Using Leggings/Making Underwear

Before and after.

I don't want you to think this blog post is going to hate on leggings. It's not. I love stretchy pants as much as any middle-aged woman. But when I was cleaning up and putting away laundry I realized that I had collected a lot of leggings. It seemed to be too many pairs. I couldn't fit them all in one drawer. That was too many. I was trying to figure out where to put all the leggings and thought I should maybe get rid of some. I saved all the solid colors to wear and decided to use the wild patterns for something I needed.

I decided to make underwear. (Note*If you are looking for tips on how to make sexy lingerie, this is not the right place. I am making boring, full coverage granny panties here.) I took all the leggings and got to work. I cut the waistband off the leggings and saved it for later.

I cut the legs apart along the inner leg seam so I could spread the fabric out. I traced and cut my pieces out of the stretchy leggings. I used my underwear pattern from Megan Nielsen Patterns. This is a great pattern. You can go to her site to see all the patterns available. (*Not an ad. They don't know me.) The directions on the pattern are easy to follow.

Why did I decide to make underwear? Because I needed some new underwear. I almost bought some but then I said, "Wait!" I could make my own with this super soft legging fabric.

I made a lot of underwear. There are a few pairs that didn't get in the picture.

I put the waistband of the leggings back on the underwear instead of making a waistband as the pattern directed. It was faster and it made them a little more high at the waist than the pattern called for. That is the fun of sewing, you decide what you want to make and how it should fit you. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

Chickie