Fit Capsule Planning (or not….)

I’m a card carrying Type A person….except when it comes to sewing. Sure, I’m a perfectionist, and will redo that reverse coverstitch a dozen times to make sure it lines up perfectly, but apart from my maddening tendency to re-stitch seams, I’m not really much of a planner when it comes to sewing.

While Google Calendar is king over every other aspect of my life (how on earth did I survive without it?), in sewing, I like to let myself go with the flow, trying out new (or favorite) pattern and fabric combinations on a whim, and letting ready to wear fill in the gaps (see my reflections post on why I decided not to join in the Ready to Wear Fast again).

However, the Fit Capsule Challenge is one exception to my “happy go lucky” sewing approach, and one that I really enjoy. You see, my haphazard method of sewing whatever catches my eye can be especially problematic in my fitness wardrobe, where I’m hesitant to spend $$$ at Lululemon filling in my basic basic hoodie gap, or finding tops to match the dozen pairs of wild leggings I just couldn’t resist making (anyone else with a weakness for fun/crazy athletic prints??).

As many of you may know if you’ve hung around here for a while, I do most of my exercising at home, where no one can see all this crazy awesome active wear (see why I have a blog now, do you???), but reality is, the simple act of putting on a new, fun outfit for my morning sweat-fest is enough to get me to set down my coffee and start working on closing my exercise ring for the day.

Lately, I’ve even amped up my workouts, and I’m really seeing the results (duuuudeee! I can see my abs! Can you see my abs?!), which is even more reason to make a few new outfits (girl’s gotta reward herself, doesn’t she??) so I’m especially looking forward to this year’s challenge!

While I’m not sure I can handle the commitment to a single color palette or seasonal wardrobe, (I’ve been married 15 years, but a single color sounds like incredibly dull monogamy to me!) I can certainly take this opportunity to assess what I need (Leggings, leggings and more leggings. Plus, matching basic Lille tanks), what I want (more power bras!) and what I’d like to find the time for (a few more Studio to Street Tops).

Rather than making a single coordinating capsule, I think I’ll end up creating multiple mini capsules, mixing and matching solids and neutrals so that each piece can (hopefully) be worn with two or three others. I’ve also got my eye on a couple hacks I’d like to do (Inspire joggers, colorblocked Pacific Pullover, solid front Power Bra, headband), but again, this is a low-commitment zone- let’s just have some fun sewing together!

In fact, I’ve been looking forward to it so much, that I couldn’t resist starting out a couple days early with this Power Bra/Inspire Tights combo.

The fabric for this set came from the Styled Magnolia, which is a new-to-me shop that offers both custom printed athletic wear and a curated section of retail fabrics. This color int he retail section caught my eye, because I’ve been really digging (does anyone say that anymore? I feel like I’m part of “That 70s Show” here!) the neutrals I’ve been seeing in shops lately.

The fabric is unlike any other I’ve ever worked with- a nylon spandex blend, its slightly slippery, but much more substantial than most nylon spandex fabrics I’ve handled, and sewed up really well. It’s got a matte finish that’s really smooth to the touch, and a perfect amount of compression.

I used a contrast thread for a reverse coverstitch to add a bit of texture, and lined the waistband with supplex for a little extra compression. Unfortunately, I forgot to cut the bit off the bottom, so you can see my lining fabric at the top a bit, but I usually wear my leggings with a longer tank, so hopefully it won’t get noticed!

The Power Bra is lined with a solid front to reduce the chance of the lining seams showing through (more on that hack soon!) and I used a rose gold decorative elastic for the band, from JoAnns. I love how quickly I’m able to finish the bra with these modifications. If you missed it, you can catch the whole SewAlong HERE on the blog.

Since I’m lucky enough to be a part of the Greenstyle team, I already own all their patterns (best. perk. ever.), but if you don’t you’ll want to make sure to snap them up now while all the athletic patterns are 25% off! 

There are also many awesome fabric sponsors who are donating prizes and/or offering discount codes to their shops, including a few of my favorites, The Fabric Fairy, So Sew English, Surge Fabrics, and the Styled Magnolia (the source of the fabric in my matching set above). You might find a few you don’t know about yet (#sorrynotsorry), so check out the full official blog post I wrote announcing the Challenge here.

If you’re participating in the challenge, I’d love to hear about your plans! What are you making and why?? Do you like to plan your sewing, or let the sewing winds take you where it wants they to go?

As always, I love it when you use my Greenstyle affiliate link, or follow me on YouTube or the blog!

 

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6 Comments

  1. Alex on February 11, 2019 at 8:52 am

    Sarah, this set looks so high end and expensive!! It’s amazing! And you look awesome for someone who had 3 babies or not!! Cant wait for that solid lining hack!! Brilliant!

  2. Leslie_Hanes on February 11, 2019 at 5:01 pm

    The girls at Discovery Trekking Outfitters are excited to sponsor your Fit Capsule! Really looking forward to seeing the creativity. You are so talented and you look amazing.

    • Sarah on February 13, 2019 at 5:17 pm

      Thank you for sponsoring! you have some amazing fabrics and I’m honored that you checked out my post!

  3. Auschick on February 11, 2019 at 8:10 pm

    This looks amazing! I need to make more workout gear! I really love that bra back!

  4. Cecile Brits on February 12, 2019 at 4:08 am

    oh wow this is gorgeous! I love your blog, the only athletic things I have sewn has been leggings ha ha ha, I am so scared to sew a bra!

    • Sarah on February 13, 2019 at 5:17 pm

      If you’ve made leggings, you’ve got the skills you need already!

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