Last year I was watching a sewing guild live event on YouTube, and the Glide No Front and No Side Seam Leggings pattern by Sinclair came up in the discussion. At the time, the moderator was adamant that there was no way a home sewist could make leggings with just a center back seam. However, since I’ve watched all of Shift Fashion’s videos, I knew that you could in fact sew a pair of leggings with no center front or side seams, and that you didn’t need a fancy circular knitting machine either.
Let’s start at the beginning. I’ve been wearing my Greenstyle Simpatico Leggings I made back in March 2024 and then altered in August of 2024. My leggings are over two years old and still doing great. However, I can tell the color is starting to fade a little and the fabric recovery isn’t as good as it used to be. After two years of hard wear, it’s amazing how well these leggings have held up. Now, I could have used the same pattern I had, but I wanted to challenge myself with something new.
I love the leggings that are part of the Motion Shorts by Sinclair. They are similar to the Simpatico, but they include a gusset. I didn’t realize how helpful a gusset is for comfort. I was originally going to make my leggings using the Motion Shorts pattern, slightly altered so the legs are longer, but then I remembered the Glide No Front and No Side Seam pattern!
Analyze Style and Fit
As a legging pattern, these have negative ease and should be fitted across the waistband, hips, and legs. The pattern features no center front seam or side seams, with only a center back seam for construction. It comes with two contoured waistband rises and in multiple leg lengths: short and long shorts, capri, 7/8, and full length. Optional side panels (which add side seams) are available with or without pockets.
How do you eliminate the center front seam and still get a perfect fit? The pattern builds a gusset directly into the front piece, which simultaneously creates the front crotch curve. It is a brilliant design element that is fairly obvious once you understand how it works. The center front is cut on the fold and the front crotch hook is sewn on seperately as a gusset piece. Brilliant!
As with all Sinclair patterns, the instructions are detailed and well-written. Give yourself time to read through them and take notes before you start.
Sizing
Choosing your Height
In order to pick your size, you must first start with your height. The garment is designed for three heights, and it affects the final fit of the garment across all vertical measurements. The three heights are:
- 5’1″ – 5’3″ (Petite)
- 5’4″ – 5’6″ (Regular)
- 5’7″ – 5’9″ (Tall)
I definitely went with the Tall size range even though I’m taller (5’11”).
Choosing your Base Size
Next, using your waist and hip measurements, you can pick your base size. My body measurements are still a 33 to 34-inch waist and a 45-inch lower torso. As always, I used my measuring band method for the lower torso. My hips are technically 42 inches, but the measuring band gives a more consistent fit reference when picking pattern sizes. My lower torso measurement is right between sizes, but that’s less important than the amount of negative ease. Based on my previous leggings (here and here), I know I like 15% to 18% negative ease, so what is the negative ease for this pattern?
Finished Garment Measurements
ℹ️ On page 5 of instructions, the finished measurements are listed. “Waist (negative) 80% of size measurement. Hip (negative) 85% of size measurement.”
That means the pattern is drafted with 20% negative ease at the waist and 15% negative ease at the hip. I double-checked the negative ease on my size and it came out exactly, so I didn’t bother measuring all the other sizes. I’m assuming the 20% negative ease at the waist and 15% negative ease at the hip hold true across all sizes.
So, I need to pick a size where the final waist measurement is roughly 29 inches and the final hip measurement is roughly 38.5 inches.
Size 14 has a 27.7-inch waist and a 37.5-inch hip. That’s too small compared to the 29 and 38.5 inches that are needed. Size 16 is much closer at 29.6 and 39.5 inches. Going bigger means I can take things in as needed. You can’t add fabric, but you can always carefully remove the extra. In the end, I made the size 16 from the Tall size range.
Materials
Do you even have to ask? The OG! Spoonflower Sports Lycra: 88% polyester and 12% Lycra, 4-way stretch, UPF protection that stands up to the sweatiest of workouts, moisture-wicking, high-stretch with excellent recovery, and colorfastness that really lasts for years.
Finding the Drapeline
When your pattern piece does not come with a side seam, the first step is to find where the side seam should be. Once the side seam is established, then you are able to locate the front and back drapelines.
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