Yes, we’ve carried on with our regular updates and now the Men’s edition of our ever-popular Surf to Summit Top pattern joins the Ladies edition in being layered! Woop! The Ladies edition has been layered for a while, and our Lightspeed Leggings pattern was the first to be layered from launch, so it was a great opportunity to update this one, too, so it’s even easier to sew some great winter activewear for the men in your life.
Men’s Surf to Summit Top pattern – now layered!
Tessellate Tee pattern – now layered!
Hot on the heels of our MEGA-update of our PB Jam Leggings pattern, we’ve now made a minor but significant update to our versatile Tessellate Tee pattern!
PB Jam Leggings – update out now!
Back in 2013, when I started FehrTrade Patterns, there were a lot of things I didn’t know! Seven years on, I’ve learned so much from my mistakes, experiences, and from the generosity of others. The PB Jam Leggings (along with the XYT Workout Top) were the first pattern we ever released, and they were in need of a bit of modernising to bring up to the standards of the rest of our patterns.
I’m proud to say that the updated version of the PB Jam Leggings is finally out now! The list of changes here is quite extensive but here goes…
Tutorial: Add a full-length zip to your Surf to Summit Top
As promised, and after many requests, I’ve created a tutorial for changing the half zip in your Surf to Summit Top pattern to be a fully-opening zipper! This is a pretty straightforward change but I like to be very thorough in my explanations so don’t be scared by the amount of steps – half of them are me just adding clarification.
This tutorial not only works for the Ladies version of our Surf to Summit Top pattern, but also the men’s version, too! I did this same change for our athlete model, Jason, when he wore the Surf to Summit Top with our men’s Lightspeed Leggings pattern.
Steeplechase Leggings – now layered and improved!
Our Steeplechase Leggings pattern has been a best-seller since the moment we released it back in 2015 (when I was in NYC for my birthday, I distinctly remember!). It’s a truly unique pattern for a no-inseam legging with flattering style lines, a simple construction that belies the initial “wtf?” reaction when you see the weird pattern shapes, and multiple lengths mean you can wear it all year round.
New “Compression fitting bottom block” pattern!
My “Sew Your Own Activewear” book was released nearly two years ago (and written three years ago!), and I’m very pleased to announce that I’ve developed a new block pattern to compliment the book!
The new Compression fitting bottom block has significantly less negative ease than either the Close fitting bottom block or Loose fitting bottom block included in the books (a measurement chart is included in the shop listing). This block can be used as a starting point for any of the bottoms designs in the book, but is particularly well suited for the Active Leggings, Cycling Shorts, and Yoga Bottoms.
Happy 2020! (My year in review)
Happy new year! I always like to take the opportunity on the start of a bright new year to look back on the year that was – what I made and loved, what I made and swore at, and other big life milestones that will make 2019 stand out in my mind. And because I love stats, I also like to take a step back and get an overview of what I’ve been making to get an eye for any trends that may have escaped me at the time…
Interview with That Sewing Blab
I had the pleasure recently to be invited as a guest on the That Sewing Blab show! Well, technically Dawn asked me if I could be a guest on one of their live shows a few years ago, but with the time zones it would’ve been a really late night for me in the UK. I often get asked how I have the energy to do everything I do, and the answer is that I get a LOT of sleep – I’m nodding off at like 10:30 every night, so I knew I would be a horrible guest if it was past midnight!
Our Surf to Summit Top pattern – now a layered pdf!
In case you missed it on social media, another of our most popular sewing patterns is now available as a layered pdf!
All things sportswear in Berlin + signed books shipping NOW!
It was all a bit last-minute that I was going to be in Berlin last week at all, let alone doing an event, so I have to thank everyone who came out to talk all things activewear! Special thanks go out to the incredibly lovely staff at extremtextil who hosted the event, made their shop so welcoming, and opened up especially for us on a Tuesday evening. It’s so wonderful to see an independent speciality fabric shop run by people who are so passionate and educated on every aspect of outdoor and sportswear sewing!