Sewing Project: Leggings for the Little One

I have a new found obsession with looking at craft-related blogs online. I didn't realize, until recently, that there are so many cool, young moms (and non-moms too) who are into crafting and sewing and making really cute things with their skills! I have tried and sometimes succeeded with a few of the many great projects I've seen. Recently, I came across this really cute project on the "Homemade by Jill" blog (there's a link to it on our list of blogs we like) and tried it out. It was really easy and pretty quick. Jill put a link on her website to some instructions on how to make these, but I'll put some in here as well. They are baby leggings made from a pair of tube socks! All you need is a pair of tube socks (preferably cute ones), a sewing machine, scissors, and a ruler.

First, you cut the heel and toe off of each sock (as pictured below left). Just eyeball it. Then, take the bottom/foot portion of each sock (as opposed to the top/ankle portion) and cut it lengthwise so that it is only 2 1/2" wide (watching the direction of the hearts may help if there's any confusion as to what I'm doing). Next, take one of those bottom pieces and fold it lengthwise with the right sides facing each other. Sew along the longer side using a 1/4" seam (below right). Repeat with the other bottom piece.

Then, trim off as much of the excess fabric you can, being very careful not to snip through your stitching (below left). Next, you are going to make a cuff by making each piece into a tube and folding the fabric up. This can't really be put into words, so just look at the center picture below. On the left is one in the process of being folded up and on the right is how the cuff should look. Now, find four equi-distant points in the end of the cuff with the rough edge and mark those spots with pins (below right photo, right side). Then, take the top/ankle piece of the sock and turn it inside out. Mark 4 equi-distant points on the rough side with pins (below right photo, left side). (I know, I should not have used the smallest pins in the world for this).

Next, you are going to tuck the little cuff inside of the larger tube that is the top/ankle part of the sock, with rough edges lined up and right sides facing each other. Line the four pins on the cuff with the four pins on the ankle piece and pin both pieces together at those points (below left). Now you need to slide this whole mess under your sewing machine and stitch both pieces together around the rough edge using 1/4" seam again (below middle). Repeat on the other side using the other cuff and ankle piece. Then, turn the top piece of the sock right-side out and you have made little leggings for your baby! (below right). These are ideal for probably around 3-12 months, when babies are moving from tummy time to crawling and all areas in between...and they're great because you can stretch them or scrunch them any way you want. I also bought some cute socks for this that are a lot shorter than I realized, but they would be ideal for newborns! It's so much easier for diaper changes than pants or tights. Let us know if you try this fun project and tell us how it comes out!