Sew Your Own Leggings

In the age of athleisure, sewing your own printed leggings is a fun and easy way to update your wardrobe.

Sewing your own leggings is such an easy and rewarding project because it's quick, there are so many prints to choose from, and they're so comfortable.

In this tutorial, I will show you how to use your favorite leggings as the pattern to make all the printed leggings your heart desires.

I highly recommend using your own leggings over starting out with a new sewing pattern. If you use your favorite leggings as the pattern, you already know you love the fit and can take the guess work out of which size to cut and save time from making adjustments.

Make sure that the fabric you choose has 4 way stretch. This is a close fitting garment so you want to make sure that the fabric will move in every direction with you.

Check out these fabrics for inspiration:

Heathered Blue Print

Galaxy Print

Mandarin Print

Materials:

- 2 yards of 4 way stretch fabric

- Matching thread

- Twin needle

- Your favorite leggings to use as a pattern

- Pattern paper

Making the Pattern:

Turning your leggings inside out, lay out the front leg making sure the seams are on the edges. Trace around the leg, making sure to include seam allowance. I used my serger so I used 3/8ths of an inch. Be sure to add hem allowance to the bottom. I added 1 1/2 inches at the hem to make them ankle length. Cut 2 out of fabric.

Flip over to the back and repeat. Make sure the leg is flat and seams are on the edges. Cut 2 out of fabric.

For the waistband, make sure to pay close attention to the curves of the top and bottom and the angle of the side seams. This is important because the curves help contour to your body for a better fit. Trace front, and flip and repeat for the back waistband. Cut 2 of front waistband pieces and cut 2 of back waistband pieces.

Sewing the leggings is just as fast as tracing the pattern.

I used my Janome Airthread 2000D, it sews like a dream.

Sewing:

1. Match a front and back leg piece at inseam and side seam, stitch. Repeat for other leg.

2. Turning one leg right side out, match legs right sides together along crotch seam by putting the right side out leg inside the other. Stitch U shaped seam.

3. For waistband, match each front waistband piece with a back waistband piece at side seams. Stitch. Once you have two waistbands sewn, pin them together at upper edge, right sides together and stitch. Turn the waistband right side out and press.

4. Pin waistband to leggings right sides together, making sure the front waistband goes to the front and the back waistband is matching with the back of the leggings.

5. Fold up bottom hem 1/2 inch and top stitch with twin needle.

That's it, you're done!

-Danielle

Stay up to date with Danielle Amato Apparel! Sign up here for email updates!