The third piece of the Project Sew MyStyle are the Virginia leggings from Megan Nielsen. Although wearing leggings is way out of my comfort zone I accepted the challenge. Now, I am glad I did because they feel so comfortable and the fit is on the spot.
Is this a quick sew?
The goal of the SewMyStyle project is to sew together one garment every month and post your sewing on the last Sunday of that month. Strange enough I was still expecting there to be another Sunday in March. So I thought I had all the time left and was planning on sewing my leggings next week. It was the post of Alex on Instagram that warned me that in fact, I had to sew it this Sunday. Luckily I had my fabric and I could finish it in exactly two hours—from printing the pattern till putting it on.
The Virginia leggings pattern
This is the first pattern from Megan Nielsen that I sewed and it was a very pleasing experience. The 17-pages PDF-pattern has clear marks for the gluing. There are only two patterns pieces: the legging and the waistband.
Based on my measures I cut out a straight XL and I did not lengthen the legs, although I am 181 cm. I checked it with my Hudson pants and saw they were long enough. I love the scrunched look at the ankles.
I opted for the natural waist version and raised the waist with another 10 cm. In hindsight, 8 cm would be enough but they are sitting comfortable.
The Sewing Process
The Virginia leggings come together easily. The instructions are clear and you only have to sew three seams and the waistband. I sewed all the seams on my serger and used my beloved fagot stitch on my sewing machine for the hems.
I believe an important condition for the success of this project is the fabric choice. It is absolutely necessary to use fabric with at least a 40% stretch. This cotton-viscose jersey with a good stretch was a lucky find at my local fabric shop. It was the only colour they had.
Conclusion
I would have never thought it but I ‘heart’ these leggings. They are comfortable and feel like a second skin. I even wore them to school today. On top of that, without the SewMyStyle project, I wouldn’t have sewed them. So again a big win.
Will I sew more Virginia leggings? I guess so. Definitely for my daughter because she loves them too.