Sew Over/Under: Over/Under Activewear

Hi, I’m Tiffany of TipStitched! I jumped at the chance to participate in this month’s theme of Over/Under because I have been meaning to sew so many things that fall into these categories. Underwear, bralettes, sports bras, cardigans, slips, tanks, and more have been on my to-sew list for a while now. So this was a great reason to knock at least one of these off the list.

Despite the fact that I work out 4-5 times a week I’ve only sewn one workout outfit, which is wild because activewear is expensive and I’m a sewist! So I decided for this month’s theme I could tackle both the over and under with a sports bra and this cute cropped hoodie from Mimi G’s Simplicity pattern (S8392).

The cropped hoodie is more fashion than function for me. It’s cute but I like A/C (air conditioning) during my workouts so I’m much more likely to be indoors than out, LOL. My version is a pullover as I omitted the zipper and simply sewed the center front seam together. This is mainly due to the fact that I didn’t have the right length or type of zipper on hand. If I were to make this pattern again, I’d likely just cut the front bodice on the fold without removing the seam allowance to make it a little easier to pull over my hair. The hood is roomy, it’s large enough for me to cover all my coils.

I need to make a few changes to make this sports bra supportive enough to work for me. In the pattern’s defense, I was trying to make it be something it is not. I need a bra with moderate support and this bra is not designed to be supportive, as made obvious by the fact that it is unlined. So next time I would:

1. Line the entire bra in power mesh and create an opening to add cups. To create the opening for the cups, I’ll deepen the armhole curve.

2. Choose a knit with the correct amount of stretch. The fabric I used, an old activewear knit from JOANN Fabrics, has too much stretch to provide any compression or lift. In my haste to sew this up, I didn’t bother the check the percentage of stretch and it definitely matters. Don’t be like me!

3. Size down. I cut and sewed a large based on my 40″ bust, but medium or perhaps a “smedium” (halfway between small and medium) would have worked better. This was even more important due to my poor choice of fabric.

4. Shorten the straps. This may not have been necessary if I had used a less stretchy knit, but I had to shorten these by three inches. I did this by doubling up some of the strap fabric at the back shoulder.

5. Use wider elastic. I used 1/2″ wide non-roll elastic at the hem but I should’ve used the 1″ width that the pattern suggests. Another option is to omit the band altogether and use soft waistband elastic instead. I believe the latter would do a better job of preventing the bottom from riding up.

I hope you participate in this month’s theme! I enjoyed it.

Tiffany loves to sew! She’s a thirty-something woman who fell in love with sewing after first trying her hand at it in 2014. As much as she wishes she could sew all day, she works full-time in engineering. In addition to her day job and blog, she’s a wife to a great husband, stepmom to two great kids, daughter of some pretty great parents, sister to a great sis, and doggie mom to an aging Yorkie. In short, you could say she stays pretty busy!

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