I’ve made quite a few Jalie patterns, but had never tried their leggings patterns. When I got my hands on this double sided poly/lycra jersey from The Styled Magnolia, I decided the Cora Tights were happening!
Cora Tights – Sized Up
First of all…these tights are great for color-blocking, and perfect for my two-toned fabric (heathered on top, and fucshia on the back). These tights are VERY form-fitting. When I got my pattern, the ladies at Jalie advised me to size up one, and I’m so glad! For me, comfort is a must. I do wear these for walking and doing yoga, but you’ll most likely find me lounging around in said Cora Tights.
Triangle Gusset
Previous to this, I had tried to make the Ninja Pants with the optional gusset, which failed miserably. (The extra fabric just gave me camel toe so I ripped it out.) I was convinced that other patterns would create a similar problem. But, I decided to make the Cora Tights as-is. I knew that removing any necessary pattern pieces could be disastrous.
While the Ninja Pants have a diamond-shaped gusset placed in the center of the crotch, the Cora Tights have a triangle-shaped gusset located at the back crotch. As you can see, the gusset didn’t create any fit issues.
I always remove a little triangle of fabric in the bum area to compensate for my flat derriere. The ladies at Jalie advised me not to adjust the Coras. They said there is so much negative ease in this pattern that you need all the room you can get! Oh, ladies…you are so wise!
The pants fit perfectly (sized up one) with only length adjustments. I did adjust the waistband to be about 3/4″ longer (by preference). The fabric I used had a high lycra content, which made the two layers of fabric at the waistband too compressive at my midsection. (I have a sensitive tummy.) So if you need pants that suck you in or support your midsection, I’m confident you will love these with the original waistband length.
Cell Phone Pocket
Let’s talk about this cell phone pocket! Pretty handy, right? Well…this is actually my husband’s cell in the picture. Mine is a Google Pixel and it’s HUUGE! I did find out later that my cell phone does (barely) fit in the pocket. That’s thanks to my fabric being super stretchy and having great recovery.
These pants have been high kick tested, so if you need to show some guys whose boss in an alley or something, Jalie’s got you covered. And I’ve just got to gush on this fabric, because it’s divine! It has a slight sheen, but in a good way. It is completely opaque, and it has great stretch and recovery. The day I wore my new Coras I photographed them and didn’t take them off for 3 days. Dude, of course I showered in between…don’t be gross! These tights also work great as a base layer (it’s sooo cold in the Northeast USA right now) under my pants or sweats.
I hope if you haven’t yet, you’ll give this pattern a try! Don’t let the color-blocking intimidate you. Piecing the fabric is not as bad as it looks, especially if you carefully transfer all of the marks to your pattern. There is also a video to explain how to construct these leggings. Good luck!
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