Let's talk leggings!

Leggings are a staple in a young girls wardrobe. They often complete an outfit, they are comfy for little ones and simple. 

Back in October of last year I did a week of leggings. 

You can check those posts out 

HERE

HERE

HERE

(and one more legging HERE)

I made a new pair that I am loving! They are a lot like a cropped pair of tights. 

They go perfectly with the two new tops I made her.

A long tunic...

 And a shorter bubble top. 

Making a pair for yourself couldn't be easier, a few scraps and about 5 min and you can have a pair of your very own. 

First things first. Find a basic legging tutorial that you like, any of the ones above, or any other tutorial. All you need to do is trace a pair or leggings. 

Now for the "tights-like" legging you have to choose your fabric carefully. The fabric MUST have 2 way stretch. This means that you can stretch the fabric in every direction. Think rayon, spandex blends. There are thinner fabrics and heavier fabrics to choose from. For white I went with a heavier fabric so it is less see through and revealing. 

 When you are cutting out your pattern make the legs about 1/2 inch narrower than a regular pair of leggings this will make them nice and snug but a fabric with lots of stretch will still be comfortable. Also no need to stretch out the waistband since we will be skipping elastic in these just make sure the top is a little narrower than the leggings you are tracing. 

Lastly let's talk about sewing. You will need to use a stitch that allows for stretch. For my machine it is called the stretch stitch and although white on white is really hard to see it looks a bit like a lighting bolt zig zag. It holds the fabric and seams together well but allows the fabric to fully stretch. The reason this stitch is important is so that the waist and ankle openings stretch to fit and so the other seams don't break when she sits down. I simply fold under the leg cuffs and sew in place and then sew the waist band under and sew in place. Then sew up the legs and sew them together as normal. Before you know it you have a snug (but comfy) fitting pair of leggings. No elastic needed since they are snug enough to stay up alone. 

See you back here tomorrow with the tutorials for the new tops!