Greenstyle Fall Leggings Sew Along – Day 1

Yay!! It is time to sew all the leggings!! Today is Day 1 of the Greenstyle Fall Leggings Sew Along.

Prizes, Discounts, and Details

Before I get into the tasks and fun part of this post, let’s cover the nitty gritty details so we are on the same page. Also, this post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small compensation when you purchase via my link. This does not cost you anything, and I genuinely appreciate the support! 

We have some great sponsors who are each offering prizes – Greenstyle Creations, The Styled Magnolia, The Fabric Fairy, Sew Dynamic Fabrics, and Halo Fabric (Canada). In order to participate and be eligible for a prize, you need to sew at least one pair of leggings this week using one of the Greenstyle leggings patterns. You do not have to use fabric from one of our sponsors. You can use any fabric you find that you love! I will say that these sponsors all carry premium athletic fabric and are great resources!

Each day from October 5th through the 10th, I will have a post in the Greenstyle Creations Facebook group. Comment on my posts to participate. I usually post at 8 am CST, but you can find it and participate at whatever time you are able. There are people all over the world joining in all throughout their day! Ask questions, show your progress, say hi. I am not really picky about this part, and I find it really helpful for other group members to have this support. Usually if you have a question, someone else probably does too. We are all at different sewing levels so there will be people who have sewn Greenstyle for years and can help as well as other beginners with questions just like yourself.

The final day – October 10th – I will post in the Greenstyle Group at 8 am CST. Comment on that thread with your finished pair of leggings. If you have made more than one pair of leggings, I will count your bonus pairs as extra entries. On Monday morning – October 12th – I will use a random number generator of the entries on that post to pick the prize winners!

The prizes we have available are a $50 gift card to Greenstyle Creations, $50 gift card to The Styled Magnolia, $30 gift card to The Fabric Fairy, a $30 retail credit to Sew Dynamic, and two $25 gift cards to Halo Fabric. International participants can join as well and will be eligible to win a free pattern to Greenstyle Creations (or you can pay international shipping if you desire a fabric prize!). 

Now, let’s get into today’s task!

(1) Choose Your Pattern

The first step is to choose which pattern you want to sew. I know this one is tough! I have a VIDEO HERE comparing and contrasting all the different Greenstyle Leggings patterns. I hope it helps to make your decision a little easier! I have a video guide in the description of the video so that you can jump around to different parts of the video if you need more information about a specific tights pattern.

Also, here is a fun graphic:

If you haven’t purchased your patterns yet all Greenstyle leggings patterns are marked down 25% through October 10th, no code needed!

Don’t forget to watch my pattern comparison video! The patterns shown in this collage are: Super G, Stride, Inspire, Tempo, and Cavallo.

(2) Select Size and Cut Out Your Pattern

You will want to open your pattern in Adobe. It is free to download HERE. Make sure to use layers to print only the size you need.

If you fit into different sizes, make sure to print the layer for each size you fit into. Use the waistband that applies to your waist measurement. Then, use your full hip measurement to choose your leggings size. Make sure to measure without bulky clothes on. If you are sewing a pattern that includes thigh and calf measurements, you will want to draw a smooth line to those sizes in the appropriate areas.

To see me tape together a PDF pattern, see THIS VIDEO starting at 4:50. I am taping a hat pattern there, but it is the same process for all the Greenstyle patterns.

If you are sewing the Tempo tights, it comes in petite, standard, or tall inseam files so that it takes the guesswork out of adjusting for different heights. On the tempo tights, the petite is a 26 inch inseam, standard is 29 inch, and tall is 32 inch inseam.

If you need to add or remove length from any of the other patterns for your specific inseam, make sure to do that. I am 5’2″ with short legs, so I always have to remove length. I show how I adjust the legs of the Brassie pattern HERE starting at 7:30 in the video. This would be the same adjustment I make on the Strides, Super Gs, Inspire, and Cavallos.

(3) Choose Your Fabric

Once your pattern is prepared, it is time to cut our your fabric! As you can see from the leggings comparison chart above, most of the patterns require fabric with 75% 4-way stretch knit fabric (Inspires are the exception – they only need 50%). This is just a minimum amount. I find that the more stretch a fabric has, the more comfortable it is. If you want a more compressive fit, look for fabric that has a firmer hold when stretched to 75%. I will show this in the Tempo tights sew along video posted tomorrow.

You also want to make sure your fabric has nice recovery so your leggings don’t grow as the day goes on and start to slide down. I find a minimum of 8% spandex content is necessary for this. Even higher spandex contents usually work even better!

Your fabric can greatly affect the fit of the pattern. Even fabrics with the same name can have a different feel on the body when made by a different manufacturer. If I am looking for warmer fabrics that feel soft to the touch, I look for athletic brushed polyester and supplex. If I want a more smooth and lightweight fabric, I like yoga fabric or the Greenstyle Align. Usually fabric descriptions will say things like soft/brushed or smooth/slick.

You can use code “LEGGINGSAL” for 10% off knit fabrics through October 10th at Greenstyle Creations Fabric. You can also use code “AllTheLeggings!” for 10% off your order at Halo Fabric (Canada) through October 10th .

(4) Cut Your Pattern Pieces

You will want to cut your fabric out on grain.

Do you see those little ridges in the fabric?

That is the grainline, which runs parallel to the selvage of the fabric. The selvage is the uncut edge.

Fold your fabric along the grainline and cut mirror images out of each piece. If you don’t cut mirror images, you may end up with two left legs!

Make sure that when you fold your fabric, the fold is exactly parallel to the grainline like in the photo. If you cut it at an angle or on the bias, your leggings inseam and outseam will twist around your leg and not stay straight up and down your leg.

If you have a fabric that is printed on one side and white on the underside, that fabric may show the white through when stretched. If you want to minimize this, try cutting it out perpendicular to the grainline instead of parallel. That is what I did on this pair of strides, and it kept the colors in the print rich over my butt.

(5) Let’s Sew!!

Tomorrow we will be ready to sew!! I will have a post for you tomorrow with links to all the video support you need for each pattern. Make sure to subscribe so you  don’t miss it!

Don’t forget the patterns are still on sale this week!

Inspires, Cavallos, Tempos, Super Gs, Strides, or Kids Strides.

Thanks for stopping by today!  I would love to stay connected with you. You can find me on Instagram. You can subscribe to my YouTube channel HERE. If you want to take a look into the things that inspire me, you can follow me on Pinterest. You may also follow my blog with Bloglovin.