Stirrup Leggings

When you are as short as I am, you have to hem just about anything, unless it is a cropped version because then it is just the right ankle length for me. Not a big deal, yet, it has prevented me from buying basic things, such as stirrup leggings (, because they cannot be hemmed shorter. Generaly, I don't like sewing basics. If I can buy a basic item at a decent price and it fits well, I'd rather not go through the fabric search process and spend valuable time making a plain tee or leggings. In this case, though, there was no available well-fitting RTW alternative.

I thought of buying the Jalie pattern for leggings ( it has a stirrup version), but then decided I could make my pattern just as easy. So I did.

For me, the pattern -making and fitting is less frustrating than fabric-hunting. In my opinion, the right fabric makes the difference between a home-made and professional-looking end-product. Ultimately, it plays a big part in whether you are going to wear what you've made, or stash it in your closet. Because of all this, I am very anal about fabric choice, and have made a lot of successful muslins that never crossed into a final garment stage due to lack of appropriate fabric.

For this project I used a fabric from EOS that is similar to the one you would use for riding pants. The sewing part is very easy and fast. The waisband is simply turned down, no elastic (the fabric properties allowed it in this case). Perhaps after the baby is born I'll change it to an encased elastic.

I am also planning of making a pair for summer, out of rayon-lycra thinner fabric.