Leggings are a wardrobe staple for my daughter—pulling on and off with no buttons, zippers or other annoying closures. They are every girls’ must-have and with Spoonflower’s new Sport Lycra fabric, I can sew up some extra fun pairs for her dance/play/sports activities. These leggings will take about 30 minutes to make and you don’t need a pattern. All you need is a pair of existing leggings that you like the fit of, and you can make these using the same method, for adults and children alike.
I used a ball-point needle and a zig-zag stitch to sew up these leggings. I finished the seams with a serger but the fabric won’t fray if you don’t have a serger. You’ll also need some elastic for the waistband. For children’s clothes, I prefer 3/4″ (1.91 cm) wide elastic. I ordered a yard of Teal Watercolor Triangles by ivieclothco on Sport Lycra for this pair. Depending on the size of your child, you may need to order more than one yard.
Materials:
- A pair of old leggings to use as a pattern
- A large piece of paper (to trace the shape of the leggings on, for use as a pattern piece)
- 1-2+ yards of Sport Lycra depending on size of leggings you’re making (Need help estimating fabric? Check out this link.)
- Sewing machine
- All-purpose sewing thread
- 3/4″ (1.91 cm) wide elastic for waistband (you’ll need an elastic length that’s 2″ (5.08 cm) smaller than the waist measurement)
- Pen
- Ruler
1. Trace your old leggings.
Start by laying your leggings out flat on a large piece of paper (tape two or more pieces together if necessary) and align the side of the leggings with the edge of the paper, but about 1/2″ (1.27 cm) away from the edge itself. You’ll be tracing around the leggings but adding an extra 1/2″ (1.27 cm) all the way around to account for a seam allowance. If you have a curved ruler, this will help you trace around the shape of the legs, but you can also freehand it. Start tracing around the bottom of the leg opening and up the inseam, stopping at the crotch. Don’t forget to add a 1/2″ (1.27 cm) as you trace.
As you reach the crotch, fold over the other leg of the leggings to reveal the front/back crotch seam, and continue to trace.
2. Cut out your pattern piece and place your folded Sport Lycra on top.
The straight edge of the pattern piece needs to be placed along the folded edge of the fabric. Spoonflower has a lot of information in this post about orientating your pattern on the grain or across the grain of the fabric. Cut out your pattern piece.
Step 3. Flip the paper pattern over again.
Then align the straight edge along the folded edge of the fabric. Cut your second leg from the folded fabric.
Step 4. Fold and pin each leg.
Fold each leg in half with the right sides facing. Pin from the crotch and down the entire leg (do not pin the curve of the crotch seam) and sew.
Step 5. Finish the bottom of the legs.
There are two ways to finish the bottoms of the legs. To make cuffs, trim 3” (7.62 cm) away from the bottom edge of the legs. Fold the rings of fabric in half with wrong sides together, pin to around the perimeter of the right sides of each leg and sew. Alternatively, you could just turn up the hem 1/2″ (1.27 cm) to the wrong side and sew, without a cuff.
Step 6. Sew the two sides together.
Now turn one leg inside out and one leg right sides out. Insert the right side out leg into the inside out leg and match the seams at the crotch. The right side of both leg pieces should be facing each other. Pin the entire front and back crotch seam and sew. Pull the legs to the right side and you’ll have an almost-complete pair of leggings.
Step 7. Finish the waistband.
To finish the waistband of your leggings, turn the waistband 1/2″ (1.27 cm) to the wrong side. Turn a further (generous) 3/4″ (1.91 cm) and pin. Sew the waistband leaving a 2” (5.1 cm) hole unsewn so that you can insert the elastic into the casing.
Step 8. Thread the elastic through the waistband.
Use a bodkin or extra large needle to thread the 3/4″(1.905 cm) wide elastic through the waistband. Have the child try on the leggings and adjust the elastic length to fit comfortably. Sew the two ends of the elastic together and sew the hole in the waistband seam closed.
This tunic dress was made using Navy Aztec Stripe by ivieclothco with Sport Lycra and the Ice Cream Dress pattern by Oliver + S. Because Sport Lycra has a four way stretch, it’s a great fabric to show off different cut orientations on directional prints.
Creative and easy! Thanks for this instruction 🙂
I discovered years ago that the best paper to use for pattern making, is a roll of exam table paper from my doctor’s office. They usually sell it to me for cheap and one roll lasts a LONG time.
Thank you for sharing!
so fab! lurv it so much.
@MamaKelly
https://doyousew.com
I discovered years ago that the best paper to use for pattern making, is a roll of exam table paper from my doctor’s office. They usually sell it to me for cheap and one roll lasts a LONG time. Happy sewing!
oooo Barbara that’s a great idea! I typically use thin, flexible interfacing or parchment paper. It’s good to have options!
Thank you!
This is a very good blog.I like this blog posting
Yes they are. You could trim the front down slightly in a curve for comfort if you like. I didn’t, but you could.
Are the front and back crotch seams the same?
Thanks Aldea! As Allie said, I made my cuffs by cutting 3″ off the bottom of the legs and folding in half. This will result in leggings finishing approx 1.5″ shorter than your original pair. You can add extra to the bottom of your pattern if you want your finished leggings to be the same as the originals. Experiment! These are so easy and I think it’s nice to have a variety of legging lengths! Good luck.
Hi Aldea,
Thanks for your note! We love this tutorial, too! For Emma's pants, she made her cuffs 1 1/2" by cutting a 3" wide piece and folding in half. If you'd like larger cuffs, you can cut a wider piece.
Best,
Allie
Great tutorial! I will make some of these for my daughter. If I’m going to do the cuff should I be making the leg pieces 1.5″ longer to account for folding the cuff in half?