Summer 19 Trip Part 1: Athletics on the Sand!

I’m so excited to be back and sharing some new makes with you! If you haven’t read in my previous posts, we are on a two month RV tour of the American Southwest, and having a blast.

I intended to sew and blog along the way, but I’ve discovered that the wide open spaces of the west are still there….without internet access, Costco, or even medical facilities in some locations for hundreds of miles (more on that later…). This has taken some adjustment for this city girl, but we’ve seen some amazing sights that I’m excited to share with you, and feel very blessed to be on this exploration of the natural wonders of this part of the world.

One of the first things I considered when we started prepping for the trip was workout wear- I’m training for a marathon, love to exercise, and wanted to make sure I brought along the right clothing to make my training possible. Of course, I also brought all three of my sewing machines, a good deal of fabric (and I picked up a few more yards along the way, cough cough), and some favorite patterns.

Wanna know what a couple of those favorites are? Keep reading!

The Pika Tops

Since space is at a premium in a 38 foot RV (big for a recreational vehicle, but small compared to our home!), I wanted to try out a new pattern that would give me the biggest bang for my sewing buck, and the Jalie Pika top looked perfect, since it includes a sports bra with a top overlay- ideal for keeping cool, reducing sun exposure and not having to bring separate sports bras and tanks.

Taking a leap of faith and trusting Jalie’s typically consistent sizing, I did a batch sew, making two at once, since I was pressed for time before our trip. I own another similar pattern- the 5 out of 4 Agility top, which gets more “press” in the sewing world, but wanted to try out the Pika because of the better sun coverage and ease of sewing (no fiddly straps or binding to worry about).

Set One:

Once you get down to it, the Pika is pretty simple to construct, and both tops went together easily.

Set Two:

I added clear elastic into the seams, as instructed, and found the bust support to be excellent- I think it is much better than the Agility, since it offers a wider yoke and thicker “straps”. I also chose to topstitch along the bottom of the yoke- I think it adds a nice finish.

As you can tell, I don’t need a lot of bust support anyway, but I really like the security of the Pika- and I was pleasantly surprised to find I can pull the top down for nursing access. If you have larger breasts, this might be a stretch, but you can easily lower the neckline if needed, or make a modesty panel from the lower part of the sports bra.

The only slight gripe I have with the Pika is that the lining does peek out a bit at the seams- not a big deal if you use something that coordinates, but something to note. Trimming the lining a bit would certainly help with this, and is in my plans for a future version.

You can see here how the sports bra sits underneath (sorry for the gratuitous tummy shot!)- the bra is able to be made separately as well, if you don’t want the overlay.

The floral fabric I used is athletic brushed poly from the Styled Magnolia (available for preorder here), and the heathered solids and notions are from the Fabric Fairy– a perfect color combination! Something about making machine athletic wear sets makes me smile, and I know I’ll be revisiting these patterns soon- maybe even a swim version with the Pika and Gigi bottoms?

The Leggings….Super G vs Inspires

My love for all things Leggings and Greenstyle related has been well documented, so it should come as no surprise that both these patterns made the cut. However, I’ve changed my mind lately on which one is my favorite…my new cross training regimen and the trip has thoroughly converted me to Super G Super Fan status!

I’ve already written a thorough comparison post, but we still get a lot of questions in the Greenstyle group about which pattern is the best for xx activity….and I have to say, the more cross training I do (currently yoga, rowing, biking, hiking and running) the more I prefer the Super Gs. The Inspires are still a favorite for the ease of sewing (they’re so quick), but the Super G gusset really has you covered for any and all physical activity you might jam into your day. Those side pockets (when I include them) aren’t too shabby either.

So, for what it’s worth, there’s my vote! (find the full Super G sewalong HERE)

As has become a habit for me, I added the back zipper pocket to both my leggings (since wanted a smooth seamless side to avoid interrupting the gorgeous florals)- you can find the tutorial for that here. It’s a great place to store my phone and some $ while I run, and now that I’ve had the experience I share below, some animal aversion spray.

These photos were taken along our first stop- Coronado beach in San Diego. If you haven’t had a chance to visit Coronado I highly recommend it- the iconic Coronado hotel is beautiful, and the beach is perfect for young boogie-boarders and sand castle makers! They have a state beach with RV hook-ups there, and we were in heaven, living the simple life, sewing and playing every day. I even got out my machines and did a bit of work on the RV table (since we were eating all our meals outside anyway)- so I’ll be sharing what I made from that sewing time soon!

Even beachy paradise has its downfalls- so I’ll share that the only downside to our trip so far is that I got bit by a Rottweiler on our first day of travel- the dog jumped over its fence to attack me (on the other side of the road!), and I had to get treated at the local hospital in Bakersfield. Not only did that hurt, but it put a kink in my running plans for a while, as it healed.

Another frustrating moment came as I had intended on running the San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon, but on the morning of hte event (which started at 6AM), I was unable to get a ride to the start line. The Coronado campground locks you in until sunrise, so I was trying to hail an Uber, to no avail. I ran 14 miles anyway, (so I could still drink out of that race mug I bought!) but given my injury, it may have been just as well I didn’t race aggressively. Still, we’ve had to roll with a few punches so far on the trip, and appreciate your good thoughts for smooth future travels!

If you’d like to keep up with our RVing and sewing adventures, you can find me on Instagram HERE!

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8 Comments

  1. Karen Gregoire on June 24, 2019 at 7:03 am

    Thanks for the reviews. I just made my first sports bras (to wear under tanks – I do not exercise as much as I should!). I did the Jalie Julia and the Greenstyle Power Sports Bra in two configurations. Pika is pretty nice though! It was also fun seeing Coronado Beach again. In 2012, we travelled from Canada across the US to San Diego (and Coronado Island) via the Grand Canyon in a truck camper (no room for sewing!) and then up the coast to San Francisco (stayed in Carpinteria state park – what a beauty). You bring back beautiful memories if that trip!

    • Sarah on July 3, 2019 at 4:30 pm

      That sounds like it was a wonderful trip! We haven’t ever stayed in Carpinteria- I’ll have to look into that! I bet Canada was awesome too.

  2. Candice on June 24, 2019 at 8:05 am

    Oh gosh, Sarah, such a bummer on the dog bite and marathon. I have had some very intense stand offs with dogs on my run routes, and do carry spray. But it sounds like you wouldn’t have had much of a chance with the dog jumping the fence. Now you have me thinking about the Pika top 😀

    • Sarah on July 3, 2019 at 4:30 pm

      I hope you give the Pika a shot- I really like it! And thank you for your sympathies- I’m just glad it didn’t turn out worse!

  3. AMIE PARHAM on June 25, 2019 at 4:15 am

    These florals are gorgeous! I hadn’t heard of this top before, but it definitely is one I’ll have to check out! I love wider straps on tops.

    • Sarah on July 3, 2019 at 4:29 pm

      Me too- so much better support and sun coverage with wider straps. Thank you!

  4. Carol on June 25, 2019 at 7:27 am

    That is terrible about the dog bite. Bad owners. I love both of your outfits. Thank you for the review of the top. I was thinking about buying the agility too but now I am going to buy the Jalie one.

    • Sarah on July 3, 2019 at 4:29 pm

      I can’t wait to see yours sewn up- I’m glad the review was helpful!

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