The Sew my Style challenge for 2019 started with activewear!
I am excited to start the new year with activewear! It’s a new year, and a lot of people, including myself, are setting goals to become more active.

What is the #sewmystyle challenge?

This #sewmystyle challenge is a community of sewists from all over the world. Each month has a different sewing theme, along with a set of patterns to sew. The patterns are usually preselected and designed by Indie pattern makers. One of the many things that I love about this challenge is monthly participation isn’t required. BUT if you do sew each month, you’ll have 12 or more handmade garments by the end of the year!

January Theme: Activewear

I enjoyed selecting the two different patterns for this month’s challenge. For my top, I knew I wanted to make another Halifax Hoodie, but I also wanted to make leggings or joggers. There are so many great leggings and jogger options from Indie pattern makers, and it took me some time to decide which one I wanted to make. I finally landed on Seamly’s No Sweat Sweat pants after reading Allie’s 10 ten patterns for 2018 on the Indiesew blog. The pants looked both comfortable and functional for working out.

Halifax Hoodie Pattern:

• Size Made: Small
• View: D

What is Needed to Make View D of the Halifax Hoodie?

• Fabric: 2 yards
• Fabric Used: Leopard Texture Beige from Spoonflower in Cotton Jersey Spandex
• Notions: Matching Thread, twill taps (optional)

The first time I sewed the Halifax Hoodie was for the sew my style challenge last August. I loved the pattern and wanted to try a different view for this year’s activewear challenge.

The instructions for the funnel neck hoodie was relatively easy to follow, but the instructions bounce around depending on which view you’re creating. Keep this in mind when you’re sewing the hoodie for the first time.

Seamly No Sweat Pants Pattern:

• Size Made: Small

What is Needed to Make Seamly’s No Sweat Pants?

• Fabric: 1 ¾ – 3 yards
• Fabric Used: Black and White Leopard Print from by Spoonflower in Cotton Jersey Spandex
• Notions: Matching Thread, twill taps (optional)

If you a beginner sewist, this pattern is easy and quick. There are very few pattern pieces to cut out, and the instructions are easy to follow.

I ended up sewing two joggers this month. One was a muslin (practice pair) I sewed out of black fabric I got from Joann’s, and my second pair was fabric from Spoonflower. I love how both turned out, and I plan to make more no sweat pants in the future.

The Fabric I Used for my Workout Sewing Patterns

I wanted to use a fun print for this project and immediately thought of Spoonflower. There are thousands of design options to choose from on their website. I looked through SO many pages of designs before I selected the two I wanted to use for this project. To help me narrow down my choice, I created a collection board so I could compare my favorite patterns.

Spoonflower’s Activewear Fabric Options

• Knit Fabric Options:
  • Cotton Jersey Spandex:
    • Lightweight
    • Very Stretchy with a great recovery
  • Organic Cotton Knit:
    • Heavyweight interlock fabric (like a t-shirt, but thicker)
  • Modern Jersey:
    • Polyester knit
• Activewear Fabric Options:
  • Sports Lycra
    • Material stretches to fit your body and is perfect for leggings, swimsuits (link to swimsuit post) and more
  • Performance Pique:
    • The material has moisture-wicking properties to keep you cool and dry

Want to learn more about Spoonflower’s knit fabric and activewear options? Read their post here.

Did you participate in this month’s sew my style or plan to join any of the challenges this year? Let me know in the comments below!

Want to see what other participants created for this challenge? Check out the hashtag #sewmystyle2019 on Instagram!

The fabric used in this post was generously provided to me by Spoonflower, but as always all opinions expressed are my own!