Yoga Shorts Pattern For Women – Zera (Free For Now)

This pattern is part of the New Year's Resolution Workout Wear collection.  This is the Easy Yoga shorts pattern for women.

A New Workout Wardrobe: My New Year Resolution

A long time ago when my family and I moved from Paris to Sydney, I did not know anyone in our new neighborhood.  I needed to work out some anxiety issues. New town, new house, new friends, new school and friends for my kids, finding some personal fulfillment and not knowing how to drive… all that caused a lot of stress.  To help work through it all, I joined a gym, one of those chains where they teach many classes but not real in-depth instruction.  So I decided that running on the treadmill and Thai boxing would give me the release of endorphins I much needed to get me going with the brand new daily routine.

In one of these boxing classes, I got distracted and got hit on the chest causing one of my disks in the lower back to move.  The pain knocked the wind out of me at the time but things got even worse.  Every night after that and for the next two years I slept in three hours shifts, forcing me to get up and stretch to release the pain and go back to sleep.  It was a very tiring and painful time for me.  I spent money and time looking for someone who would help me without the need of surgery.

It was not until we moved to Singapore that I found a surgeon who asked me a bizarre question… Do you want the easiest, shortest and potentially least painful way (surgery) or a more holistic longer way to fix this?   I chose the longer way simply because the thought of surgery on my back terrified me.  Why would a surgeon suggest the longer route that didn't, in fact, involve surgery?  On the surgeon's wall, among his many diplomas, there was a series of pictures of a woman who turned out to be his wife in very intricate yoga poses.  Her name was Zera (which means new beginning) and she had the same injury as I did.  When the doctor caught me staring at the picture he said: “What you see is a big part of the longer route.  Learn Yoga, and the best way to learn it is to become an instructor.”  I was hooked and took the plunge to become a certified yoga instructor.  Ten years have flown by since then, and I have been pain-free for eight of them.

Yoga is an exercise routine that helps your posture, deep muscle tone, concentration and overall happiness. What's not to like?

This is my gift to you, a Yoga shorts pattern for women to plunge into a new beginning.  They are great for creating a new pain-free you, or simply to wear around the house.

Materials

1. One yard of knit fabric with a minimum of 25% stretch
2. Ballpoint needle
3. Thread to match
4. Rotary cutter
5. Cutting mat
6. Overlocker/coverstitch machine (ideal, but not absolutely necessary)

Fabric recommendations

Pattern Layout

Body Guide Measurements

Size	Waist	Hips	Thigh
4	22	31 1/2″	15″
6	23	32 1/2″	16″
8	24	33 1/2″	17″
10	25	34 1/2″	18″
12	26 1/2″	36	19 1/2″

How To Download

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Fitting Your Yoga Shorts Pattern

The key to this Yoga shorts pattern is the waistband and hem.  Take the 25% stretch of the fabric into consideration when you are choosing your size.  Measure from your crotch to above your belly button and compare that distance with the crotch plus the band minus the seam allowance (3/8″) (1cm). Then you will know if the shorts will cover more or less what you need. Ideally, the band will fall right above your bellybutton and the hem will be 3 3/4″(9.5cm) from the crotch.

Sewing And Cutting Instructions

This project is for advanced beginners to intermediate sewers.  The pattern has only two pieces but all of them will be required to be cut twice, so fold your fabric and place the pieces on top of the fabric and use some weights and a rotary cutter for better results.

The seam allowance for this pattern is 3/8″ (1cm).  For best results use an overlocker.

Notice there is no side seams and the entire shorts can be finished with five seams.

Step One:

Place one of the leg pieces print side up. Place the other leg piece print side down.  Prints are together. You will sew the crotch first.

Sew at 3/8″.

Sew at 3/8″.

Step Two:

Fold the shorts so the crotches are now in the middle, one on top of another.  You will now be sewing the legs.  Sew from one leg to the next. 

Step Three:

Align the waistband pieces with the print sides together. Sew the sides. You will end up with a band.

Fold the waistband top to bottom.  

Divide the band into four equal parts, taking in consideration that the stitching makes the sides mark the front and back.

Align the seams to the side of the shorts and the other two marks to the crotch stitching or to the front and back.

Pin on this four marks, and sew at 3/8″. Stretching the waistband between the 4 parts.

Six stitching lines are all it took to make these super comfortable yoga shorts that I hope you can enjoy for many summers to come.

As I have mentioned before, this is part of the workout wear collection — check out the other free patterns here. (place link to the updated version of the collection.)

Let me know in the comments below what another garment would you like me to share with.  Until then stay pain-free and keep on moving. Happy sewing!

These shorts would certainly go well with our Ultimate Sports Bra pattern, which is also part of our workout wardrobe.

Ultimate Sports Bra Pattern, an essential piece in your workout wardrobe

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