Tenacity Leggings

£8.49 £10.99

These leggings will get you confidently sewing activewear in no time! With no side seam to disrupt a bold print, a wide, high-rise waistband with hidden elastic, and an optional crotch gusset to allow a wide range of movement, you’ll be ready for anything that comes your way. Plus, choose between a wide, wraparound mesh pocket or a hidden back pocket and your choice of lengths - full leggings, capris, or banded biker shorts.


This pattern is suitable for beginners. Some garment sewing experience is expected but no prior stretch or activewear experience is necessary. Start with the basic leggings and add skills with each optional extra:

  • Beginner: Basic leggings, capris, or shorts (no pockets)
  • Upskill: Crotch gusset (learn to apply a crotch gusset)
  • Upskill: Back Pocket (learn to work with stretch mesh)
  • Upskill: Mesh pocket (learn to work with stretch mesh and Foldover Elastic)

This pattern requires stretch fabric with good recovery - it is drafted with negative ease for a close fit similar to RTW compression styles. The shorts hem ends 12 cm (4 3/4 in) above the knee, and the Capri length ends 8cm (3 1/8in) below the knee.

Did you know that the waistbands of the Rouleur Leggings and Tenacity Leggings are interchangeable, so you can mix & match to get even more options! See how in this blog post.

1cm (3/8in) seam allowances are included except where indicated on the mesh pocket. A 2cm (3/4in) hem allowance is included for the full length and capri leggings. Diagrams showing how to make common fit adjustments to this pattern are also included in addition to the usual illustrated instructions.



This pattern is designed and tested to print onto both A4 and US Letter paper, and uses 19 pages for the basic, full length leggings, with each optional extra adding one or two pages. Printing all options requires 25 pages in total.  A separate A0 compatible "Print at Copy Shop" version is also included.  Both Print at Home and Copy Shop versions are all layered pdfs, so you may choose to just print the layers of your size(s) and the Text layer if your pdf app supports it (ie: Adobe Acrobat).

DISCOUNT: Buy both this pattern and the beginner-focused "Activewear Sewing for Beginners" eBook together and save 10% on the beginner bundle!

Pattern features:

  • Layered pdfs (with separate sizes)
  • "Trimless" Print at Home pdf (compatible with A4 and US Letter)
  • Copy Shop pdf (compatible with A0 and 36in wide)
  • Projector-optimized pdf
  • Fully illustrated instructions
  • 7 sizes including new XXL (see image above for size chart)
  • Common Fit Adjustments guide

Supplies:

  • 150cm (60in) wide lycra with at least 50% stretch in both directions and excellent recovery. Fabric terms to look for include “wicking lycra”, “supplex”, “activewear lycra”, or “sports jersey”. Appropriate fabrics will likely be made from polyester or nylon with a substantial elastane (Lycra) content.
  • 0.2m (1/4yd) Mesh (for either optional pocket) with at least 50% stretch in both directions.
  • Foldover Elastic (FOE) for binding the top edge of the optional Mesh Pocket.
  • Waistband elastic in the width of your preference, but beginners may find that narrower elastic is easier to apply. Soft, braided elastic that is 2cm (3/4in) wide is a good all-around length for many people.
  • Twin needle or coverstitch for hem of full length and capri leggings (not required for the shorts)

    Activewear fabrics can be found at a multitude of online shops. I’ve compiled a global list at http://bit.ly/exfabriclist

    I am a long-distance runner and also a sewist - I've long been disappointed by the quality and fit of exercise clothing available on the market, so I've been sewing my own for the past few years - even running seven full marathons in my own-sewn gear! All my digital sewing patterns have been road-tested by myself and a team of fellow fit sewists. During development of this pattern I ran the Royal Parks Half Marathon wearing a version of these shorts!

    #TenacityLeggings #FehrTrade

    Our patterns are for personal use only. No commercial use of the products made from this pattern or derivations thereof is allowed. So feel free to make them for yourself, friends, family, etc, but you can't sell products made from these patterns.

    This is a digital product - you will receive an email with the download link shortly after purchase. Please check your Spam folder, but if it hasn't arrived in 24hrs, please get in touch.