Discovery Trekking Fabrics - Review of Four Fabrics

Okay, okay, are you as excited as I am about the Discovery Trekking Fabric?? I have four different types and it's SO HARD to buy activewear fabric online, I figured this might be helpful for you!
Here's their main fabric website. I reviewing four of the fabrics from the Activewear category.

	Light Scuba - Print	Midweight Scuba	Stretch Yoga	Stretch Solar
Content and Weight	78% Poly 22% Elastane, 62" wide, 6.14 oz/sq yd	80% Nylon 20% Elastane 53" wide 9.49 oz/sq yd	SOLIDS - 88% Nylon, 12% spandex, 64" wide HEATHER - 48% Nylon, 45% Poly, 7% Spandex 9.92 oz/sq yard.	85% Poly,15% Spandex, 60" wide, 8.61 oz/sq yard.
Stretch	80% selvage to selvage 50% along selvage	50% selvage to selvage 80% along selvage (most stretch goes ALONG selvage)	60% selvage to selvage 70% along selvage	70% selvage to selvage 70% along selvage
Possible Uses	Lightweight bottoms, thin top.	Leggings, running skirts, thin jacket, thicker running top. This almost as thick as a ponte.	Leggings, running skirts, thin jacket, thicker running top, athleisure wear like a sporty dress, this sweatshirt.	Leggings, running skirts, thin jacket, running top, athleisure wear like a sporty dress, thin sweatshirt.
Tips for Sewing	Works well with 70 stretch needle. Cool iron (I used Poly - Level 3)		Edges tend to curl.
Misc.	Cold to the touch, thin but not at all see through, a bit of a sheen to it but not shiny, starts to lose print and turn white when stretched along the selvage. Does not curl along the edges.	A bit of a shine to the fabric. Seems stiff before you wash it. Very slippery. Edges do not curl. Imagine a thick Nylon swimsuit fabric. Because of the direction of most stretch, you may want to put pattern pieces perpendicular to pattern lay-out.	Warm to the touch. Squishy, matte fabric. More of a cotton-y feel to the fabric. Edges will curl  badly if you stretch fabric aggressively.	Cool to the touch, totally matte finish, cottony feel. No show-through even when stretched.

I also made a little video review on YouTube about the four different types of fabric.

Ottobre 02-2018 #18 Workout Tank

I've been working out a lot lately and needed a good tank for when I'm at Orange Therapy. I used some Nike wicking waffle knit and an athletic knit I picked up in Las Vegas. I chose to use this newest Ottobre for the athletic tank. I'm really happy with the fit. This is my normal size 34. The only thing I will change next time is to lower the neckline by an inch or so. I wore it today to Orange Theory so the spots on the front are sweat. Just keepin' it real for you guys . . .

I really like the princess seams on this top. I did do my normal 1" addition for the torso. You could also add a circle skirt instead of the bottom panel and have a cute summer dress. See how high the neckline is?

I used my coverstitch attachment on my Janome with the Nike fabric and it worked really well. And I think I've successfully tackled tacking on my new machine!

I have more things to show you but I just need time to photograph them! And I'm working on a leather purse. More on that later!

Jalie 2563 - Running Shorts (done right this time!)

Remember last week when I made these shorts but I did it wrong? Well, I did it again, but this time, I actually did it the right way! Yay me! What's funny is that there is not much difference in fit between when I made them wrong and when I made them right. Once main difference I did notice is that the waist was a bit snug last time and this time the waist is perfect. Also, last time the legs would creep up my thighs when I was doing squats. On this pair, I don't seem to have that problem. But really, that makes sense. The tighter legs on the correct pair would stop them from creeping up AND it would have been tighter on my waist on the incorrect pair. I used the same black Nike Dri-Fit for the main part of the shirts.

After the second go-around, I am convinced these are the best, no-frills, easy shorts ever. I've worked out in both pairs and they are my favorite me-made active wear shorts! 

Jalie 2563 - Running Shorts

I have tried the sports bra from this pattern before but never the running shorts. These are just a basic, no-pocket, no-frills running shorts and I love them! I didn't realize until just now that I made a huge mistake on them though. Do you see it? Just keep looking at my pictures . . .

I used a black wicking poly/Spandex blend and a random piece of poly/Spandex for the accent panels. They fit really well and I have already done a short 3 mile run in them. They performed admirably (especially considering my mistake!) and I'll be making many more of these! Forgive my sweaty-ness. This was right after my run, and since I already had them on, I decided to just take pictures too.

Do you see it yet??? I can't believe I did that! See the contrast panel on mine? Now look at the pattern picture. I turned the entire leg upside down!!!! HAHAHAHAHAH! If they fit really well like this, I'm not sure I should turn them the correct way! In other words, the part that should be around my thigh is around my waist! Is that hysterical or what?? I will have to make them the right way now and see if they fit better. I was thinking this morning that when I make them again, I will lower the CF waist by about 1/2". If you look on the pattern, it is already lowered. Hahahaha. That's what happens when you ignore the notches and just think you know better! 

Fabric is from the National City Swap Meet (the black) and JoAnns (the crazy print). 

Sew Your Own Activewear - Book Review

Lookie, lookie what I got in the mail yesterday!! I’ve helped Melissa over the years and she sent me a copy of her new book. Thank goodness I was home because I had to sign for it. I thought it was either this book or some crazy-scary court paperwork. I bit the bullet and signed for it. I thought I would do a little review for you guys so you can see what it’s all about.

It includes four block patterns; two tops and two bottoms. From these four blocks, Melissa takes you step-by-step through making your own pattern. It’s pretty cool. For me, I already have a block that I would use for the close-fitting top: Jalie 2805. For the close-fitting bottoms, I would use the Ottobre 05/2016 leggings. These are the most comfortable and basic leggings and the fit is great. I may pull out Melissa’s patterns because I’m always curious how things compare. She goes through a lot of common alterations like FBA, SBA, square/sloping shoulders, thick/thin thighs, broad/narrow back, long/shirt torso, swayback, etc. Once you have a block that fits you, then you modify it to make other versions of the same top or bottom.

Here are a couple of the pages that show the modifications of the block pattern. She starts off by showing you the finished pattern and then literally goes step by step through the modifications. It’s pretty cool. She also talks a lot about sewing knit fabrics, hem finishings, fabrics, useful knit sewing tools, etc.

For the blocks, there are two large, double-sided pages of overlapping designs (like Burda or Ottobre - but easier to trace!) but they are very easy to see because there are very few designs on the pages. She also puts lots of “landmarks” on the pattern like bust, waist, hips, etc.

So far, I’m enjoying going through it!!

Jalie Galaxie Bags

I've been making a bunch of bags lately. I'm a member of two PTAs, countless committees, one gym (Orange Theory*), one graduate level class, and I work full-time and have four children. Needless to say, I have a lot of different activities on my plate (I didn't even mention all the kid activities!). The ones mentioned above all need stuff. You know, the inside-gym-shoes, the PTA Secretary binder, the enormous lunch to feed kids on the way to Honor Choir, etc. I've found that the best way to organize my life is making "go bags" for each of my activities. All my elementary PTA Secretary stuff goes in one bag and I grab the entire bag in the morning and go. All my unmanned aerial class stuff goes in one bag for the days I need it. I have a bookshelf and all my colorful bags sit on the bottom shelf and they are ready to go when I am. Each bag has a collection of the "normal" stuff, a few pens/pencils, a little travel tissue, hand sanitizer, etc. 

These are just some of the Jalie Galaxie bags I've made. There are two more at work that sit behind my desk all ready to go. I have made four of the larger, Soleil bags and one of the smaller Saturne bags (the teal/black/yellow). I love these are they are the perfect size for my gym shoes, binders, etc. So far, I've been using IKEA canvas fabric because it's bright, pretty, and sturdy. 

I'm always looking for ways to be organized and be more efficient. Do you guys have great ideas for organizing your life? I'd love to hear them. I know I'd be lost without my Google calendars! 

* Do any of you do Orange Theory? I think I'm addicted. I usually run all winter and ski most of the winter. But, this winter, ugh, don't even get me started. We have little snow and it's been cold. For weeks. I can't remember the last time is was above 20 degrees Fahrenheit. And at night, it's getting down to 5 BELOW zero. Brrr. I'm an Alaskan girl and I can handle the cold. I'm just so tired of it this winter. Anyway, Orange Theory is this interval workout and your heart rate results are on the board for everyone to see. You want to be in the orange zone. I'm such a competitive person, that really motivates me to work hard. Plus, they work in a lot of weight lifting which I need to do more of. I really love it! 

Jalie 3668–Valerie Raglan Top

Problem: Winter is coming not just in King’s Landing, but also in Alaska. My phone is bigger this year and when I put my phone in my butt pocket of my running tights, my tights start to fall down. No one wants to see that!

Solution: Time to whip up a top with a pocket for a cell phone. I would put my phone in a jacket pocket, but it gets too cold and stops working. At 10 degrees Farenheit, my phone will stay alive for approximately eight minutes. My phone needs to be in a warm place against skin. And not in my sports bra because then my phone gets sweaty. I know, gross, sorry.

I used the Jalie Valerie Raglan and used the front zipper option. I added knit piping to the side panel and a zippered pocket to the arm.

I made the knit piping way too wide and it kind of sticks out funny. I may zig-zag the edges down so they don’t stick out strangely.

When I made this, I was like, “Dude, that’s a great zipper!”

Then I was like, “Sweet! my phone fits perfectly.”

But then I was like, “It’s not so easy to bend my elbow. Well crap, it’s WAY TOO LOW. Dammit” Arg. So I nailed the pocket, and the zipper, but not the height.

But if I pull it up a bit, it works fine and I can bend my elbow.

For this raglan running top, I used a super plush wicking, Merino wool with Lycra. The “piping” is a swimsuit knit.

I have run in this top and it’s super comfortable and the pocket functions exactly like it should (as long as you have the sleeve pulled up!). Next time, I’ll start the pocket much higher on the raglan arm. I totally just eyeballed it this time. Next time I’ll measure (ewwww, what??!) and make sure it’ll work.

A Trifecta of Jalies

I have a race on Friday. It’s only a 12k but I wanted to be coordinate-y for it. I made three new Jalies because of it. (And because I CAN.) The first is the Pika Sports bra/top. I love the shape of the front yoke and I love that it’s fully lined. No pesky seams on the inside to rub on you. The second is the new Loulouxe running skirt. I can’t telly ou how much I love this skirt. The fun flirty shape!! The pockets!! The fit!! I made one more piece but I’ll talk about that below.

 

The dark red is a wicking Supplex. The print is a wicking poly blend. I love these colors together!

 

See how the inside is fully lined?? Love it!!!

 

 

Here’s the back of the sports bra. I really love it!

 

The inside of the skirt has a pair of shorts. There are optional pockets and I added two to my pair.

 

The pockets are really nice and I can put my iPhone in there with it’s annoying grabby LifeProof case.

 

You can tell when something is in my pocket because I get weird thigh lumps. But I would rather have that than some crap I have to carry in my hands.

 

I also added a huge, rear, zippered pocket. I wouldn’t but anything heavy in here because it would bounce around. But sometimes, like tomorrow, you need an ID, a credit card, and a car key and you don’t want to worry about them falling out of another pocket. I’m going to write a post in a day or two to show you people how to add your own pocket too.

 

My third piece is the new Jalie Valerie. This is a form fitting raglan. I wanted something that would keep me warm on race day. (My dog is a stalker and always wants to be WITH ME. When I go to the bathroom and open the door? SHE’S RIGHT THERE. If I go in another room? SHE FOLLOWS ME.)

 

I added fun contrast to the seam lines.

 

The fit is great. Duh. It’s a Jalie! I could always do a swayback alteration but I never do. I could probably do it easily with these side seams.

 

 

This is THE MOST luscious poly/spandex double brushed knit. It’s so cozy and soft.

 

I used a zig zag stitch that is decorative and utilitarian. It’s not the normal zig zag either, it’s the double zig zag because I wanted it to actually show up on this fabric.

 

All in all? I’m super happy with my new running outfit!!!