When embarking on an activewear sew, of course, you’re thinking about the fabric you’d like your fabulous new leggings or shorts to be in! Do you need a basic black option? A bright block colour or a colourful print perhaps? Once you’ve got that covered, the next question is often where we get stumped…”where do I get said fabulous activewear fabric from?!” Comfortable and durable performance fabrics are not stocked everywhere…so we wanted to put a blog post together to provide you all with amazing options to get the perfect fabric you’re looking for!
We wanted to say a huge thank you to all of our friends who follow the blog for suggesting incredible stores below! Be sure to keep checking back on the comments as I’m certain there will be even more over time!
A few important things to keep in mind
There are a few key factors you’ll want to keep in mind when choosing your Virginia leggings fabric. It’s so important to make sure it’s comfortable and that it withstands all the running, stretching, jumping and sweating you’ll be doing!
Stretch percentage
The most important thing is it must have AT LEAST 40% stretch. The pattern has negative ease so it’s important to choose fabrics with the appropriate amount of stretch to get the right fit. Take a look at our post on stretch percentage for some handy hints. If you can’t make your way in person to the fabric store, see if you can order a swatch first just to make sure it has the right stretch percentage.
Depending on what you’ll be using your leggings for, you might also like to check the fabric has some moisture-wicking properties to allow the fabric to breathe and wick the sweat away.
Opacity
Getting a sample of your fabric from the supplier is also a great idea to make sure it’s not see-through! Good quality, opaque fabric will mean you’ll be able to stretch and bend to your heart’s content without it being stretched too thin.
Fabric type
Synthetic
Synthetic fabrics tend to be the most durable & colour fast options on the market and they usually have the best recovery. When searching for fabrics, focus on the below keywords and you’ll find some great options!
- Lycra
- Supplex Lycra
- Spandex
- Compression-Spandex
- Moisture wicking Spandex
Natural Fibres
If you are looking for a natural fibre, there are more and more options showing up on the market all the time! Bamboo is a wonderful choice. Often blended with spandex for stretch, bamboo is durable, moisture wicking and super soft on the skin.
Merino wool is another choice that is good for performance use. Traditionally used for winter activities (trekking, skiing etc) it’s becoming more popular in general activewear garments due to its anti-bacterial properties, breathability and moisture wicking capabilities.
Suppliers
Australia
- Maai Design
- Weft & Warp | Check out their exclusive Performance Active Wear collection available soon!
- Ellie Whittaker
- Darn Cheap Fabrics
- The Fabric Store
- The Remnant Warehouse
- Lush Fabrics
New Zealand
USA
- Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics
- Harts Fabrics | Printed scuba knits; cute printed jersey knits perfect for lounging leggings!
- PDX Sewing Studio | Endurance Repreve & Dharma are wonderful heavier weight options
- Fabric Mart Fabrics
- Greenstyle
- Blue Moon Fabrics | Fabrics great for running or yoga; and some amazing spandex prints
- Phee Fabrics | Great range of Supplex
- Wazoodle Fabrics
- Spoonflower | try their Sport Lycra base
- Joann
- Mood Fabrics | Compression, Tech Fabrics
- Fabric.com
Canada
- Blackbird Fabrics | Check out their top picks for the Virginia Leggings!
- Simplifi Fabrics | Ecofit & Repreve
- Core Fabric Store
- Spandex By The Yard | Retail & Wholesale
- Peak Fabrics
- Discovery Fabrics
- Suzie Spandex
UK
- Fabric Styles | Scuba & Spandex
- Sew Me Sunshine
- UK Fabrics
- Funki Fabrics | Great selection of Meryl & Compression option
Europe
- Fabric Romance
- Extremtextil | amazing range of high-performance fabrics
- Spoonflower| try their Sport Lycra base
If you know of any other amazing suppliers of activewear fabrics be sure to let us know in the comments below!!
Don’t have the pattern yet?!
