Finished Leggings Reveal: How I Sewed My Own Perfect Fit

In this video, I’m showing off the cool leggings I sewed, highlighting the fit, fabric, and overall design. I’ll talk about what inspired the project and why I love how they turned out. If you’re into sewing or just love unique, custom-made fashion, you’ll enjoy seeing the finished leggings in action!

Transcript

Hi, sewing peeps! My name is Teria, and I’m with Peace and Make. Today, I’m going to talk about Simplicity 8424, specifically View B, which are the leggings. I wanted to show you four pairs of leggings that I made and just talk through how they’ve been holding up, what I’ve learned, and all that jazz.

So, a little backstory: I made these leggings probably at the beginning of last year, and I’ve been wearing them ever since. I thought it would be cool to share how they’ve worked out over the course of the year. Another thing to mention is that I started working out around this time last year—maybe March, I can’t quite remember. But when I started working out, I realized I needed some leggings because I’m tall, and the leggings I found in stores were always way too short. They stopped above my ankle, looking like high waters! So, I decided to make some leggings that actually go past my ankle.

I’ve got some video of me walking around in these leggings, which will pop up somewhere on the screen (camera magic, right?). I’m still a new video editor, so we’ll see how it goes, but I’m excited to share it! I’ve also taken some B-roll footage, which I’ll put in a little rectangle up top.

When I first made these leggings, I made a wearable muslin—meaning, I used fabric that I didn’t mind testing out. I actually ended up wearing those first leggings as pajamas for a while. I wore them so much that the elastic got all wavy and wonky-looking, and the fabric ended up with those little lint balls all over it. Unfortunately, I don’t have them to show you now, but they were my test pair. The purpose of that was to test the fit and get a sense of how the pattern would work with my body, especially the curvature of my hips.

From that, I realized I liked the fit, so I made adjustments, like adding more length to the legs. This pattern isn’t long enough for my height, so I had to measure my leg and lengthen it. For reference, I’m 5’10.5” tall.

Before I made these leggings, I actually made two other pairs using the same pattern, and I wear those regularly as part of my everyday outfits. I already had the pattern adjusted, so I just laid it down and cut it out four times.

So, the first pair I want to show you are these. I got all of these fabrics from Serge Fabrics. They have great workout fabrics at a really good price. These leggings are made from my stretchiest fabric, so if you want something that has a lot of stretch, these are a great option. But be aware, you’ll want to size down a bit because they stretch quite a lot. Initially, these leggings were falling off of me, but now that I’ve gained some inches in my waist and thighs from working out, they fit much better. I could have taken them in to make them smaller, but I didn’t—of course!

Because my body weight fluctuates, I added extra seam allowance—probably about an inch instead of the standard 5/8”. This way, I have some flexibility to adjust the fit if I need to. I also added extra seam allowance in the crotch area to give myself some room to move. This allows me to wear these leggings comfortably throughout the year without worrying about them getting too tight.

Next up are these leggings, which I’m really excited about. They’re made from a warm fleece-lined fabric. If you look closely, you can see how soft and cozy the inside is. Yes, I have worked out in these, and let me tell you—they are HOT! They feel like wearing a blanket, so they’re perfect for winter. If you’re someone who likes to jog outside in cold weather, these would be amazing leggings for that. The stretch is pretty true to size, so no need to size down with these—they fit close to the size on the pattern.

However, my next pair of leggings—I don’t actually wear these to work out in. They’re really tight! The fabric doesn’t have as much stretch as the others, and the fit is pretty snug. I’d probably recommend making the sizing a little bigger if you want them to fit comfortably for working out. I also have extra seam allowance here, which I could have adjusted to allow for more stretch, but for now, I just wear them with sweaters that cover most of my bottom. I don’t wear these for workouts because they’re just too tight for my liking—I’m a bit modest with my clothing, so these are more of a casual wear piece for me.

And by the way, if you’re wondering, I don’t always match my thread. I’m pretty laid-back about it—if I have some leftover thread from another project, I’ll use it, even if it doesn’t match perfectly. I’m not doing any topstitching, so I figure if it works, it works!

Now, my absolute favorite pair—these black leggings. This fabric is incredibly soft, and the stretch is just right—true to size. You don’t need to size up or down with these. The fit is perfect, and they’re probably the most comfortable pair I’ve made. You can see a little seam peeking out here, which I should probably trim off, but honestly, I don’t mind. It’s not visible when I’m wearing them, so I just leave it. If I adjust the fit later, I’ll cut the seams off, but for now, they’re totally fine.

I bought all the fabrics for these leggings from Serge Fabrics, and I’ll link to these black leggings below. The green fabric was a remnant, so I’m not sure if they still have it, but I’ll check. I know the black fabric is available, so I’ll be sure to include the link for that.

Overall, after wearing these leggings for a year and washing them multiple times, they still look brand new. They hold up really well, which is a great sign!

If you’re thinking about making leggings, I know it can be tricky because of the fit—pants can be hard in general. But with knits, it’s a bit easier than with woven fabrics. I’d recommend using some cheap fabric to make a test pair or a wearable muslin, like I did. If you don’t love the fit, you can always turn them into pajamas!

So, that’s it for me today! Let me know if you have any questions. Happy sewing, and I’ll catch you next time. Bye, guys!