when stretched!

Having worn these a little am definitely going to size down even more, I want the Lycra to work a little harder as right now it feels a bit loose particularly around the crotch and thigh. It just doesn’t have that “firm” feeling yet so am going to do some tweaks. However I feel like the changes would be less if I wasn’t using such a nice quality Lycra.

Pattern – Jalie Clara tights pattern

Fabric – from the stash but originally from Pitt Trading

Changes – go down at least one to two sizes, take an extra dart shape wedge out of the centre back, tighten up knees a bit more