I debated for a while if I wanted to write this post. I don’t blog everything I make unless I feel like I learned something or have wisdom to impart. I am writing the post I wish I found when researching these leggings.

I chose the Shelley Leggings simply because I had seven unused Seamwork credits, so in my mind it was a free pattern. As I always do, I looked up Shelley on Instagram and google. I found next to nothing that was not posted by Seamwork. This should have been my first clue.

Typically, I grade out one size from waist to hip, but, being four months pregnant (surprise!), I figured a straight size would be perfect. Well.

I bought some sort of cheap pleather “shiny legging” fabric at $10 per metre to make a muslin before using my beautiful quick dry $30 athletic knit from Darrell Thomas. Before I even made my muslin, I shortened the leg length by an inch as is my standard. The length was perfect and possibly the only part that fit correctly.

My muslin was too tight in the calf and ridiculously loose in the waist and hip, even in a moderately stretchy fabric. I immediately took two inches out of the hip and waist on my pattern and added a bit of width to the calf.

I sewed up my “good copy” and was still underwhelmed by the fit. I still had way too much room in the waist and took off another two inches. Honestly, I could take off more, but that would involve completely dismantling and re-making the leggings and I have no interest in that. I decided to leave them and just wear them around the house or to bed. Even taking off those four inches, the crotch ends up halfway down my thigh. And I have a budding pregnant belly.

I would not recommend this pattern to anyone. The instructions were really easy to follow, but the fit is confusingly awful. Free or not, it’s not worth it.