I've been lusting over baby legs. I just haven't been able to justify paying the going rate of $12 for a pair (although I did find them cheaper on Etsy). I even hinted to my mother that Miriam wanted some for Valentine's Day, with no success. So imagine my delight when I discovered that baby legs are super simple to make!
Short moment for acknowledgments: There are tons of these tutorials if you do a quick search online (like here and here). I basically used this one, which I found here, where Maria suggested I go.
Phew! On to actually making these bad boys.
As I mentioned, these are easy-peasy. So easy that I was able to do half of it (the cutting) with a sleeping baby in one arm.
Please ignore the computer, half-finished birth story draft (written 7 weeks ago), donation requesr, coupons, etc.
You might notice the cluttered table in the background. I don't know about you, but one of the biggest things that keeps me from starting/finishing projects is having to actually clean off our kitchen table. This project didn't require that, which is why it happened. The reversible table runner that I was hoping to make? That has been put off to another day. Which is probably for the best, as that would just be one more thing on the table.
But I digress. Here are the directions.
1. Get a pair of knee-high socks. These were an impulse buy while waiting in line, so I paid plenty for them ($4). Still a third of the price of the real thing, though!
2. Cut above the heel, below the heel, and above the toe. You can toss the heel and toe.
3. The original foot part is going to be your cuff. You may or may not want to make the cuff a little tighter. If you do, cut it open and then sew a new seam there. I needed to make mine much tighter, so I cut a whole strip out before resewing it.
4. Now that your cuff's ready, fold it in half, with wrong sides together. Put the leg part inside the cuff, so right sides are together and raw edges are all aligned.
5. This step is optional, but hard to resist. Notice your baby looking up at you with those big eyes and take a break to love on her.
6. Once you've got your fix, return to your sewing machine. Stitch together the cuff and leg, making sure to sew 3 layers of fabric (and not all 6) at once. Use a long stitch length so it'll stretch well. You'll also have to stretch the cuff a bit if it's smaller than the leg.
7. Flip the cuff down and voila! Your own baby legs! Making two leggings only took me 30 minutes (including my baby loving distraction).
8. This final step is optional. Try the leggings on your adorable baby. Realize that even though your daughter is a very long baby, they're huge on her and this pattern must be for toddlers, not infants. Make a mental note to yourself to use either women's crew socks or girl's knee socks next time. Plan a special trip to your superstore later this week for the sole purpose of buying argyle print socks in one of those sizes.
