Over the years I’ve done a fair bit of tutorials on how to sew your own activewear. As with most of my tutorials, I try to show techniques that are not already available on tons of other sewing blogs or in pattern instructions. And most of them are the result of a lot trial and errors and examining ready to wear activewear to see if I can mimic some of the techniques. So let’s take a look at some of my sewing activewear tutorials:
How to make adjustable elastic cord drawstrings
A simple method to add adjustable elastic cord drawstrings to a garment. Perfect for all sorts of activewear, like a windbreaker or ski jacket, fleece sweater or as a way to end the hems of hiking pants.
How to line your sports bra with power net/mesh
If you want to use fashion fabric for a sports bra or a built-in-bra, you’ll notice that the stability will be pretty much zero and not all pattern instructions tell you so. Adding a layer of power net (stronger support) or power mesh (lighter support) is an easy way to solve this problem. This tutorial is for those simple tank-top bras that are quite common when it comes to bra top sewing patterns.
How to succeed with sewing fold over elastic
Sewing fold over elastic isn’t always as easy to sew as it sounds. And it’s a struggle to rip! So I’m pretty meticulous with my prep work when I’m applying the elastic and in this tutorial, I share some of my tricks.
How to add mesh inserts to your activewear
I’m nuts about adding mesh inserts, perhaps I overdo it sometimes, but I just really love the look. In this tutorial, I go through all the things you need to know when adding inserts.
Adding eyelets on knits
I had eyelets popping left and right on knits before I developed this method. But since then I’ve had zero eyelets letting loose, so doing the proper prep work as I describe in this tutorial will save you a lot of heartaches later on.
How to improve the 3-thread flatlock seam on a serger
The 3-thread flatlock used to be a nightmare on my old Pfaff serger. Then I decided to figure it out once and for all, and in this tutoiur I share my results. Now on my new Babylock serger with auto tension, I’ve had much better results without tampering with the tension, but if you have a moody serger, then this is the tutorial for you.
Making a body shaping waistband using power net
Sometimes those workout leggings waistband doesn’t give you the support you are looking for. Using fusible interfacing is a bad idea, instead, add a layer of power net or power mesh. I do this regularly now on my leggings and the difference between the ones where I don’t and those where I do is substantial when it comes to fit. Especially good if you are using more supple fabrics.
Attaching a triangle crotch gusset in three easy steps
This tutorial came out of a frustration that many pattern instructions make the assembly of a triangle gusset on leggings and shorts way too complicated So I just stripped the process down to 3 easy steps, omitting sewing with notches and other frou-frou and it works very well! In my upcoming book about sewing activewear, I will cover this topic much more thoroughly and also show you how to add differently shaped crotch gussets if your leggings pattern lacks those.
So these were eight of my sewing activewear tutorials. Hope you find some of them useful!
