Sewing and the Trivium

Learning to Create

Join me as I use the tools of learning to delve into the world of needlecraft.

Jenni Beth
- Apr 24
- 2 min read

Family Joggers: Comfy for Quarantine

My boys love comfy clothes all the time, and since we homeschool, the same clothes are often worn to bed and to "school" the next day. So I was super-excited when 5oo4 Patterns came out with a new men's jogger pattern to go with the kids and women's jogger patterns they already had. It was super-fun to test, as my two tween boys are too big for the kids' size pattern. So now I can make everyone in the family all the comfy pants all the time! Here are the links to the patterns, and then I'll tell you more about them.

Men's Jack Joggers

Women's Diane Joggers

Kids' Jason Joggers

The Grammar:

Joggers - from what I can gather, joggers are the current name for what I used to call "sweatpants" growing up back in the 90's. These ones are a bit more slim than the ones I used to wear back in the day.

Back Yoke - 5oo4's joggers have a separate piece of fabric in the back to allow the waistband to come in a little from the hips. This makes the pants less "baggy" around the hips and also allows for easier adjustments (grading) between waist and hip sizes. You can see the back yoke in this pictures of the Kids' Jason Joggers. It's the piece in back underneath the waistband.

The Logic:

Pattern Options - Like all 5oo4 patterns, the joggers have a lot of options. All three patterns have various leg length options: shorts, capris, and pants. (In fact, the Men's Jack Joggers have both 7 inch shorts and 10 inch shorts). Here are some of the lengths:

The women's Diane Joggers pattern and the kids Jason Joggers pattern have more than one waistband option: encased elastic, drawstring, knit, and yoga foldover (the women's pattern also has a maternity option). And all the patterns have optional patch pockets in front and a choice of hems, cuffs, or enclosed elastic on the bottom (the women's pattern also has a drawstring finish). Plus the men's pattern has a bonus back zipper pocket that I absolutely love (and want to try adding to the other patterns).

Sewing it up:

These patterns are fairly quick. I tried the Jack and Jason shorts for my three older kids (sizes 8, XS, and M) as well as the pant length (same sizes). The black pants are the only ones with the back zipper pocket, but all the pant-length ones have the front pockets. The black pants are cuffed. Mine are capri length with encased elastic in women's size large, and the green Jason Joggers are full-length with encased elastic. The striped men's pants are just hemmed. And we love all the finishes!

The Bundles:

Not only can you get the patterns individually, but you can also get them in bundles. There is the new Jack Pattern by itself:

:The Jack and Jason Bundle:

The Jack and Diane Bundle:

And the Jack, Jason, and Diane Bundle:

So much comfort! So much fun!

This post contains various affiliate links. Purchasing patterns using these links does not cost my readers more, but the designer does provide me with a small commission from any sales. The commission helps to fund my fabric costs, and is very appreciated.

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My Favorite Designers and Fabric Stores

Disclosure: I am an affiliate and promoter for these two designers, and I will make a small amount of money if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. The cost to you will not change. These are designers whose patterns I love, and that I would sew up for myself whether I was an affiliate or not. The fabric stores are just ones that I love. I do not earn any money if you purchase from them :)

Why "Sewing and the Trivium"

The Story

Classical educators like to divide education into developmental stages called the Trivium. These are called "Grammar," "Logic," and "Rhetoric." Grammar refers to the first steps of learning anything: learning the vocabulary of the subject being studied and memorizing facts about that vocabulary. Classically speaking, this corresponds to the elementary years of learning - years when students never seem to grow tired of astounding the adults around them with fact after fact about things they are interested in. Have you experienced talking to a six year old who is really into dinosaurs? enough said...

Adults also begin learning with the grammar of a subject. Each subject has its own unique terminology and facts that need to be mastered before one can explore the more complicated applications of that subject. Sewing is no different. What is a french seam? What kinds of knit fabrics are better for different applications? What is a dolman sleeve or a raglan top? These are grammar queries.

In classical education, logic refers to the action of logically processing the grammar facts students have learned, or are learning. The student who is particularly suited to this type of thought is the middle-school scholar - the student who wants to argue his or her way through the world and "be right" about all the things. This pattern of thought includes bringing different ideas together, comparing and contrasting them, analyzing what an authority figure says about an argument, and deciding whether different arguments are consistent with each other. In the sewing world, logical questions include things like, "How is knit fabric different than woven fabric?" and "Why does this pattern ask for a particular fabric type?" as well as tasks such as mashing two patterns together or changing the sleeve/length/placket from how the pattern was designed.

The final part of the classical trivium, rhetoric, is when a student makes an argument of his or her own by developing a "thesis" or main point and then laying it out for someone else in writing or speech. Typically, students are ready for formal rhetoric in their high school years - years that they are very concerned about what they look like to other people and gain an interest in learning to craft a message in a way that will be most effective for their purposes. Examples of rhetoric in sewing would be fully-formed tutorials or sew-alongs - or even the writing of a blog post itself. Anything that is explaining previously thought-out/tried-out projects can count as rhetoric.

My goal on this blog is to lay out my sews and thoughts using this framework. And that is why I chose this title.

"Blessed is the man...whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does he prospers"

Psalm 1: 2-3