Good afternoon, readers!
In the northern hemisphere we’re heading into fall and many of us are preparing for cold weather sewing. For me, it’s time to think of leggings and tights and keeping my legs warm under my dresses. For others, you might be looking for activewear patterns. We have been discussing sewing patterns for leggings and tights as well as ready-to-wear options in our CSC Facebook group, and I figured it was a good time to share some options on our site.
Sewing Patterns
Leggings
- up to 61″ hip
- up to 50″ hip
McCall’s 6360 Leggings in 4 Lengths
- up to 48″ hip
- up to 56″ hip
Jalie 2920 Leggings, Stirrup Tights and Mini-skirt
- up to 53″ hip
Patterns for Pirates Peg Legs Leggings
- up to 58″ hip
- up to 55″ waist
Tights
Seamster Rose Hip Tights & Stockings
- up to 50″ hip
- review by CSC contributor Elaine
Wolf and Tree Gazelle Footed Tights and Leggings
- up to 58″ hip
Dreamstress Rosalie Seamed Stockings
- customize to your size historical/costume stockings
RTW Options
Leggings
Tights
* my personal favorite
Do you have any suggestions for sewing patterns or RTW options for leggings and/or tights?
Fabric choice is hard. I’ve never had luck buying knits online – recovery is always a question.
I have purchased tights weight knits at JoAnn’s and had good luck and appalling luck, often in fabric identified as the same knit material. I just try to buy onsale and only get enough for one project (and if that works, go back and get more more more). And Elaine’s review on the Seamster tights was the biggest selling point for me originally. Thanks lady!
I’d like to echo Arlian in recommending the Patterns 4 Pirates FB group. There was a thread there recently (with the past week) about leggings and a lot of sharing about preferred fabric types and where people shop for them.
I would like to add a comment about the McCall’s legging pattern shared. Yes, the envelope may say up to 48″ hip, however if you use the right fabric it can and will fir larger sizes. I know this from personal experience. My hips are around 62″, but I comfortably wear this pattern with no adjustments what so ever.
No one really answered STH in the first question – what are your sources for fabrics with enough stretch and, more importantly, recovery, for leggings? No point in putting all the work in if they’re falling down around your ankles by midday!!!
My local Walmart stocks a few standard colors of swimwear solids — that’s what I shop to make leggings/tights for my curvy daughter. It’s 4-way stretch, a good middle-weight, and sews up beautifully.
Have also bought some knits in the “dancewear” section at JoAnn’s Fabrics. Not my favorite store, but the only brick-and-mortar alternative to Walmart, where I live.
I hate and despise to order fabric that I have not seen, touched, and smelled. That may be your only alternative, to get proper performance knits.
Does anybody have recommendations on what fabric to buy for leggings? And where? I’m concerned about the fabric being substantial enough and having good recovery, so would love to hear how people found legging fabric that worked well for them.
Green Pepper patterns #406 Adult’s Sport Tights goes from S – XXL (50″ waist). Not footed, so I’d call it a legging rather than a tight, my ownself.
Pattern includes three leg lengths, and instructions to attach elastic to make the ankle-length lettings into stirrup leggings. No side seams.
This is the most economical pattern buy for a plain tight/legging that I found. There are definitely no bells or whistles here, but the fit was good, instructions thorough, and it was an easy sew.
Requires 4-way stretch knit, but there are instructions for adapting for a 2-way rashel knit lace fabric.
I love love love LulaRoe leggings (RTW) Their TC (tall and curvy) size fits great and they are the softest and most comfortable thing I have ever worn. No joke. I have been wanting to try out Seamworks Manila leggings, as well as their Aires athletic leggings for running but haven’t gotten around to it. Honestly I am worried about choosing the wrong fabric!
Great article and perfect timing. Silhouette patterns has great “out of the envelop “fitting for both leggings and yoga pant. Pattern #5019 leggings hip to 44 and yoga pattern #3400 hip to 53. She has also just released two new skinny jean patterns one with zipper the other pull on.
With this tutorial:
http://so-sew-easy.com/leggings-pattern-tutorial/
You can draft leggings to any size. They are the perfect first garment to draft. I’m not a pattern maker at all, but i had great success with it.
I’ve used this tutorial, too, with great success. The fact that a fat person might be short seems to be a difficult – maybe impossible – concept for 98% of pattern makers to grasp; still, drafting my own or using the only patterns that do adjust for height, works out much cheaper than the Big 4 anyway!
Thanks for that post, I’ve discovered some patterns I’d like to try. I rarely buy RTW leggings or tights because they’re often a little too short, or when they come to the right size they are too lose on the knees.
I’ve made Simplicity 8212 last friday. According to the chart I was between size L and XL. I chose size L because there’s a lot of stretch in my fabric, a beautiful red/black stripe knit. I wanted some Tim Burton like leggings for an affordable price, and this was the perfect pattern with the perfect fabric. It was very easy and fast to sew. But if I make it again, I may have to choose size XL depending on the amount of stretch in the fabric, to make it comfortable but without some extra fabric on the knees.
Very nice article and perfect timing for me at least! I love long tunics and leggings for work, smart but oh so much more comfortable than scritchy tights.
Just to add, the Patterns For Pirates Peg Legs are free if you join their Facebook page (which is also good as it has loads of photos of people of all shapes and sizes in their clothes). A very inclusive kinda page. Check the pinned post for the code to use to get them for free. I’ve a few of their patterns, they cater for a wide range of sizes and the FB page always has someone who has done a fix for your particular fitting issue!
One place to go to for both us curvy Europeans as well as over see, that if you like colorful tights and leggings, is http://www.gudrunsjoden.com. I’m tall and a round apple but her tights always fit me…
I also highly recommend Land’s End tights- all come in plus sizes and are excellent quality. Land’s end starfish leggings are also fantastic.
http://www.landsend.com/products/womens-starfish-leggings/id_229921?CM_MERCH=DTP_SEARCH_null&action=DTP_SEARCH_null&query=starfish%20leggings
Great Fit Patterns–701 Stirrup Pants/Leggings, Sizes 38-60. OOP, but often show up on eBay. Fashion Patterns by Coni–Pant Block, Sizes 1X to 6X. Four (4) pant styles, including leggings. Prefer leggings worn beneath jeans-slacks during late Fall-early Spring when weather is cold-damp-wet-windy-all the things. Cotton lycra fabric for smoothing ability (bike length make great faux Spanx). Advised that Cake’s legging pattern is excellent; however, content with both Great Fit and FPBC patterns.
My go to are the Vuokatti tights.
http://www.shelby.fi/?cPath=405_436_487&language=en
The gusset helps with a bigger back end, plus the centre back seam actually comes up high enough on me, so I feel covered.
For the very, very plus amongst us, I can’t say enough good things about the Big Bloomers All Women 180 Denier Tights: https://www.thebigbloomerscompany.co.uk/plus-size-tights/winter-tights/all-woman-180-denier
Sadly, the 20 denier panty hose are total crap — they’re so thin I put holes in them before I even put them on.
Thanks for including my old review here. I have also made the espresso leggings with some success. But I never seem to wear them and I always wear the the tights. So for me the seamster tights are the success.