Pattern review - Made for Mermaids Bonny Leggings

I have quite a few free leggings patterns, so I thought I'd start trying them out. The first to try, which is easily available, was the Made For Mermaids (M4M) Bonny leggings.

This free pattern can be obtained via the M4M web site, and comes in sizes from 6 months to 14 years. The web site says it is suitable for 4 way stretch knits with 50% stretch horizontally, with at least 5% lycra or spandex in content. I liked the look of the pattern because it does have a different rise from the front to the back. Readers will know that I do not like pants, shorts, trousers or leggings that are made the same in the front as in the back. That's essential with woven fabric, but personally I much prefer that with knit patterns too. There's only so much stretching is acceptable in my book, and a longer back rise makes for a much better fit. You can see this in the picture below, where I have placed the pattern for the two sizes I wanted.

So it already ticked my first box. 

Next, there are 4 length options: what are called boy shorts, which are more or less underpants; shorties, which are like cycling shorts; capri length or mid-calf; and ankle length. Given that I will be making for the autumn / winter season now, I mainly wanted to try the ankle length. 

The tutorial included gives instructions for grading the pattern. This was going to be essential for these two of my grand-daughters that I was making for. Both are tall for their ages, and pretty slender. So I needed to grade for Jane (6) the 7/8 height, and the 5/6 width. For Ada, (3) I used the 3/4 height, and the 2/3 width. If I'd wanted really skin-fitting leggings, I could even have graded them slimmer!

However, they are not worried about having very tight leggings, and seem happy with the looser fit of these. I'll come back to fit again later. 

There's also an optional circle skirt that can be added. However, the girls' Mum has previously rejected all-in-ones with built in shorts and skirts. (Unlike my other daughter.) The little one was only just nappy trained during lockdown, and her Mum feels separate cycling shorts and skirts are best for quick and uncomplicated toilet access. She's got used to pulling down her pants or shorts leaving her dress or skirt where it is. So no added circle skirt this time.   

The Bonny Leggings make a virtue of 'No elastic in the waistband', and the pattern also has an optional fold over yoga waistband. I was nervous about this 'no elastic', as I've previously found with these slender hipped girls that waistbands with no elastic can slide down. On other similar patterns, I've usually put elastic in anyway.

However, I decided to give it a whirl, with the idea that I could always add elastic in later - it would just mean opening up the back seam of the waistband and threading it through. In fact, it did seem to work reasonably well, no slippage so far; perhaps the waistband pattern on the Bonny leggings is somewhat tighter than on other things I've tried. So far, no elastic - but if they loosen up, I can easily add some. This is the waistband as supplied. (No elastic.)

I should say at this point that I make everything on a sewing machine, I don't have a serger, So lots of zig zagging or using stretch stitches, and my overcast foot. Probably the leggings would be a quicker make with a serger, but they didn't take long with a sewing machine, either - most of the time was the pattern placement and cutting out.

Now, in terms of fit - I said I would come back to it. I have to confess that these leggings, being made as an experiement, did not use my more expensive stretch fabrics- I wanted to try them out first with something less expensive - you might call them toiles. This kind of dogtooth check fabric has quite a lot of stretch, but probably not great recovery. So I can see these getting a bit baggy in the knees. Having established that they are pretty easy to make, and that they fit, I will try using some better quality fabric. I expect then they will probably fit better - though I'm still not going to make them too tight. 

You can see in terms of the layout that I reversed the pattern direction for the second pair of leggings. You can't do this if the print is directional, but in this case the design had 4 way symmetry. And I had enough for the waistbands too. This was, I think just over a metre of fabric, out of which I got both pairs.

They are obviously comfortable enough for active play. Both girls were happy with the fit. 

So, onwards to make some more - and maybe to try a different leggings patterns too - though I think each new one that I try will be made with cheaper material first.  I also want to make some fleece-lined, as winter comes on.