Joggerathon – Sonia Estep Designs – Penelope
This is the last stop on the Slim Fit joggers with the Penelope Pants from Sonia Estep Designs bringing up the rear! The Penelope Pants features 2 fits, the joggers that I sewed and a yoga pant with more of a straight/slightly flared leg. It has a yoga waistband with an optional drawstring and slant pockets.
* The Joggerathon is going on ALL month long. If you’d like to see the pattern lineup and get more information, click here! Don’t forget to vote for your favorite!
** Don’t forget to head over to my instagram to see all the fit videos on my IGTV!
Price: $10.00
Size Range: 17 sizes // 00-30 // 34″-61″ hip
Options Sewn:
- Joggers, size 2, graded to a 0 thigh all the way down. Cut the waistband in between 2 and 4.
- I slightly cheated on the pockets I sewed them with 1 layer (like a reverse patch pocket) instead of 2 layers with a pocket bag since this fabric is on the thicker side.
- These have a 30″ inseam and I did not adjust the inseam. Whoops! My bad. So these are a little longer than they should. (Though it’s not entirely my fault. See below)
My Measurements:
- Waist – 27
- High Hip – 31
- Hip – 36
- Upper Thigh – 21
- Inseam – 28
- Height – 5’4
Fabric
The fabric I used for this pair is the Lush Double Brushed Interlock from The Fabric Snob in the pink pansy colorway. This fabric is thick and stretchy! The one thing I hate about it is it’s such a pain to figure out the right from the wrong side! I mean, technically you can use either, but they do have a ever so slight variation. But I’m constantly stretching the fabric to make sure I can see the grain lines (for the right side) which can still be hard to tell the difference. Get some chalk or something to mark the right side so you don’t have to check it a gazillion times.
This fabric is a 95% cotton, 5% spandex but it feels absolutely nothing like cotton lycra with the same content blend. It’s approx. 240GSM, has 75-100% horizontal and 25-50% vertical stretch. It’s also 68-70″ wide, which is awesome! If you didn’t know, the Fabric Snob is in Canada, which means they cut their fabric in meters, which also means even more fabric for those of us in the US. #winning
Recommended Fabric: Knit fabrics with 30% horizontal stretch and 10% vertical stretch, waistband and cuffs need 40% stretch.
Instructions
Were the instructions easy to follow?
- The instructions for construction are great and easy to follow.
- In the beginning of the instructions there is the size chart. 8 pages later there is a finished measurement chart with calf measurements. What?! Okay, I don’t understand the point in this. If you are like me, you look at the size chart in the instructions and then cut out the pattern. I would think the finished measurement chart for the calves should be a whole lot closer to the size chart in case you have to grade in or out for the calves (which I know that is a fairly common thing). Luckily I have pretty average calves, but still, that’s odd IMO. Also, why is there only a finished chart for the calves and not any of the other measurements?? Why not just add it as a measurement for the size chart or add more measurements for the finished measurement chart?
- The instructions talk about different fitting adjustments but doesn’t mention anything on changing the inseam.
- There is no shorten/lengthen line for the inseam, only for the crotch rise.
- ** I discovered my issue with the inseam! I scoured the instructions and nowhere does it mention the inseam length (only that the pattern is drafted for someone who is 5’5). The line drawing that I have included in the beginning of this post has the inseam listed but that image is ONLY ON THE WEBSITE. The line drawing on the actual pattern instructions doesn’t have the little blurb about the 30″ inseam. So now I feel less bad about forgetting to shorten the pattern and that’s why it’s so long.
- The only instructions for the drawstring is the step to insert it after the waistband is attached. There are no measurements or instructions regarding how long it should be and no measurements/pattern piece if you want to make your own out of the same fabric.
Pattern
DID IT LOOK LIKE THE PATTERN PHOTO/DRAWING ON THE PATTERN ONCE YOU WERE DONE SEWING?
Yes and no. With this pattern, fabric choice will make a huge difference in the fit. A more stable fabric with less stretch will be more fitted. The listing photos has a range of fits from a little more loose in the knees to pants that look like legging joggers. Mine are definitely a more in-between feel since they are a little looser in the thigh and knees.
A few months ago I made this pattern in a rib knit and it was bad bad bad. Way too loose. I even sized down and took a bigger seam allowance. More stable fabric is definitely my choice
WHAT DID YOU PARTICULARLY LIKE OR DISLIKE ABOUT THE PATTERN?
- On the projector file, the pieces are both on a white background and a black background, so you don’t have to invert colors on dark fabric!
- The drawstring grommet markings are sooooooo far apart. Like ridiculously far apart. They could easily be moved in an inch, Maybe it will look fine once my drawstring is in, but without it, it looks a little silly. I’m probably going to rip out the waistband and put a new one in with the grommets/eyelets closer together.
- So I after I added my drawstring, it does look better, however, I think it’s still too far apart for my preference.
- The waistband is also super tall. I’m not sure if I like how tall it is. It goes past my belly button
- I don’t love how high the rise is on these. The high rise makes the pocket opening really high, which I don’t particularly like.
- The pattern is drafted for someone who is 5’5, and I’m only 5’4 but the legs do bunch a little more than I’d like at the bottom. (There is a 30″ inseam that isn’t listed on the pattern instruction, so they are about 2″ too long)
- Other than the above points, rest of the fit feels pretty good to me.
WOULD YOU SEW IT AGAIN? WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT TO OTHERS?
I am undecided if I would sew them again. If I did I would have to shorten the waistband or just shorten the rise, omit the grommets (or move them closer together) and be sure to shorten the inseam. I’d maybe try a less stretchy fabric and see how those would fit. (Ohhh maybe in a ponte?!)
These definitely aren’t a bad pair of joggers aside from my personal preferences. I would probably recommend them.
Have you sewn up the jogger version of the Penelope Pants? What are your thoughts? I’d love to know in the comments below! If you missed yesterday’s post on the Yoggers from Petite Stitchery & Co, check them out by clicking HERE. Be sure to come back tomorrow as I’ll be comparing the first 6 pairs of joggers!
Cheers!
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