Photobucket Photobucket  photo M1_zpsmeajs2i9.png  photo hs_zpsjdypdbbd.png Photobucket

9.10.2013

The {Free} Briar Rose Leggings Pattern

In my quest to find the perfect go-to leggings pattern for my girls, I decided to try the (free) Briar Rose PDF by Heather Ross.

1A2A3596

What I really, really love about this pattern is that each leg only has one side seam - unlike the Sunki pattern, which has two. This particularly comes in handy when matching stripes. :)

I found that knits' stretch factor makes matching stripes a little more tricky than when working with wovens.  While cutting Indigo's leggings, I learned the fabric can be a little persnickety.  The sewing wasn't a problem but I needed to be extra vigilant when cutting.

briar rose leggings

First, when I folded the material to cut it on the fold, I made sure the fabric was completely smooth and that the stripes were lined up and matching on both halves of the fabric - stripe on top of stripe.

When I cut Indigo's leggings, I cut them on the grain... and learned the stripes aren't necessarily placed exactly on the grain.  This time, I lined up the bottom of each leg pattern piece on a stripe instead.

she's a climber

The fit of these leggings were less leggings and more knit pants.  They reminded me a lot of Zutano pants (like Tarikua was wearing here).   I like this look a lot on babies and toddlers.  It also gives the pants more versatility as they can be worn with a dress or a shirt.  I didn't like to dress my crawlers in dresses or skirts, so knit pants and t shirts were a comfy option.

no hands (!)

This said, I can't envision this look working as well for older girls.  I would be hesitant to try this pattern for Indigo or Tarikua.  They don't wear leggings except under dresses, so I like the leggings to be more fitted.  Theoretically, I could try using this pattern and cutting it one size down in width, then adding length to that.  But my sewing time is so limited that I don't want to risk the possibility of a leggings fail.  I really love the fit of the Sunki leggings and so I think I'd prefer that pattern to this one for older girls.  Though before I make any final decisions, I'm going to try a legging pattern in the Autumn (4/13) issue of Ottobre.

my little red

{I used this fabric for these leggings.  Iris is wearing a dress I made several years ago in a fabric that was only available through Spoonflower but is now available here.}

5 comments:

  1. They look very comfy indeed :) I'm working with gingham at the moment and have noticed that the lines don't line up with the grain - bit frustrating when you are working in straight lines!

    ReplyDelete
  2. See, I always think it's easier to match stripes in knit because you can just stretch it a bit to match! Hahaha. You are obviously a lot more perfectionist than I am!

    My personal go-to leggings patterns are the Titchy Threads Fancy Pants legging and the "Sleeping Johns" in Growing Up Sew Liberated. The former are quite snug, the latter are more "PJ pant." Leggins are so fast and fun to sew!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Excellent find! I am bookmarking this! Cute. Thanks for the tips too!

    ReplyDelete
  4. They look so soft and comfy. I also prefer a tighter fit legging, but these look so cute on Iris!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nice looking leggings. And you can't ever beat free!
    -Jackie

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! I generally respond to comments via email. If your profile does not link to your email account, I try to respond here. :)