Leggings sew-along: gussets, waistbands and finishing

I was asked recently why a gusset and what shape should it be?

Interesting question.

The most accurate answer would be that the gusset is the open space you see when you split your pants. In simple terms (unless you have been dancing really, really wildly and really, really split your pants) it would be about the length of the seam you open and about as wide apart as that the resulting opening would be.

A gusset is giving a particular garment what it needs anyway.

What is also interesting to me as someone who has sewn a number of different shaped gussets over the years is that the different shapes, most commonly a diamond about 3"+ long and about 2"+ at the widest part in the middle, and a V shape, all work in a similar way. But think about your own physiology and consider what shape you need and where.

What is common to them all is that one side is usually attached to a top of the leg seam (either to the crotch seam or inseam) first and then captured in the completion of the seam. We already talked about that in how I would put in the Peg Legs gusset a few posts back.

The Peg Legs gusset is set horizontally with the widest part of the diamond lined up with the crotch seams and the longer parts of the diamond extending down into each inseam:

I have also sewn in gussets in the past where the narrow ends of the gusset where lined up with the crotch seam and and widest parts at the inseam (imagine the image above with the diamond vertically). Unfortunately I can't show that to you as the pattern I used to use that had it done that way  was an old Kwik Sew that has vanished from my collection and their catalogue.

By contrast to the diamond shape the Clara by Jalie has a smaller gusset, a sort of triangle set as an extension of the back crotch:

You can see here how it was first stitched to the bottom of the back crotch (I used a lightening stitch to do that) and then how it is captured when the back crotch is finally stitched. I am pretty sure that the explanation for the shape of this gusset is that the Clara's do not have a front crotch seam. The gusset as placed this way is finally stitched in via the one long seam ankle to ankle.

If you look at these two gussets you can see how they both add three dimensional space to the leggings right at a place that would just be a stress/vulnerable to stitching breaking place otherwise.

It also explains why gussets make leggings more comfortable.

I am sure you will also notice too that the diamond gusset is a larger unit and for that reason I suspect might give a little more movement room for a larger person. For this reason I chose the Peg Legs for my maternity leggings when I knew give was going to be important.

Gusset seams need to be topstitched.

This can be done with a cover hem or twin needle (see the Peg Legs gusset above) or a triple zig-zag like I did here in my Clara's, note the seam allowances are folded to the garment side and top stitched that way:

Topstitching is also an option for all of the construction seams in leggings and something you see a lot in athletic wear for instance these made by Brit from Halo:

The point of this topstitching, here with a cover hem in a custom pattern (Greenstyle Creations and Jalie's Cora both have multiple seam options, is both to reinforce the seams (think of flat felling in jeans) as well as flatten the seams for comfort against the body.

A note here now about topstitching with a conventional machine. In the last post about seams we talked about wooly nylon in the loopers of a serger for more comfortable, stretchy seams. There is also the option of a stretch thread in the needles, I have used Euroflex with good results but the colour selection is limited, so I generally use a good polyester thread. I have some Maxi-lock stretch on order from Dry Cleaner's Supply and will talk about that when it arrives - not something I can get in local fabric stores.

But back to topstitching and conventional stitches. For topstitching gussets I always wind wooly nylon by hand onto a bobbin (a machine winds it too fast and stretches it out of shape) and this give wonderful stretch to any stitch.

For topstitching in a knit I generally like a multi-step zig zag rather than one that just zigs and zags because doing the zig in steps means there are not the long threads to catch.

Here is what a stitch made with the wooly nylon in the bobbin looks like, the underside of a three-step zig zag and both sides of a common utility stitch you could also use to topstitch seams if you really wanted to:

three step zig-zag showing the bobbin side, bobbin hand wound with wooly nylon

Utility stitch right side on Supplex

Bobbin side of the same stitch showing how the wooly nylon stretches when stitched

On the issue of whether or not to topstitch the seams, really don't feel you have to. I have made many pairs of leggings without and they have held out just fine. Then again I am not a marathon runner so chaffing from seams has not been an issue for me. And the cover hemming looks pretty cool.

If you do decide to cover hem I personally think that a good fluffy wooly nylon is essential in the loopers. I also shorten the stitch length to about a 3 (I know many folks do a 4 but I like the extra stitches). You can do a two needle cover hem or a three needle.

Generally this is done from stitching from the wrong side so the loopers show decoratively on the right side, aiming to situate the stitches so they cover the well of the seam on the right side. This can actually be tricky to do, as is any dominant stitching that you do blind from the wrong side while hoping for the best. I have found that rather than trying aim for the centre of the seam try to put the middle needle of a 3 needle stitch or the centre of the space between the two needles of a two needle cover hem so it stitches right on top of the right hand needle/seam line of the garment's serged seam. This really helps getting it right. 

3-needle cover hem from the right side:

And from the wrong side where hopefully you can see the middle needle set more or less to follow over the right hand needle seam thread of the serged seam:

To hem the leggings it is very important that they can be stretched to go over the foot without the stitches breaking, or, even more important in capri length leggings where the hem is over the large calf muscle that can expand with movement, without binding.

For this reason I always stretch a little while I topstitch the hems, to build in that extra stretch, whether I sew the hem with a 3 step zig zag with wooly nylon hand wound in the bobbin or with a narrow 2 needle cover hem, my preference to avoid tunnelling in these stretchy fabrics. 

Below are two samples. You will see that the stitches in both hems looks small - this is because they were stretched when sewn and the extra stitches got packed in - something I wouldn't worry about in a hem at this level.

Finally the last detail in the construction of the leggings is the yoga band waistband. 

There are several ways these can be done. 

Some folks when working with a firmer knit like Supplex actually just sew the band and stitch it right on to the top of the leggings, counting on the double layer of fabric to provide both the stretch and support they need in a waistband without elastic. Others, and suggested in both patterns, also add a row of elastic only lightly stretched, to the seam allowance at the top of the band and band facing.

I have seen clear elastic suggested for this step, some sewers serge this into the seam that attaches both band layers, but I don't personally find that is feels secure enough inside the band.

My own preference is for a 1 / 2 " bathing suit elastic (you can recognize this for its boring muslin colour) that I triple zig zag stitch down to the inside of the band, butting the elastic right up to the seam like this:

Well this wraps up our leggings sew-along. 

Not sure if I did this right. Suspect that there are more organized ways to run something like this so let me know if going through a garment type like this is helpful. 

In future I am going to forget about the Facebook page I think hoped that there would be some pictures of works in progress from readers, but that was probably spreading us all too thin.  I think this blog and my Instagram are more my own mediums in social media.

So for a bit the blog is going to resume regularly scheduled programming but watch this space once August kicks in for a bathing suit sew-along. Need to get that in before that awful moment when Nova Scotians start sniffing the air and saying things like " I can smell fall" and the back-to-school ads become depressingly frequent.

Around here we like to wring out every last drop of summer, and when we can't do that start packing the RV to head south!

Maternity sewing

Of the many pairs of leggings I have been making lately two of these have been for my DIL who is expecting in November.

I used the Pattern 4 Pirates add-ons (thank you P4P for not calling these hacks) for different styles of maternity waistbands that can be used in conjunction with the Peg Legs pattern. Note again both the Peg Legs and the add-on patterns are free.

Maddie liked the over the belly waist so these two pair, made in some lovely Supplex from Halo Fabric Addicts again, used that option.

I am going to show these out of interest for both those who might want to sew maternity leggings and for those who won't ,because the construction is interesting.

For a start the Peg Legs have a deep waist band, and like the Clara's really, have a short front crotch seam to accommodate that. Kind of weird when you are making both of these patterns up if you try them on before you have attached the waistband because it feels and looks at first as if these units aren't going to be high enough to cover anything much less a belly and the distance up to the waist.

But you attach the waistband and what do you know, they do.

Having this deep dip in the front means it is so easy to switch these up for maternity sewing. The Peg Legs maternity add-on is really a very deep front waistband with a little self fabric knit band stitched onto the top.

Now these look really weird I know, hanging on a barn door in the basement, and they will look better in pictures that Maddie has said she will send, but there is hopefully still some educational, and certainly some humour value in these shots.

Love this fabric, this is a side view so you can see how the front waist dips down and the wide overbelly waistband comes up. We will cut this down to make a postnatal pair later if we want.

Long and skinny but hopefully comfortable
And here is another pair in a lighter colour so you can see the waistband seam and the band at the top a little better:

I top stitched the seam allowances down with a triple zig zag on this pair more or less for my own entertainment

Now to go with the leggings I made some tops. 

I used Love Notions famous Laundry Day tee. I wanted to try this out for myself and figured doing a size small for Maddie would give me some sense of how it might look. This pattern has quite a swing to the hem, despite being fitted through the shoulders, which I thought would make it work for a maternity top basic.

I added 2" in length over all and an additional 2" to the centre front hem tapering that up to the side seams. As you get bigger that front hem pulls up and that centre front dip down in the hem is useful.

Here are the tops, it is interesting how they all look slightly different because they are each made in different fabrics. The grey one is cotton single knit, the white one bamboo, and the navy one is rayon knit:

Since I was on a sewing, neglecting all other aspects of life roll, I decided to also make a replacement skirt for one that got lost in Maddie's travels - the Jalie Lisette again lengthen to 30" with a centre back seam added and a 12" walking slit. I added a little to the width of the waist and left out the elastic in the front waistband and put it only in the back:

I have to give a shout out to Stonemountain in Berkeley for sending me the exact same fabric I made the original in. I sent them a picture of Maddie in the original skirt and they put the same fabric in the mail to me and I got it in a few days - pretty impressive I thought. Another reason why I love them.

I also played around with one more top, a striped cotton lycra knit (yes I know the stripes are not matched on the sleeves - I had to really scramble to find fabric to cut them out at all - the lower front of this pattern is doubled - a long gathered piece attached to a shorter under piece). I used this pattern, and added 2" to each side of the bottom of both bodice pieces and the 2" to the centre front of the hem like I did with the Laundry Day tee. I am completely enumerate and once I come up with a number I like to stick with it and apply it everywhere. 

This pattern also includes a modesty panel thing that I originally had made and was going to apply then I decided we didn't need it. I sewed in some clear elastic ever so slightly stretched along the sides of the V neckline under the binding and I felt that was enough to do to prevent gaping.

I also made Maddie a swimsuit using the First Crush pattern from Rad Patterns. Not a bad maternity pattern at all (they also sell a non maternity version) but the instructions were apparently written for Harry Houndini to execute so I sort of had to throw those out the window (sort of literally) and applied what I have learned from other swimsuit construction.

More on those details in next month's swimsuit sew-along.

Here is a front view and a side view, to show you how maternityesque it is, fabric again from my mega order from Halo:

Finally I even remembered that my daughter-in-law is married and who she is married to is my oldest son.

You know the one I promised I would make him a shirt for his birthday March 30.

So I finished that too and put it in the package to keep up appearances. 

So folks when this blog goes dark for a few days this is why. I made this batch of garments over about a 10 day period and sort of like living like that.

However if any of you would like to drop by however and fold a bit of laundry or do a few floors ... those jobs are still outstanding.

In the meantime more to say on sewing along leggings over the next few days!

Quick one

Oh my.

Busy week this last week.

Woke up Tuesday morning and realized that baby was going to be born on the West Coast before I did my promised maternity sewing. I had a lot of school work and other things going on but every minute I could, I sewed.

I got cracking and finished up one bathing maternity bathing suit, two pairs of leggings, four tops and replacement skirt, plus a shirt for my son. It will go in the mail tomorrow.

Will post some pretty hopeless pictures tomorrow of all of these garments hanging on hangers pending shots of Maddie wearing them in Berkeley.

I hope to do some more responsible blogging tomorrow when I catch my breath but in the meantime I want to share a picture of how I wrote my book and with whom:

This is Miss Daisy's favourite place in the world doing exactly what she loves most, pressed to my hip while I write. She has the sound of me sitting down in this chair down to an art and I even look at it and I can hear her tearing down the hall at top speed to get right up with me. 

She could literally spend her whole life like this if that's all we had to do.

So nice to be able to make someone happy with such a simple thing. I think this is probably why I have dogs, just to be able to do that.

So more later, but right now we girls are just chilling after a busy week.

Leggings sew-a long: cutting and stitching tips

Hi folks.

By now it should be apparent that I don't really know how to do a proper internet type sew-along. What you are really getting here are my thoughts on various aspects as they would arise during construction and this is hopefully useful to you as you sew the same garment.

Nothing more organized. No beautiful step-by-steps.

This blog is part of my life and that gets lived.

For instance Daisy and I are still in bed as I write this. I will be getting up soon to take her to her acupuncture session that really does seem to work. She has been moving happily and easily the last few weeks and I am so glad about that. The 6 weeks we had to confine her in a penned in area were hell. She seemed to interpret this as we too were going to cage her up like the bad guys in her former life and there was too much hurt in her eyes. Recovery from that set-back has been slower than her back. I will do a lot to keep us from having to go there again.

I have been sewing my brains out. I had decided to make my DIL some maternity clothes and realized Monday that you can't put off sewing for a pregnancy when the due date in November. So I have gone into what my dad has called high gear. Two pairs of leggings, four tops and hopefully a bathing suit will go in the mail in the next few days. I also have made an identical skirt to one I had made her a while ago that had got misplaced somewhere on a recent trip east. It is awfully nice to be a sewer and be able to sew replacement garments.

I have also finally finished a shirt for her husband, my son, promised for his birthday in March. I will post some pictures once I know they have the garments in their own hands.

I am also getting ready for my daughter to come over tonight for help sewing her first dress. Having an adult child announce she wants to start sewing (she said reading my book put the idea into her head which is funny because I spent about 30 years sewing around her trying to do just that) makes me feel like other mothers might when a grown child says they are going to start going back to church. You know what I mean?

So within that life context you get my ideas on sewing leggings.

Does that count as a sew-along?

Are you finding this helpful?

So with that introduction here are my thoughts on starting sewing.

Layout and cutting:

Obviously you don't want to pierce the fabric too much with pins so I would keep those in the seam allowances. You can also use weights to hold the pattern down and lay a flat hand close to the cutting line and cut one hand length at a time, reposition and cut again.

I cut out two pairs at a time and left the first one pinned and then laid that on the second fabric as sort of a weighed pattern. I do this all the time and I am sure you do too.

The other hint I have that is really, really useful if you have trouble with accurate cutting is to always keep the pattern to the right of your scissors if you are right handed, and always to the left if you are left handed (and hopefully using left handed scissors). This absolutely gets the cut closer to the pattern and makes it more precise. Of course this can get awkward in some areas so I generally rough cut big around the pattern if I have to and spin the pinned piece around so I can still keep cutting with the pattern to the right of my scissors.

If you think this is crazy, just try it and see what you think. I really find this makes a difference.


Thread:

You can sew leggings up equally well on both a serger and on a sewing machine. In my mind the difference is not in strength of the seam so much as speed of construction.

I know that there are folks who say that a 3 thread serged seam is stretchier than a 4 thread, and they are right about that, but there is no way I can eliminate that second needle thread myself and feel good about it.

There is also a suggestion, more popular before cover hems became widely available and folks were trying to make their self-made athletic wear have the same stitches they saw in RTW (which of course is made on machines not available domestically), to flat lock the seams. I don't do this myself but if you do and it works please tell us about it. The argument, and it makes sense, is that flat locking makes the seam lay flatter. The thing though is only two thread flat lock really lies flat, a three thread will still have that ridge unless you topstitch it down, and there is no way I am going to trust this crotch or back seam to two threads. Sorry, you can't talk me out of that one, I am afraid. Just can't do it.

So apart from a 4 thread serged seam I would also use either a reverse action triple straight stitch or the lightening stitch ( a short reverse action zig zag) for construction.

On the Eversewn Sparrow 30 I have been testing that would be stitch #3 or #4 pictured below:

I wouldn't use any of the fancy stretch stitches on a machine to sew the actual seams, maybe save those for topstitching to be discussed in a later post, as these can pack down too much thread and create seam waving with the activity of the machine doing so much, and that can get uncomfortable so tight and close to the skin.

I should add here too that if you have snapped seam paranoia you have the option of restitching over your high stress seam areas with one of the above stitches at the machine after you have serged. I usually don't feel the need to do this but that doesn't mean it can't be done.

Which brings us to thread.

Use a good one.

I have used the new stretch threads like Euroflex with success but didn't bother in my own leggings. I found that a good polyester thread in the needles worked just fine and I used wooly nylon in the loopers for more comfort on the skin.

To increase the stretch in the seam at the machine you can also hand wind a bobbin with the wooly nylon too (it won't work in the upper threading but will work in the bobbin area in most machines).

The main thing of course is to do some test seams and really give them a good stretch.

The same can, and should be done with your threads.

A sewing machine technician told me something a long time ago that made a really big impression on me.

He noted that most sewers collected serger thread in different colours and had them around for many years. During those years the thread dries out and he suggested I pull on my threads to see if any broke easily before I used them. I have done that and was surprised at how many of my serger cone threads snapped.

If you find this happening to you I would suggest you either buy new thread to sew your leggings or use a good spool thread like Gutterman in the needles for this project.

And of course use a new needle and one for knits - look for the words Stretch as opposed to Jersey - the stretch needles have a better point and if you experience skipped stitches at all it is invariably a question of finding the right needle.

Basting:

The gusset pieces in both patterns I used are lined, this means double layer. You can see the Peg Leg piece above with the two layers basted together. You can use two layers of the leggings fabric but be aware this adds bulk in a tiny area. I have test sewed several pairs of leggings in different ways, serged seams and reverse action stitches on the Eversewn machine I am testing right now, want to see how it sews on different knits, and have used two different sergers too. I didn't have any trouble with bulky seams with my Juki serger but did with my daughter's older Pfaff. If you have had issues with serging over bulky seams you might want to make the lining for your gusset piece from a thinner fabric - I have used athletic mesh with good results.

In any case and in any pattern the gusset piece will be basted to the top of a garment leg before final stitching. I suggest you do this basting with a zig zag (something I should have thought of when I basted the two layers together above). The reason for this is that straight stitches break when stretched and zig zags won't, or at least not easily. This of course doesn't matter since the seams will eventually capture the gusset but the sound and feel of that breaking basting stitches can make you worry. 

The zig zag basting is more of an emotional thing.

For both of the patterns I am using I am not going to repeat the pattern instructions you can read yourself but when there is an easier way I will mention it.

A good example of this is the Peg Leg gusset piece.

The instructions are for the gusset to be basted in both sides to each side of the crotch. This can be a bit tricky and actually makes sewing the eventual inseams kind of complicated. I don't quite understand why this is advised.

I have been inserting gussets in things for decades and they are always sewing with in a short seam one side to one leg and the other side is captured in the long continuous inseam.

So I did the same thing here, serging on the gusset along one side and then pinning the remaining edge into the seam when I stitched that:

Pinning:

I have recently started to use clips rather than pins for a lot of my knit sewing, active wear in particular. Pins can spin around on you in knits, get caught in serger blades, and give out when you are really stretching as you sew, as in elastic to fabric for instance.

I find the security of the clips really helpful, all I do is make sure I clip them on coloured side up and push them down and pull them off before I come to them with my machine. And BTW no need to spend a fortune for a few at the fabric store- I got masses on Amazon for nearly nothing.

Stitching:

Finally don't fight with your stitching. If your serger has trouble crossing the bulk of the gusset switch to your sewing machine and a reverse action stitch for that part, no shame in doing that and I can tell you the stitching will be just as strong. And if you are paranoid about popping seams you can always reverse action stitch over the crotch seams after you serge too, although I don't bother to do that and haven't had any issues.

Also if you find keeping the layers together difficult under your serger (I did find the older serger had a little trouble with this) just zig zag the layers together and then serge. Works very well.

So folks that's a start. Anything I left out?

Any questions you have?

Thanks for hanging in with me for this long post!

More thoughts on fabric and fitting

Hi folks.

I had these amazing Supplex fabrics arrive from Halo Fabric Addicts yesterday and I have cut out four more pair of leggings - one for me, one for my daughter and two maternity versions for my daughter-in-law.

Supplex is not cheap but if you have confidence in your pattern it really lasts and yes it breathes. The days when I didn't care about breathability in fabric are long gone. I will be working both with the Supplex, some nylon/spandex from Joann's, and some cotton/lycra.

There doesn't seem to be much point in posting solid black and navy fabric, which is why my daughter and I will be getting, but here is the print I have ready to go for my DIL:

Some athletic mesh also came in the order - it's the stuff you see in legging inserts, and I am going to use it to line my waistbands in the black and navy pair. This is a bit of an experiment for me but a detail I have seen in RTW and I want to try it. Athletic mesh is lighter than Powermesh but seems really strong and has great horizontal stretch, but not much vertically.

On the subject of stretch and stretch direction Brit at Halo who has made many leggings as a business and I had an interesting email exchange on choosing the maximum stretch. This can be confusing in 4 way fabric.

Brit feels that the fabric she sells is so stretchy and has good recovery both directions so she makes some of her layout decisions based on which direction the colour changes (to avoid Lululemon show through) which I found interesting.

For instance here are her thoughts on laying out the mottled black/blue fabric above:

For the Marbled Blue/Black I believe the best orientation for the pattern is from selvage to selvage. If you give it a good stretch length-wise and another width-wise you'll notice that one directiongets slightly lighter in colour. (I believe it was cut edge to cutedge for that) so I run my pattern lengthwise perpendicular to that length.

This of course puts the pattern traditionally placed with the crosswise stretch running across the body (the advice I have talked about in previous posts) despite the fact the vertical stretch is near the same in this print, but I thought the advice about colour was really interesting.

Brit also shared a method for determining maximum stretch that I have not heard of before. Myself I just pull it each way and see which direction is slower to snap back, like chewed out bubble gum.

Brit calls this the "punch test":

Take the corner of the fabric and wrap it around one fist (like stuffing a wonton or punching bread dough) and really push into the fabric to see how the fabric recovers."

We both agree that whatever method you use it is important that the direction of greatest stretch is needed to accommodate   "butt/hips/thighs movement."

When cutting out last night I also had a few other thoughts to share. The Peg Legs includes calf measurement in the sizing charts. This is really important. I for example have an XL calf and a M thigh and a L everything else. To have my leggings fit I need to remember to grade out a bit below the knee.

So next will be cutting and stitching and then before you know it we will have leggings.

Flypaper thoughts Saturday night edition

• I have been working at shirt sewing this week hard enough to really appreciate tee shirts
• Looking forward to cutting out a few of those soon for my pregnant daughter-in-law
• Front, back, sleeves and what's to fit?
• Am making no baby name suggestions
• We are re-entering unchartered territory again
• If anyone had told me a few years ago
• Otis, Walter, George and, according to my mother's friend, Kaiser
• We are all date stamped by our names
• I was in the sandpile recently and heard a mother yell "Barbara"
• What a dumb of fashioned name to call a little kid I thought
• Until I remembered it was my own name
• At least the revival names have predictable spelling
• Kaylee, Khayleigh, Calee, 
• I even know a Jane who is Jayn and another one who is Jahne
• No one is going to do that to Walter
• I honestly think I am going to have to spring for bamboo knit for pyjamas
• Some days when I get to the end of it, I am pretty sure I need them
• How is it three kids cannot, between the three of them
• Remember where the TV remotes and unit that controls the heat pump went
• Except they remember they saw them and they were together in the same place
• It's just the where was that place part that draws the blank
• And they think I think they weren't involved
• When I just found a jar of water, three granola bars, a roll of pink curly ribbon, and a stick of stain remover from the laundry
• In the case that my dad's 70 year old typewriter was stored in
• I can follow the bread crumbs guys
• At least the ones the dog hasn't eaten
• Who else is waiting for the study that says people who eat cake with mocha icing live longer?
• Or that watching your bobbins wind is the same thing as meditating?
• And just how is anyone with this much fabric supposed to empty her mind?
• I don't need to explain this one because I already know you totally get it
• I will get back at them
• Who wants to see Babsie do a triple back flip with a twirl before she lands?
• We do, we do
• OK well first close your eyes
• Ta da
• You missed it
• And how will you ever know?
• Come to think of it
• Why do I need a TV remote?
• We have to mute the news when a certain world leader is on
• Daisy runs away down the hall
• What's with the internet?
• Bloglovin' put in my inbox a link to a post to totally rev up your life?
• Who wouldn't click on that?
• Particularly when they have so many tee shirts to make?
• Drink water, move, be mindful, sleep
• Number five was undoubtedly eat fruit and vegetables
• This is news?
• This is beautifully photographed and everything is white and filtered
• This is not news
• But the mocha cake study?
• For that one I would buy a new remote

Nice little video on how to determine stretch in fabric

From the folks at 5 out of 4 patterns this nice instructional video on stretch in fabrics.