Workout Wear!

Health and fitness are number one on my list of priorities. Because without good health, nothing else matters. In an effort to keep motivating myself to make it to the gym, I find adding cute workout clothes to my closet to be a great motivator. I used to scoff at the idea of making my own workout clothes. My thoughts were that they are so easily accessible, why not just buy them and be done. But the type of workout tights I love can be quite pricey, like around $100 a pop! And I thought to myself, if I can make something remotely similar to what I see in stores, I would be a happy girl. When I embarked on making my own activewear, I pondered how do I go about selecting the right kind of fabric? Luckily, we live in a wonderful time where we have access to many, many fabric retailers and we home sewists can purchase the same types and quality performance fabrics we see in ready to wear. 

For this workout tank, I am using Greenstyle Cami Tank Sewing Pattern. For this pattern, the seam allowance that has been drafted into the pattern is 3/8”. 

This cami tank top has a shelf bra built in and we are going to prepare that first. With right sides together, stitch the side seams of the shelf bra back to the shelf bra front.

My workout tights are the Greenstyle Lift Leggings. Dare I say these are the best fitting leggings that I have ever owned. One of the best things about being able to sew your own workout tights is that you never have to worry about them slipping down when you bend over. And when they are matched with the perfect spandex fabric, there is no slippage when you began sweating. Another amazing thing about this pattern is that it has an optional crotch gusset. I highly suggest that you use it. The reason for a crotch gusset is that not only does it preserve the longevity of your garment, but it also helps reduce the possibility of a camel toe by shifting the seams away from the area. 

My performance fabric is from Joann. When selecting fabrics, you should seek out something that contains polyester, nylon, spandex and/or lycra because these fabrics will have excellent stretch and recovery. Also, look for something that is soft and not rough or scratchy. It is important that the fabric feels good against your skin. And nowadays, you can find performance fabric that is moisture wicking, which means when you sweat, the fabric dries quickly.

Quick Tips for Sewing with Performance Fabric

When preparing to sew with your activewear fabric, make sure that you prewash your fabric. This will preshrink your fabric and prevent the fabric dye from bleeding as you are wearing it. Selecting the proper needle and thread is key. As with any knit fabric, use a ball point or stretch needle. I like to use Mettler SERAFLEX® thread because it has stretch.

When working out, I've noticed that my feet have started to bother me. I've been dealing with my fallen arches due to my flat feet. So I added these amazing insoles for flat feet. They really help out in my Nike Air Max 270 trainers.