DIY Crazy Socks (Leg Warmers) Tutorial
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My little missy had her very first and oh-so exciting Girl Scout event last weekend. It was a sleepover/cookie kick off. The sleepover party was held at our local event center/arena, so all the troops from the area were there. (Lots of girls- so much fun!)
Part of the festivities was a crazy sock contest. I figured she could wear the legwarmers I made last year, but after hunting all over, I could only find one of the rainbow sweater legwarmers! I really wanted her to win, so I knew it would be really quick and easy to make her another pair. (Plus it’s been freezing cold, so wearing leg warmers would help keep her warm.)
After going through my stash of knits and scrap fabrics, my missy decided she really wanted the mustache fabric, but I really wanted to use the rainbow fabric. (It was leftover from this project.) We compromised and I used both. It was probably our crazy mismatched/coordinating fabrics that put the legwarmers over the top and she won the contest! Yea! The prize was stickers and what little girl doesn’t like stickers?
We generally have 2 to 3 crazy sock days a year, so hopefully I will be able to keep a better handle on the location of these, so we can use them again.
Are you ready to make some? You will love how easy they are to make!
Important pattern info:
- Make sure you are using a stretchy knit with good recovery.
- Use a ball point needle.
- Legwarmers are sewn with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.
- You could serge the entire project or use a narrow zig zag with a long stitch length. (I did the entire project on my sewing machine with the narrow/long zigzag.)
Step one: Get your measurements and cut out pattern pieces.
Measure around the calf and below the knee. Add 1.5 inches to the calf measurement for measurement A”. (There is plenty of ease in this leg warmer pattern to fit over bulkier bottoms. She is wearing a pair of very tight denim leggings in the photos.) Subtract one inch for the under the knee measurement for “measurement B.”. Typically leg warmers are 12 inches long, but I wanted mine a bit longer (1 inch.)
The cutting instructions below are for a 12 inch leg warmer. If you need a longer or shorter leg warmer, measure from knee to ankle and decide how long you want it to be. Subtract 1.5 inches from this measurement to account for the seam allowances and top/bottom bands. (FYI, my 7 year old is a size 6x and I made her leg warmers 13 inches in total.)
- Cut 2 fabric pieces 10.5 inches tall by “measurement A.” (My “measurement A” was 11.5 inches.)
- Cut 4 fabric pieces 2.5 inches tall by “measurement B.” (My “measurement B” was 8 inches.)
Step 2: Assembling the leg warmer.
Fold all the pieces right sides together and sew along the edge with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. (Use a serger, stretch stitch or narrow zig zag with a long stitch length for the entire project.)
Flip all the pieces right side out. Fold the two smaller bands in half.
Divide the bands and the top and bottom of the main leg warmer piece equally into fourths.
Quick tip, Don’t use the band seam as a mark spot. If you line the seams of the band up with the seam of the main leg warmer, it will make a very bulky spot to sew over. Since the knit is so stretchy, it could stretch/ make this area look wonky. Just move it over about 1/4 inch.)
On the right side of the main leg warmer piece, line up the raw edges of the band and leg warmer. Pin the two pieces together at the 4 marked spots.
Sew these pieces together with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Sew one or two stitches and then stretch the band to match the top of the legwarmer as you sew. Be careful to not stretch the top of the legwarmer.
So cute!
If you make these, I would be so happy if you shared your finished leg warmers on my facebook page or tag me on Instagram!
Like this post? Don’t forget to pin it!
- My Sewing Machine: SINGER 9960 Quantum Stylist
- My Serger: Brother 1034D 3 or 4 Thread Serger or you can just use Pinking Shears
- Rotary Cutter
- I love my large ruler and large cutting mat, but you may prefer to start of with a smaller Cutting set
- Dritz Dual Purpose Marking Pen and Fray Check
- Ball Point needles
- Singer walking foot or universal walking foot
- Wonder clips (I didn’t use these in the post, but they are just awesome!
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