Julie
Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 149 Feedbacks November 1, 20070 found this helpful
this question is right up my alley. so i hope i can help you. I'm a seamstress and sewing is all i do. I sell from home to others in craft shows and sell on ebay. one of my usual customers that buys baby items i sell just ask me a couple of weeks ago if i made these. I told her i would do some closer to christmas time and list them.
They are so eay to make. you really did not need to buy the items you already purchased, unless you just liked that pattern of the fabric & colors. If you were saying you had cut them and what next? then i'm assuming you have a sewing machine. I'm going to send you a link I found below that I hope will help.
But its easier and cheaper & you have more choices in fabrics if you make them by this method.
The type fabric that they are made from is called polyester nylon (very stretchy when pulled one way and not stretchy at all when pulled the oppisite way) try pulling a tiny section of the tights you already purchased you'll see what i mean.
Walmart selling that type fabric in so many colors and patterns, most of the time on the $1.00 per yard table. for infants small sizes like0-3 months or 6-12 moths or 12-24months in only takes about 1/2 or less to make them. you can even mix and match the colors of fabrics like stripes for the leg part and solid color that matches for the cuff part.
Until you get a pattern you can measure what lenght your childs inseam is from the inside leg crotch are down to where you would want the ankle cuff to be. then the cuff part on both ends would be as wide as you want (usually 2 inches and no more than 4 inches wide) the lenght of the leg would be minus those two numbers of the cuffs.
To connect them together (if you bought the fabric from the fabric department) you will have 3 pieces of fabrics (the leg part which would be a long square shape like a rectangle and then two matching shorter one for the cuffs) the cuff ones will be folded over once when you connect them to your leg part. first take the long leg piece and trun it with right sides of the fabric facing eachother and sew up the seamline. I always do a zigzag stitch so it holds better or you can use a straight stitch just do it twice so it will hold good. then you take your cuffs and do the same procedure on each one which is this. turn your cuff over with wrong sides facing each (not right sides here) and sew a seam along the top of it (which will make a long snake shape (but your piece will be with thr right side of fabric showing and then ends will be open still. then take that same piece and fold it again with the ends laying against each other and sew the short seams there. then you take your long leg piece that you had already sewed up and turn it so its facing you with the right side of the fabric facing you laying flat with the seam you sewed on it in the center back.
then you take your cuffs and you slip a cuff over the end of the legs end with the seams on both matching (here the fabrics right sides will be matching. and you will be looking at the selvage edges of both pieces (the leg center piece and your cuff) you should have 4 layers off fabric together at this point all raw selvages then you sew around those selavge edge and after you have done that atleast 2 times around with a straight stitch or one zigzag stitch then your done. you just then flip over the cuff which will reaveal the cuff sewn to the leg and all center back seams should match two when you lined them up to sew. you do the other cuff the same way.
you can use existing leggings you have to make the exact size you need just laying that item on your fabric or the ones you've already bought to cut them out. if you need them bigger because the child has grown just cut allitle larger by an inch or two but allow for seamlines.
I hope explaination was clear. I know whats in my minds eye telling you but my explaination of written might be confusing. Try looking at the cuffs on other pairs you have already, turn them inside out to see how they are sewn together and you see what i mean by how i explain the way to do it. after you get good at it, if its for a girl make her matching head bands from the same fabrics. like narrow ones ran through elastic for the sruchy look or the wide flat ones for head bands to keep there ears warm. to do that you do the same thing as the cuffs but you just turn connect the ends together. add ribbons or silk flowers or buttons for such cute looks.
heres the site i mentioned to get a visual picture of how they look. I'll try to look for more. and post as well.
this ebay person sells the pattern. so that may help you and you can see her example to see how they are made like i explained which hopefully helped. I will be making many choices and listing in sets near to christmas time. I'm new here so not sure I could give you me ebay seller name to view them later. on boys that you make in netural colors, you can add patches like diego curious george, spider man, they sell the patches at walmart in the fabric section. OH! notice the cuffs on ones already made, you'll see what I mean by the fabric streching one way verses the other way. You run the fabric on the leg part to the no stretch way but the cuffs are cutt on the fabric the other way so they stretch, thats so the cuff bands stretch when they go over the childs legs or arms depending on how you using the item for them. well, good luck
cgi.ebay.com/.../eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320173631299
By cheapo (Guest Post)
November 3, 20070 found this helpful
i have never done this.
but, i think you are right, they would ravel if cut.
i'm suggesting that instead of cutting,
just put the socks over the stockings
(just like your daughter had both on her feet)
and sew them together that way.
first at the toe seems,
and again around the top of the knee sock.
there's no reason why she can't wear double layer.
Good luck!
