Mary, the Swirl Leggings (pattern testing)

Today, I'm presenting you the first pattern from Slightly Sinister Patterns (apart from the free Culotte Rowena) that I tested a short while ago: Mary (unpaid advertisement). Had a great plan for the swirl but not enough time, so I initially tested a basic black version that's not worth showing. There are two more patterns out by now. I hope to sew the Billie hoodie soon, and there is the brand new Alexis skirt. 

I needed a size large with my hip measurement, though I usually have a small in sports leggings and sometimes a medium in cotton ones. I did the L and only made the leg 2 cm longer to be on the safe side. I also made one other small change. I had only 3 cm wide elastic, not 2.5 cm as intended, so I made the waistband 1 cm wider. I cut the plain leg first, then the pattern into pieces for the rest.

My plan was to have one black leg and one swirl. For the swirl leg, I cut a concrete print organic jersey and faux leather with a cool structure. The black was a bamboo/cotton stretch jersey that's relatively thin but super stretchy. I sew that leg first, and it was a bit loose and not matching the other fabrics' feel. My serger was not behaving, and I was running out of time.

So I taped the pattern back together and cut another black bamboo leg. The leggings came out a bit wide with this fabric, but I'll fix that later. The swirl leg was already cut, so I went ahead a few weeks later. The black and waistband are now from an organic cotton/lycra similar to the concrete print. I have a bought leggings with two different legs, and their different stretchability is annoying.

I thought faux leather and smooth jersey would be very slippery and move around while sewing - not the best idea when the points have to match precisely. It went surprisingly well, with a lot of pinning and going slowly and very carefully. It's good that the instruction start at the bottom, so you get used to it while working the way up with the longer seams.

The only part that I didn't hit to the mm was the top corner of the swirl. Thankfully, the stretchy fabric forgives, and it's not visible while wearing. When I closed the legs, I used a trick to match the seams exactly (I can't remember where I read about this). The upper seam allowance is folded forwards, the bottom one towards me. That way, I did hit the right point every time.

I love Sonja's patterns because there is an easy to sew basic version and unique designs you won't find anywhere else - perfect for an alternative wardrobe. You can choose between a German and an English version of each pattern. Now I need a matching hoodie dress (I already bought that pattern) ;)