Tuesday's Tute: Slim those Leggings

Do you have a tall and slim girl?  As you know, I do.  And, she loves wearing leggings.  Legging fabric is hard to find and quite expensive.  However, ready to wear leggings are quite inexpensive, but waaay too wide.  The solution for us...slim them.  This tutorial works for any leggings with a thin, not bulky, waist.  We buy our leggings at Walmart for under $6.  They don't last long, but serve our purpose.  One year they are worn "by-by".  The next year, after they'll no longer come as clean, they are worn as play clothes.  By the end of two years, they are always tooo short ;).
Here is the simple tutorial.

Materials:
Leggings that are the proper length.  Pay no attention to size or width...that won't matter.  Some of Curly's leggings are 14/16 on the size label.  Most of them are size 10/12 on the size label.
Leggings that are the proper width. Pay no attention to the length. 
Sewing machine that does a zigzag or a serger.
Ballpoint needle: critical! A ballpoint needle is a must when sewing on knit.  A regular needle will "break" your fabric as you sew.  The fabric at the seam will simply fall apart....not good at all.

Directions:

1. Lay the new leggings (too wide) on a flat surface.  Lay the old leggings (too short) on top of the new leggings.  Match up the inseam and center front and back seams.  You'll be using the new waist and new leg hem.  You'll also keep the inseam and crotch seam.

2. Cut from the top waistband edge (through the waistband) along outter edge, leave 1/4" for a seam allowance. 3. Use a 2 wide by 2 long zigzag stitch. And a ballpoint needle! Stitch through the waistband, down the outter seam, and through the hem.  Make sure to backstitch to begin and end your new outter seam.

That's it!  You now have slim leggings!  This tutorial also works for knit shorts.  They key is a lightweight or thin waistband that you can easily sew through.  I slimmed 6 pair in under 30 min.  Yes, 6 pair...she was in dire need of bottom covering. ;)

Happy Sewing!
Debbie