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Monday, April 21, 2014

Stretching {Baby Leggings}

Today I decided to try a project I've been meaning to do for a long time. I have had the cutest Patty Young knit fabric in my stash for - oh - about 5 years now and it was time to use it.

Baby leggings were what I had in mind. I'd read a few tutes for them and they seemed like they should be ok.


I tried to get a twin needle for my machine but the local craft shop where I know they stock them was closed today, and the other fabric shop had an assistant who did not know what a twin needle was. (She offered me knitting needles first, then size 16 machine needles, then, unsurprisingly, I left.)

So I just jumped in with what I had on my machine. Turns out my machine has a lot of fancy stitches well capable of dealing with stretch fabric. (Not that I knew what any of them were.)


I used a pair of leggings Rachel already owned to make the pattern following this tutorial. Then I tried out some of the overcast stitches on my machine. I still don't really know the difference between some of them, they seem pretty similar, but I used one for stretch knit fabric and it seemed to work ok. (It was number 21 on the picture below)

 

The machine told me to use this fancyblind hem foot when I picked the stitch (no idea why though). I like how it looks and it seems nicely finished though.


These were really straightforward to make. I liked the finish I got using this stitch on the main leg and front and back seams. However, I didn't really finish the raw edges on the hem turn-under as nicely as I would like - I was trying to overlock them before sewing the hems on the bottom of the legs and it stretched the fabric a little. I know they won't fray and it won't be noticed, so it's not a big deal but I'd like to figure out how to finish them a bit more professionally. I also was a little messy sewing up the casing for the elastic at the top. But overall, they're details only I would notice.

Miss Rachel tried them on and seemed very comfortable in them. I think I'd go a couple of inches longer next time but they fit pretty well now. I had fun making these and I'll definitely be trying some more dress making in future, I haven't done it for a long time and forgot how nice it is to make something for someone to wear.


7 comments:

  1. Glad they worked out, looks like a satisfied customer :o)

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  2. What a pumpkin! The leggings are adorable, as is Rachel, looking mighty pleased with her new outfit!

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  3. your little girl looks very much at home in her leggings can see you making a few more before too long

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  4. they look great. i usually use ball-point needles when sewing knits and use the twin-needle only for hems. and definitely use poly thread instead of cotton (but you probably already know that).

    one day i'd love to get a coverstitch machine but probably not anytime soon.

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  5. Aw, so cute! I think they came out really well. I just used a twin needle to do the hem on a dress for my little one (well, not as little as yours!) and found them to be problematic on knits. I got it to work eventually. The dress is here: http://kaesey.wordpress.com/2014/04/11/little-foxes/. Does your machine have a stretch stitch? Mine doesn't but I've been told that's the easiest one to use.

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  6. They look great, well done on the stitch experimentation and success. Why can't people just say they have no idea what you're talking about and try to find someone (or google) that can help? So funny/sad :)

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