Copper Creek Patterns Anything But Basic leggings
2024-Jul-12, Friday 12:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chebeCopper Creek Patterns' Anything But Basic leggings are a free size-inclusive standard leggings pattern, with side seams, inner leg seams, and a waistband in two heights. I always need leggings, but I also wanted a pair as a base layer (think long-johns) but also comfortable enough to sleep in.
I went with the ankle length version with the high waistband. This pattern has a delightfully comprehensive measurement chart, including thighs and calves! I went with an 18 waist, 18 hip, 24 thigh, 28 calf (and ankle). Which is very similar to what I did with the Shelly leggings.
This time I went with a solid colour fabric, my favoured Bamboo Jersey Fabric - Black, 95% Bamboo, 5% Spandex (60% crosswise and 40% lengthwise), 220 g/m2. And the only other thing needed is black thread. I used the narrow stretch/lightning stitch throughout.
I was so consumed with not sewing the incorrect sides of the fabric together again that I managed to sew the two front leg pieces together, and the two back leg pieces together. (The whole time I was admiring how perfectly the pattern matched up.) There was no way I was going to be able to unpick all that black-on-black lightning stitch and maintain my composure, so I examined the pieces closely and discovered that they really only began to differ on the inside leg at the lower thigh (and up), and on the outer leg at the waistband. So I chalked a rough curve, and cut them up. I then unpicked the upper portions of the legs, sewed them together correctly, then back to the lower legs. It's far from subtle, but needs must. The rest of the sewing went smoothly.
This fabric is not a fair test for this kind of garment. It is softer and has greater drape than actual athletic fabrics. But in this fabric these are too big. It's a closer initial fit than the Shelly leggings, and it takes walking up and down the stairs at least twice for them to fall down to a problematic level. There is excess fabric everywhere from the knees up (and still plenty of stretch below the knees). I'm not sure how to 'fix' these, as so much depends on what fabric I use next time. I think, at a minimum I'd go down a size in the hips/thighs, and two in the waistband. So 14 waist, 16 hip, 22 thigh, 28 calf (and ankle). There is also something up with excess fabric at the centre-back just below the waistband. I might need to shorten above the crotch-line? But, as a garment for largely sleeping in, this works. It is very soft and light, and comfort-wise pretty close to wearing nothing.
I went with the ankle length version with the high waistband. This pattern has a delightfully comprehensive measurement chart, including thighs and calves! I went with an 18 waist, 18 hip, 24 thigh, 28 calf (and ankle). Which is very similar to what I did with the Shelly leggings.
This time I went with a solid colour fabric, my favoured Bamboo Jersey Fabric - Black, 95% Bamboo, 5% Spandex (60% crosswise and 40% lengthwise), 220 g/m2. And the only other thing needed is black thread. I used the narrow stretch/lightning stitch throughout.
I was so consumed with not sewing the incorrect sides of the fabric together again that I managed to sew the two front leg pieces together, and the two back leg pieces together. (The whole time I was admiring how perfectly the pattern matched up.) There was no way I was going to be able to unpick all that black-on-black lightning stitch and maintain my composure, so I examined the pieces closely and discovered that they really only began to differ on the inside leg at the lower thigh (and up), and on the outer leg at the waistband. So I chalked a rough curve, and cut them up. I then unpicked the upper portions of the legs, sewed them together correctly, then back to the lower legs. It's far from subtle, but needs must. The rest of the sewing went smoothly.
Front legs (sewn together) laid over back legs (sewn together)
Photo by chebe
This fabric is not a fair test for this kind of garment. It is softer and has greater drape than actual athletic fabrics. But in this fabric these are too big. It's a closer initial fit than the Shelly leggings, and it takes walking up and down the stairs at least twice for them to fall down to a problematic level. There is excess fabric everywhere from the knees up (and still plenty of stretch below the knees). I'm not sure how to 'fix' these, as so much depends on what fabric I use next time. I think, at a minimum I'd go down a size in the hips/thighs, and two in the waistband. So 14 waist, 16 hip, 22 thigh, 28 calf (and ankle). There is also something up with excess fabric at the centre-back just below the waistband. I might need to shorten above the crotch-line? But, as a garment for largely sleeping in, this works. It is very soft and light, and comfort-wise pretty close to wearing nothing.
Copper Creek Patterns Anything But Basic, finished, back view
Photo by chebe
Copper Creek Patterns Anything But Basic, finished, front view
Photo by chebe
