Flounce Bottom Leggings Tutorial w/ free pattern

How to add a flounced hem to a legging pattern.  

(Looking for more free patterns? Be sure to check out my free patterns and tutorials page here.)

I signed my little girl up to play T-ball this fall.  (It’s a pretty neat set-up, we have the practices and the games on Saturday mornings one right after the other, couldn’t be more convenient!)  She is the only girl on her team and the uniforms couldn’t be any more sad looking, just a blue t-shirt with the league logo.

I thought about making her a cute hair bow to go with the uniform, but since they have to take their ball caps off and put on helmets every inning, hairbows wouldn’t work.  I figured the next best way to dress up her uniform would be to just add some cute and super girly leggings!

So….  You guessed it, I made a bunch of cute flounce-bottom leggings!

And of course, I wrote a tutorial in case you wanted to make some too!  (Including a 3t and 5/6 printable pattern.  The link is below, under materials needed.)

*update* June 5, 2014:  There is a new pattern for these capris.  The pattern now comes in sizes 3 to 8 and include cut marks for shorts and full length leggings.  (the pattern is here:  Free Legging pattern.)

The tutorial below is still helpful because it shows you have to create a flounce pattern and how to create and sew a legging pattern if you need a size other than 3 to 8.)

Materials needed to make Flounced Leggings:  Go here for the new multi sized pattern.)

• +/- 3/4 yard of stretch knit fabric (more or less depending on size and length you make)
• Ball point needle
• 3/4 inch elastic
• legging pattern or a pair of leggings to trace 
• paper to trace on
• tape
• scissors, ruler, fabric marker, pen

*note:  all seams are 1/4 inch unless otherwise stated.  Also, since these leggings are made with knits, I did not add any extra length for hemming, if you want to hem your pants, you will need to adjust accordingly.

Instructions:

Step 1:  Creating the legging and flounce pattern.

If you already have a legging pattern, skip down to 1b.  (Go here for the new multi sized pattern.)  For a customized fit, it is not a bad idea to compare a pair of leggings you have to mine…)

 *** Important pattern printing tip***  When printing the patterns, do not print directly from Google docs.  Download the pattern to your computer and open it in your adobe acrobat reader.  Choose actual size and the landscape option.  (I just printed a pattern directly off Google docs and notice it printed slightly smaller.)

1a.  Legging pattern:

Fold your pants in half and pull the crotch seam all the way out, smoothing out any wrinkles.  Trace around the pants, adding in a 1/4 inch seam allowance all the way around and adding 1 extra inch along the top for the elastic casing.

Then re-fold the pants the opposite way (so the backside is showing) and pull the crotch seam all the way out again.  Trace around the back side the same way to make the back pattern piece.  Don’t forget to add the seam allowance and casing allowance to your pattern.

If you are making capri’s mark where you want the capri length to be.  Cut out your patterns, but keep them full length so you will have the option of capris or full length leggings.

1b. Making the flounce pattern.

Decide how long you want your flounce.  (Mine is 2.5 inches)  On your legging pattern, (the step is the same whether you make full or capri length) measure from the bottom, the length of the flounce measurement.  Mark this measurement on your pattern.

Fold the legging pattern under at the mark you made and re-draw the bottom of your legging pattern onto a new piece of paper.

Cut this new piece out.  Use your ruler to draw lines along this pattern piece 1/2 inch apart as shown below.

Cut along the lines and spread the pattern piece out in a circle shape.  Lightly tape in place.

Draw along the pattern piece as shown below, adding in 1/4 inch at the bottom.  Remove the taped pieces and cut out your new flounce pattern.

Step 2:  Cutting out the pattern pieces:

Fold your fabric in half and cut 2 front pieces and 2 back pieces.

Cut 4 flounce pieces.  (Don’t cut the flounce on the fold, it has 1/4 inch seam allowances built in to the pattern.)

Step 3:  Assembling the pants.

Follow the steps outlined below.  I suggest reinforcing the seams in step 1 and 3 with a serger, zig zag stitch or simply a 2nd line of stitching along side the original stitch. (In between the original line of stitching and edge of fabric.)

Step 4:  Assembling and adding the flounce. 

Line up the flounce pattern pieces, right sides together and sew as indicated below.  

To attach the flounce to the bottom of the legging, line up the top of the flounce with the bottom of the legging, right sides together, matching up the side seams.  Pin the flounce to the bottom of the legging.  I recommend pinning from the inside. It is much easier to sew this step from the inside.

Sew the flounce to the bottom of the legging using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.  Remove the pins as you sew.  Repeat the steps above for the second leg.

Step 5:  Creating the casing.   (If you are interested in a different way of adding elastic, Check out the method I used in my fleece pajama bottoms tutorial. – I sewed the elastic directly on the waistband.)

Fold the top edge over 1 inch and iron flat.  (It is unnecessary to serge or finish the top edge of the legging – I had done it before I realized it…)

Sew along the fabric edge, about 1/8th from the edge.  Leave about a 1.5 inch opening for the elastic.  Cut a piece of elastic to the wearer’s waist measurement, minus 1 inch.

Thread the elastic through the casing.

Connect the edges of the elastic using a tight, wide zig zag stitch and sew the opening closed.

That’s it, you are done, now go make a bunch!

 

Good luck!  Let me know if you have any questions…