Sewing Adventures – Tights

This year I’m taking on my stash, I’m using things up to make useful things. I have no interest in making things that are wasteful or making them with the aim to giving them to charity so it’s using with a purpose in order to get the stash down.

First up is a remnant of athletic Lycra from Pitt Trading, I think I had got it to make a swimsuit or maybe a rashie but then realised I could make a pair of 3/4 tights. I grabbed my self drafted tights pattern and got cutting.

I didn’t have enough fabric to cut the waistband with the greatest stretch going around  (I use the waistband from the Jalie Clara tights as I love how high it is) so I did some calculations and cut it on the opposite stretch. It makes it feel very firm so you have to be careful with your calculations or you feel very sausagey. Due to a scar on my torso I wear my waistbands very high to avoid irritating the area with the scar.

Using the 4 thread on the over locker I threw it all together with some swim elastic in the top waistband join. At this point I had to stop working as I was off to go dog sit for some friends so I threw the tights in to finish while I was there.

Working with what I had with me I used black thread to top stitch the top of the waistband (where I inserted some swim elastic). I used a 3 step zig zag so it sat as flat as possible. Hems we’re done with a regular zig zag.

While the yellow colour feels very uh yellow! I know these are going to get a tonne of wear for doing workouts on the roof and this week they’ve been great for dog walking.

Pattern: self drafted tights with Jalie Clara waistband (modified as I adjusted the size based on stretch and I changed the construction).

Fabric: from the stash, originally from athletic Lycra from Pitt Trading

Alterations: cut shorter leg to make allowances for the fact it was a remnant, cut waistband on the cross grain due to fabric useage.