Tuesday's Tute: Sew Some Legwarmers

 It's legwarmer season and they're back in style.  I happen to be old enough to remember wearing them in their first go around.  I certainly wish I had thought to make them back then.  It's actually very easy.
Curly had no idea legwarmers were once worn by mommy.  She found a picture in a catalog of a girl wearing them over leggings.  She thought the legwarmers would work great to cover the space between her leggings and socks.  It's sad that mommy's behind in sewing and she has a space between her leggings and socks.  But, at least she's resourceful.  And, it took much less time for me to make some legwarmers than more pants. ;)  The pants will come, but at least a few pair of legwarmers buys me more time.   These can be made from a sweater, as shown, which give a thicker, fuller fitting legwarmer and fit up to adult sizes.  Or, they can be made from women's knee high socks to fit up to size 8 girls, and be a lightweight, narrower fit.  We accessorized ours with a coordinating bow and button on the side.  Have fun with the tute!

Materials:
Sweater or Knee socks
Measurement from wearer and measuring tape
Scissors
Sewing Supplies
1/4" Sew through elastic
Decorative thread (optional)

Directions:

 1. Measure and cut the sweater sleeve to 1 1/2 times the finished length of the legwarmer.  The 1/2 times is to add slouchability.  You can do more or less for your slouching purpose.  I did a bit less w/the knee socks.

 cut pieces

 2. I used a decorative thread and stitched two rows of zigzag along the sweater cuff to add interest.

 3. Zigzag along the raw edge to prevent fraying.  You want to make sure not to pull the sweater so that it doesn't stretch out while zigzagging.

 4. Cut a piece of elastic to the circumference you want around the ankle and to slip over the foot.  Pin one end of the elastic at the seam.  Find the 1/2 point of the elastic and pin it to the 1/2 point of the sweater.  The sweater is going to be larger around than your elastic.

 5. You'll want to do this step on the elastic side.  Not as pictured.  It was pretty hard to feel the elastic underneath.  I wanted to use decorative thread and was too cheap to fill the bobbin with it.
Using a zigzag stitch, sew and reverse a few stitches at the beginning of the elastic piece.  Put your needle in the down position.  Pull the elastic until the sweater and the elastic match lengths to the 1/2 way pin.  Zigzag the elastic to the sweater.  Make sure not to over pull and stretch the sweater.

  6. Put the needle in the down position and again. Pull the elastic to match the sweater so that the elastic overlaps the beginning place by a 1/2". Zigzag the elastic to the sweater.

7. Stitch elastic overlap space well.

8.  Accessorize as desired and enjoy.

Happy Sewing!
Debbie