Wednesday 26 October 2011

Exercise tops, Ottobre 05-2010-20

After the dull-but-useful sewing of exercise bottoms, naturally the next step was exercise tops.

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I have progressed from the knit-trousers-laid -out- flat-on-the-verandah photo, to an attempt at introducing the currently lovely purple scenery at the town park for version 1 of the Ottober 05-2010-20 top, with the #19 trousers from the previous exercise clothing post.

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I think the clothing and model do not quite live up to the flowers, particularly if I crop sufficently to show clothing details.
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Hmm, perhaps a background photo with no foreground

The Ottobre top is rather deceptive in my opinion. In the model shot, the neckline and straps of the under top are clearly visible.
On me, although you can just see the under top at the front, it is not visible at all at the back.
The under top is also very high cut under the arms, which might be fine for some gentle pilates or yoga but would cause unpleasant chafing on a longer run. I usually run for about an hour.
Looking back at the magazine to make sure I had traced out the pattern pieces correctly, I saw that the technical drawing shows the under top only just peeping out, and not showing at all at the back, just like my version.(My photography aspirations are dwindling rapidly.....)
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I can't see the point of this. The neckline and armscye are the most time consuming part of this top, why make 2 necklines if you can't see them?
Unfortunately, I had already constructed x3 outer layers before I realised the problem.
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You can see here that I am making a faux underlayer, not full length, as it gets hot here, and I want the appearance of wearing 2 layers without the extra fabric around my middle.
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This may seem like an excess, but, I do need this many. Despite appearances, I exercise 7 or more times per week. I am trying to confound my dreadful paternal medical history, and the 95% or so chance I have of developing type 2 diabetes, having experienced the gestational type during all my preganancies. Wish me luck, I probably need it!

I added a tiny panel to the front neckline and a tiny bit of binding to the back neckline of the black outerlayer ( right middle)
I used just the front piece and straps in purple for the underlayer in the beige/black outerlayer, attaching the panel at the side seams and at the back neck.
I coverstitched most of the side seams after severely trimming one seam, to make a flatter, less abrasive seam under the arms.
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The beige fabric is wicking polyester, and the other fabrics are cotton/lycra knit, both from Stretchtex. I will use the knit tops for stretchy type exercises and the wicking tops for running, or on the windtrainer.

Finally, I made a new version of the outerlayer, so that the underlayer is visible.

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I had to lower the neckline rather a lot to achieve this effect.

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Sewing with Ottobre is not at all like sewing with Burda :)

19 comments:

shams said...

I agree, you want to see all that detailing. Your changes are great! Wow, an hour of running per day is quite impressive.

Oh, that lilac-colored tree is gorgeous!

SewRuthie said...

Cute, and boy thats a lot of exercising, but agree its worth it to avoid diabetes.

Marie said...

Love the tops - the changes you have made have really made them.

katherine h said...

always wondered how you found time to fit so much sewing in. Now I am wondering how you manage to exercise as well. So what's missing? What are you leaving out?

Great tops. Most satisfying.

Sue said...

I have been eyeing off that top and love that you have reviewed it - Thank you! We have a lot in common I exercise heavily and am still called pre-diabetic - lucky genes I am told! I am just reading about wheat as the nasty culprit! Look up 'wheat belly' - very interesting!

Carolyn said...

You do an amazing and extremely impressive amount of running!! Must be the explanation for your very tiny and shapely waist...
I love your exercise gear, the little bit of contrasting part-top peeping out looks really cool.
And your photography is just lovely!! Jacaranda petals strewn about beautifully, so picturesque.,.. (interestingly ours haven't even started to flower yet!)

kbenco said...

Katherine, mostly sleep :) - oh, and housework, commuting and television - also I now have 2 babysitting and relatively helpful teenagers, not 3 primary school children. I was very unfit and did much less sewing when my girls were small. I don't run every day, about 4 times a week.I do other things for the other sessions. I find all of this rather painful, but who wants Diabetes or Heart Disease? I will probably still get them ;(

Jane M said...

Bravo to you for this great new wardrobe of tops. I too exercise for my health and it's nice to have custom workout wear tp enjoy. Bravo for both of these 'exercises."

Hen said...

I, too, am impressed with your exercice scheme as weel as with your sewing productivity. And that you care enough to make exercise clothes nice - respect!

Home's Jewels said...

Wow, your review was very helpful. I was wondering about those little pieces that peeked through on Ottobre picture and am very thankful to see your pictures. I'm going to have to bookmark this so I can remember! Thank you!

Joy said...

I had been wondering about this double layer pattern. I suppose the point is to have two layers that aren't identical? Anyway, I like the pattern much more now that I've seen it made up, and your change to the pattern is definitely an improvement.

Mary Nanna said...

I am very impressed at your exercise regime but it sounds like your experience is similar to mine - in the past when diets didn't work out, it was because ultimately I lacked motivation. There's nothing like a significant health issue to motivate you to do not what you should, but what you must.

Great Ottobre tops, I really like the lowered version and I really think Ottobre would benefit from a little de-frumping overall - my perfect sewing magazine would encompass the practicality of Ottobre with some of the glamour of Burda.

Clio said...

Oh! Yes yes, you can't have too many if you are a frequent exerciser! Investing your health and your hobbies is a wonderful gift to both yourself and those who love you! Kudos to you!

Janine said...

nice job of the exercise gear. however you did not have to go to all that trouble to artfully arrange the petals on the ground for us. Sometimes life isn`t fair so I hope you don`t get diabetes after all that exercise.

Monica D said...

Isn't it GREAT when you can wear your own line designed by you :)

HeathersSphere said...

Fab looking activewear!

Gail said...

After years of exercise I have become profoundly sedentary. THIS MUST CHANGE. Think I'll make myself some active wear and get active again.

Carol said...

These are great and I think you're incredible to make them. I'm experiencing spring in a whole new way and my neighbourhood is littered with jasmine flowers just like your jacaranda. I think Molly might be allergic.

Bernice said...

More great active wear. Very impressive. The jacaranda trees are gorgeous and remind me of my childhood in central-coastal Queensland.