Free Pattern and Tutorial: Baby Jeggings

{quilt in photos}

 Make your own baby jeggings!

Last month my little sister, Lynette, and I were shopping for fabric at the thrift store and she pulled out this black chunk and said "you could make jeggings for Ellie with this".  

For $3.00 I bought around 3 yards of black denim knit with the plan to make Ellaria some baby jeggings.

"Jeggings" are kind of weird to me to start out--stretch knit sewn to look like jeans. 

But for a little baby, I think these little slim, stretchy, comfy skinny jeans look so cute.

Plus they are easy to make! 

Because these are for baby, I made fake pockets and fly.

The fly is just a fold, and the pockets are just a facade.  The look of jeans, but makes the sewing a lot easier.

I went a little crazy and made a few.

 

Ellie is getting bigger, and needed some new pants, so it was a great thrifting find!

 I think the contrasting thread is what makes the project.

I used lime green, blue and pink.

But my favorite is definitely the little bum pockets. 

 They're too small to really hold anything, but just look so cute!

The yoke stitching is also fake, just decorative stitching to give the illusion of an actual yoke.

I wrote the tutorial giving directions using a standard double needle, but the project can be sewn without.

I made a pink pair using a zig-zag stitch rather than the double needle straight stitch. 

I liked both.  I think the zig-zag makes the pants unique, rather than looking manufactured.

More handmade and memorable I guess.

So on to making your own!

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE TO PATTERN AND TUTORIAL

Baby Jeggings Pattern and Tutorial

Print pattern here for 12-18month baby pants

Seam allowances included in pattern pieces

1/4" seam allowance used throughout tutorial unless otherwise noted

Supplies:

1/3 yard stretch knit denim

1/2" wide elastic-- 15-17" long
double needle

sewing machine, scissors, thread, etc

**I found my knit denim at the thrift store, but I did see some at JoAnns in the Project Runway fabric in blue or black.
( It was a stinking $15/yd so print out a 50% coupon if you go there!)

CUT OUT FABRIC

The most important thing as you cut out your pieces is to make sure the stretch runs across the width of the pants.  

You need these to stretch around the legs, not up and down in length.  

Think stretch out to sides rather than up and down.

CONSTRUCT BACK OF PANTS

1. Attach Back Pockets

Fold tops of pockets under 1/4" and top stitch across.  

Then press the 4 remaining sides in 1/4" to iron all sides under with no raw seams.

 Pin pockets in place using pattern pieces as a guide.

Top stitch down the side, across "V" shaped bottom, and up the other side.

2. Back Seam

Using your regular needle or double needle, sew the curved crotch seam.  

Make sure back pieces are right sides together. 

Open up the back pieces and fold the seam allowance to one side.

Top stitch along seam guiding with inside toe of presser foot (1/8" seam allowance) along back seam.

3. Add faux yoke

Most jeans have the yoke construction. 

But to make the look of having pieced the back I just top stitched the wide "V" shape across the back. 

CONSTRUCT FRONT OF PANTS

1. Sew Faux Front Pockets

You'll first need to press the curve of the pocket on the front pieces.  I found my iron easily pressed a smooth curve in this knit denim.  If it's  not pressing flat with a less stretchy fabric, you could sew 1/4" around curve (stay-stitch) then clip the curve, then iron the curve under and your stay stitching will be the fold.

Next you'll pin your pocket facings to each front piece, right sides out and matching the top and sides of the front pieces.

Sew along curve with 1/4" seam allowance to make the illusion of actual pockets.

VERSION B POCKETSRather than fold the front piece and use the pocket backing as shown above, you could cut along the Version B corner on the pattern and just sew a curve on the pant front as we did with the yoke stitching.  The advantage of the pocket backing is making it look more realistic to having a pocket, rather than just a curve of stitching.

2. Sew Front Seam

With right sides together, sew along the curve of the front crotch, then around the fake fly curve.  Use 1/4" seam allowance and make sure you back stitch at the corner pivot in the seam where the fly meets the curve as shown with the blue arrow.

Clip to the stitching in the corner where the fly meets the bottom curve.  

Lay the front half of pants face down and press fly to the left.

3. Top Stitch Fly

Starting at one end, sew the faux fly to one side 1" from the fold of the fly.  

Curve toward the center front seam, then pivot sewing the seam allowance to one side 1/8" from seam.

CONSTRUCT PANTS

1. Inside Leg Seam

With right sides together, line up front and back center seams at the crotch of pants.

Starting at one ankle, sew a rainbow shape by sewing up to the center seams, then down to the other ankle.

Open up pants to sew top stitch seam.  Push seam allowance to one side and top stitch 1/8" from seam.

2. Hem Ankles

Fold bottom of pant legs up 1/4" and roll another 1/4" for a total hem of 1/2".  Top stitch in place.

3. Outside Leg Seams

Line up hemmed ankles and sew the outer side seams. 

4. Sew Elastic Casing for Waistband

There are different ways to finish off the waistband.

Use 15 to 17" of 1/2" wide elastic.

You could press the top edge down 3/4", top stitch around leaving a hole to lace the elastic through the tube you've created, then sew the elastic ends together, then stitch the hole in the waist band casing shut.

To save time, I choose to first sew the ends of my elastic together, then place it around the waist of the pants (while inside out) and sew the casing around the elastic as I go so I don't have to thread it through in the end.  The danger comes if you accidentally sew into the elastic so it won't gather the waist evenly.

They're finished!

These steps could be used to make any faux fly pants for boys or girls.

For those wanting to make larger or smaller sizes, my pattern is for 12-18 months.

For 2T add 1/2" to outside seams, and 1.5" to bottom hem when you cut them out.

For 6-12 months take 1/2" out of the outside seams and raise hem 1".

If you have a pair of leggings the size you're aiming for, it may help to use them as a guide as you alter the pattern.