Matching Joggers for Mum & Daughter

I am delighted to share my latest project with you - matching joggers for me and Freya. I can't think of a single clothing item that is getting more wear during lockdown at this household (ok, maybe underwear, but even bra is sometimes optional these days 😉), so I wanted to turn this amazing leopard print French Terry (with matching plain FT and matching ribbing) into matching joggers for us. 

At the moment, Freya loves pointing out where things are the same, so having matching clothes to mummy has been a real hit (by which I mean that she was excited for about one entire minute). I don't think I've received such high praises on my sewing to date, and yes, you remembered right, I did make my wedding dress!

Bonus feature - I managed to eke out an extra contrast pair (aka "plain fabric with leopard accent") for Freya as well, after the first pair went down so well! And I seriously mean "eking out" - I'm basically left with no scrap. I didn't quite have enough leopard for the waistband, so it was a toss up between waistband vs ankle cuffs in leopard. After a long deliberation, I chose the latter, and finished the waistband in the ribbing, which is super comfy anyway. 

Let's take this opportunity to talk more about the fabric. First of all, it might sound obvious, but the plain, leopard French Terry and the maroon ribbing are a perfect match, better than True Match by L'oreal. Secondly, French Terry is so, so easy to work with! It's got just the right amount of stretch and recovery, but a bit more stability and body than cotton jersey. They are just the right weight and feel for some joggers. If it wasn't named like a handsome French man, I'd be writing it a love letter. 

These are the new Mini Modern Joggers by Brindille and Twig, and it was love at first sight. I'm already a fan of Melissa's designs, but this pattern is so on trend! The tapered fit, pockets (front and back), knee patches (swoon), and optional drawstring - what more could you want for your toddler joggers? I wish this comes in adult size! 

 

I've made both pairs for the next age bracket (as always, as I couldn't bear the thought of Freya outgrowing mummy-made clothes too quickly). This means that for 20-month old Freya, I cut a size 2-3 in length, and graded to 3-4 in width based on her measurements. They are a bit on the long side, but folding the long cuffs in half provides a nice "grow-with-me" option. 

 

We have to talk about those knee patches. Not only are they adorable, and provide extra protection and longevity to the joggers, they are perfect for scrap busting. I'm secretly wishing that I had added knee patches for my pair (although I'd have run out of fabric for Freya's second pair). 

For the leopard version with the plain knee patches, I added 6 rows of topstitching (in addition to the rows at the top and bottom) for decorative effect. I used the pressure foot as a guide, and am pretty pleased with how even the stitching came out.

Whilst I omitted the back pockets in the "jazzy" version, I included them to the "plain" pair for dramatic effect. I'm not sure I've ever admired the bum area on a pair of trousers so much! 

First things first, who doesn't dream of leopard print jogging bottoms? These were made using Papercut Anima pattern, which I have used before. Although the last pair was made only over a year ago, I had somehow forgotten all about how I made them. The good news is, they are, hands down, the most worn garment that I've ever made (for example, I was wearing the first pair when I made this pair, which was pretty handy for verifying the construction steps). When I was set to having another go, I knew exactly the (small) adjustments that I wanted to incorporate this time: deeper pockets to host bigger phones (which seems to be the norm these days), and correcting the length (see my silly mistake last time).

Also, I'll let you in on a little secret - I'm pretty sure I got confused between the stretch line and grainline when cutting out the ankle cuffs last time (did I mention baby brain?)! This has also been fixed for my new version. 

What remains unchanged are all the other amazing elements, including the faux fly, which is what sold this pattern to me over the obvious alternatives like the True Bias Hudson (a close call).  

This isn't a full round-up, but I wanted to throw a couple of things into the mix for you. 

For the toddler pattern, I'd say that the Mini Modern is perfect. For older kids, there is the Modern Jogger available, too. I've just noticed that they go up to an age 14, which will almost certainly fit me. Maybe I can see knee patches in my future, after all 😉 

The only reasons I could imagine that you might want to go a different direction is if you want a different fit, or if you prefer using a lighter weight jersey fabric, in which case I'd suggest checking out the Ellie & Mac Kid's Joggers. This pattern spans from 12 months to 14 years, and includes both a tapered fit and a relaxed fit. They also come with patch options, which are different! I did also buy this pattern when it was $1 from their Wacky Wednesday promotion, and do hope to try them out with jersey soon. 

I mentioned the True Bias Hudson before, and I have the men's version in my stash. In fact, I already have the fabric (a beautiful loopy grey marl, currently out of stock) cut out for a pair of new joggers for my husband! Yep, we all need more joggers during lockdown. In addition to the original ladies pattern, the Hudson also comes in kid's version, which might provide a proper matchy matchy option for the whole family if that's what you are after. The Hudson are very well reviewed patterns, and come with a full sew-along, which would be helpful if you haven't sewn joggers before, regardless of what pattern you are using really.  

And that's it for now, guys, 3 pairs of joggers all in one post! Gotta jog 😄