Between pregnancy and self-isolating because of Covid-19, I have been spending 90% of my time in stretchy loungewear. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough loungewear to wear on a regular basis without doing laundry just about every other day. Ever since finding out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to make some more joggers for when I couldn’t fit into my regular clothes. That time came up quicker than I thought it would and I fell behind in getting it done. Enter my personal favorite jogger pattern, the Dani Jogger from Laela Jeyne Patterns. I love this pattern because the size range goes from XXS to 3X. It is one that is designed for wovens but using some of my tips for converting it to knits I made it work for knits.

The first pair was made using an older polka dot French terry I got last year from Cali, so it isn’t available anymore, unfortunately. The good news is there are a few other polka dot French terry fabrics available though, like this Black and White Poly/Rayon Polka Dot. It is a bit bigger in scale but very similar to the one I used. For the waistband and cuffs, I used a black ponte knit. The pattern actually calls for 1.5″ wide elastic for the waistband but I didn’t have any on hand. All the local stores are closed so I couldn’t just run and pick some up. I did have 3″ wide, though. Since I was making two pairs I figured cutting it in half would work best and it did.

This pattern comes with a maternity option, which I originally thought I was going to use. I ended up making them with the regular waistband instead. I really wanted both pairs to get more use than just a few months of pregnancy because the French terry is so soft and comfy. For this second pair, I used the Burgundy Cotton French Terry that is still available. It has larger loops on the wrong side that make it so comfy.

Because I opted not to use the maternity waistband, I cut my elastic a couple inches longer than I normally would. It still fits well within the waistband casing and gives it a bit more stretch for my growing baby bump. Seriously, I didn’t think I looked that big until I edited these photos.

Once all the stores reopen, I need to pick up some twill tape so I can add a drawstring to this pair like the polka dot pair. I didn’t have any off-white available, so I made the buttonhole openings for it and I will just add it later.

Funny side story, when I was cutting these out I realized this is the same French terry only in red instead of the navy that I used for my Hudson Joggers that I made a few years ago. I only realized it because I was wearing them at the time I was cutting these. Clearly, I have an affinity for this particular French terry and I feel no guilt about it. There is also a gray version that I am eyeing now because of how much I love this fabric.

Over the next week, I am actually working on some more casual loungewear pieces for when I go into labor and will be using other Cali Fabrics from my stash and one I have recently picked up.  I am making a new Coraline Dress and Suki Robe for labor and delivery, like this previous set.