Pattern Review: Papercut Ooh La Leggings

After my Papercut bomber success, I downloaded their PDF pattern for the Ooh La leggings. I'm a fairly keen runner/cyclist (on and off), so once I've sourced some good quality lycra, I'll be well up for sewing myself some new exercise gear. In the meantime, I could also do with some "fashion" leggings. Some that are ACTUALLY opaque, rather than the crap you can buy in the shops that tell everyone else in the world what colour knickers you're wearing.

I already had some suitable fabric in my stash. A nasty, shiny, sticky, super-synthetic stretch fabric I found on sale in John Lewis in January. I had this excited optimism that it would sew up into SUCH ugly leggings, that they would actually be glorious

 But for this scenario to work out, the sewing and the fit would have to be PERFECT.


This was a pretty quick sewing project. There aren't really any fiddly bits - it's almost entirely pinning and machine stitching. No serious concentration required. In fact, once I had the pattern pieces cut out, I felt like I barely needed the instructions (I may have been rather TOO lax... read on.)

Features of the Ooh La legging pattern include:
 - Curved seams joining the legs to the waist, which - if executed well - will be very flattering

 - An elasticated waistband - nice and simple, no need to fiddle with fastenings


 - 8 separate panels that allow you to colour block if you wish (1x front waist, 1x back waist, 2x front leg, 2x back leg, 2x outer side leg)

 - Full-, 3/4- and knee-length versions (useful for seasonal sportswear)


The pattern instructs you to topstitch the seams that join the waist section to the legs. But I topstitched the vertical leg seams too. It feels more polished. The pattern does suggest at the end that you might want to pipe these seams though, which would be even more fancy.

I also made inadvertent alterations. I sewed my seams on an overlocker. So what should have been a 1cm seam allowance was more like 0.6cm. I didn't think it would make a huuuge difference, but I have ended up with a rather saggy crotch region!

I also have a disproportionately small waist compared to my thighs so I decided I would make up my own waistband size just by wrapping the elastic round myself until it felt relatively tight. But it seems I totally cocked this up. The amount stated in the pattern (for an XS) is 70cm. I've just measured the finished waistband in mine and found it is 72cm! Unsurprisingly, it is very loose, so the leggings fall down A LOT. I reckon I should have gone for somewhere between 60 and 65cm.


I'm going to need to make a second pair before I make a decision about the Ooh La leggings. I certainly like the design, it's just a case of whether the fit will ever work for me. It's okay though everyone. I've already found my next shiny, tacky lycra to work with! Next time I'll be more regardful of the instructions. Expect a real verdict in a couple of months time.

As for this attempt: I'm afraid they will soon find themselves in the Cardboard Box Of Failure. Once I've finished prancing around the house (and garden) like an idiot in them



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