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Peg Legs SAL: Day 6 – Attach waistband (with optional pocket)

May 1, 2017

Can’t believe we’re almost at the end of the sew along. Today we’ll be attaching the waistband. Whether you’re doing the high or low rise or the contoured waistband like I did, now is the time to add it to the leggings. This step can also be done with the sewing machine or the serger. If you use a sewing machine, remember to set it for a stretch stitch. A triple stretch stitch will work great!

If you are attaching your waistband with your serger you can either do a regular overlock stitch or you can even do a flat lock stitch. Using a flatlock stitch will eliminate the bulk at the seam that you get with an overlock stitch.

For this sew along I used the new contoured waistband which, let me tell you, is the best thing ever! Best tummy control while still comfortable.

It is very important to cut your fabric along the grain. We have seen some FB comments suggesting to cut the waistbands against the grain for more support. I highly discourage that because your peg legs will loose shape in the wash and will not fit as intended.

TIP: If you are more of a rectangular shape than hourglass, you can add elastic to the top seam of your contoured waistband.

You can see the waistband construction video here.

Don’t forget to post your final picture in the Peg Legs SAL event and hastag it #peglegsSAL before May 3rd 10 pm EST. Be sure to come back on Wednesday for the Sew Along recap and the winners announcement.

Peg Legs SAL: Day 5 – Sew Inseam and attach legs

April 30, 2017

Welcome to day 5 of the Peg Legs Sew Along! Today we will be sewing the inseam, hemming each leg and attaching them. Start by pinning (or clipping) the inseams on each leg, right sides together. You can either serger it or stitch it with your sewing machine. If you use your sewing machine for this step, make sure to use a stretch stitch!

If you’re using your serger, test the stitches on a scrap piece of fabric, preferably the same as the one you used for your pegs. Testing first will give you a chance to see if you need to make any adjustments to the tension or stitch length or width.

Once you’ve sewn the inseams you can either hem or sew the crotch curves. I prefer to hem first because I find it easier to maneuver if the legs are not attached together. When hemming your Peg Legs make sure you steam press before and after you stitch. You can use your coverstitch machine or your sewing machine for this step, just remember to use a stretch stitch.

Last step of the day is sewing the crotch curve. Pin or clip the curve right sides together, matching the inseam and the back and front rise. The easiest way to do this is to turn one of the legs inside out and place the other leg (right side out) inside.

You can see the day 5 video here !

When you’ve finished these steps, don’t forget to post a picture in the Peg Legs SAL Event and hashtag it #pegsalday5.

Peg Legs SAL: Day 4 – Sew add ons (pocket, color block, side strip etc)

April 29, 2017

Hello there! Day 4 is here and we’re starting to sew! Woohoo! Today we’ll be putting the leg pieces together. If you added a pocket, or a side strip, or color blocked the side strip, now is the time to put them together.

I love to work “assembly line style” so I pin…well clip…all pieces together first. Then sew/serge and then topstitch. If you are using a sewing machine make sure you use a stretch stitch like the “thunderbolt” , a triple stretch stitch or a very narrow zig zag. When top stitching with a sewing machine I highly recommend using twin needles. Check out the Twin Needles Blog for some tips and tricks!

For my SAL Peg Legs pair I stitched with my serger and topstitch with the coverstitch machine. You can see how I put together the add ons in the day 4 video here!

If you want to take it up a notch you can use decorative top stitching too. The Decorative stitching blog is an excellent source for all of you who would like to take the Peg Legs up a notch!

Once you’ve assembled your leg pieces post a picture in the Peg Legs SAL Event and hash tag it #pegsalday4. See you back here tomorrow!

Peg Legs SAL: Day 3 – Cutting the fabric

April 28, 2017

Welcome to day 3 of our Peg Leg sew along. So far we have picked the fabric(s) we will use, measured for accurate sizing and printed the pattern. Today we will be cutting the fabric so grab those sharp scissors or rotary cutter and let’s get started.

It is imperative that you cut your fabric following the grain/stretch recommendation. Do not cut your pegs against the grain even if you feel that it may save you some fabric. The final product will not look as nice and you will notice sagging and misshaping.

Don’t forget to cut MIRROR pieces for both your main part and the color block ones! The easiest way to make sure you cut all the fabric correctly is to fold the fabric and make only one cut instead of two mirrored ones. Check out day 3 video here!

TIP: Cut all pieces of the same fabric before cutting the pieces of the coordinating fabrics.

Once you cut your fabric post a picture of the pieces in the Peg Leg SAL Event and hashtag it #pegsalday3. See you back here tomorrow!

Peg Legs SAL: Day 2 – Printing and measuring

April 27, 2017

Today we will be printing the pattern in the size needed. In order to do that it is very important that you take your most accurate measurements. You will need your waist, hips and inseam measurements in order to choose the correct Peg Legs size. P4P has an amazing blog that gives you tip for accurately taking your measurements. You can read all about it here.

If you are like me you may need to grade between sizes. My hips put me in a larger size than my waist….or maybe I should say my waist puts me in a smaller size than my hips? 🙂 Worry not! We have a blog post for easy grading too!

Two things are very important to remember when grading the pattern.

Smooth transitions between sizes!
Grade both the front and the back of the legs.

Now that we established which size(s) we need it’s time to print the pattern. Did you see that the new updated Peg Legs and Add On pack feature layers now? How amazing is that? Save that ink and print just what you need. Haven’t used layers before? Check out this blog before you do so. If you need to grade between sizes you just need to select the sizes needed when you print. Easy peasy.

Day two will not require you to post any pictures in the Peg Leg SAL event. See you all back here tomorrow!

Thank you to our sponsors!

50K Fan Celebration :: Ruched Side Panel Hack

April 25, 2017

Hey guys, I have a super easy hack to the new Peg Leg Add Ons for you today!

You will need to cut your side panel piece from the Peg Leg Add Ons twice the length.

Gather along side seams. I used two rows of stitches on each side to help keep gathers even (it’s also a safeguard just in case one of them breaks along the way!).

Gather the ruched piece to original length. I like to clip in the middle of each piece and then the ends before I begin to pull the gathering strings. This will help to keep your gathers even throughout the piece.

Lastly, attach your pieces like normal!

So simple and gives you a whole different look!

We are celebrating reaching 50K fans in our Facebook group! To make it a party, our beloved PegLegs pattern just got an update AND some new add-ons. Before you go running to your machine to sew up your own leggings, make sure to read our PegLegs 101 blog post. This way, you’ll have all the the information you’ll need to make the perfect pair before you even cut into your gorgeous fabric.

But wait, there’s more! After any good party is an after-party. We are taking it one step further and sharing some easy hacks that’ll bring even more flavor to your favorite leggings pattern! We hope you check them out, make your new favorite pair of leggings, and know that we appreciate every single one of you amazing sewing guys and gals!

Here are our hacks / tutorials / latest tricks:

Lace Waistband Alternative | Drawstring Waistband Tutorial
Exposed Elastic Waistband | Stirrup Pant Hack
Ruched Ankles Adjustment | Decorative Topstitching Tutorial
Ruched Side Panel Hack

50K Fan Celebration :: Exposed Elastic PegLegs Hack

April 24, 2017

Want to make your Peg Legs even easier? How about skipping the band? Today we have an easy hack for you- adding an exposed elastic band.

There are so many types of elastic available in a variety of colors and designs, as well as a multiple widths. For this hack, you will want to first determine how high you would like your band to come. When I was looking for mine, I searched online for “boxer elastic” knowing that I wanted a large band and this gave me the biggest variety. I finally decided on one that was 5″ tall.

I chose to cut my Pegs as a low rise since the elastic I chose will add quite a bit of height. You can determine which rise is best for you, keeping in mind how tall your elastic is. You will then want to assembly your Peg Legs as per the tutorial until you reach the step of attaching the band.

For the width of my band, I used the cut chart as a guide. I added 2″ to this, as my elastic did not have the same amount of stretch as a fabric band would have had (you can always take more off if you need to, should your band be too large when attaching). Fold band in half width-wise, with wrong sides together, and stitch to create an elastic circle.

Mark both your elastic band and Pegs into even quarters, then slip band around waist of Peg (with right sides together), aligning quarter points. You will want to make sure that you will have to slightly stretch the band, not the waist of the Pegs. If you do not have to stretch, unpin and remove a small amount from the waistband. It is important to have the band stretch slightly to help hold the Pegs up!

Once you have the elastic waistband and Pegs clipped/pinned together, serge or sew around the waist as you would when attaching a fabric band using a 0.5″ seam allowance. Once attached, if you serged the elastic together in the first step, you will need to finish your seam. I prefer to weave my thread back through using a large needle, however you can also use one of the methods Alex described here. The last step is to hem your Pegs according to the tutorial directions and you’re all finished! Enjoy! ~Erinn

Here are our hacks / tutorials / latest tricks:

Lace Waistband Alternative | Drawstring Waistband Tutorial
Exposed Elastic Waistband | Stirrup Pant Hack
Ruched Ankles Adjustment | Decorative Topstitching Tutorial
Ruched Side Panel Hack

50K Fan Celebration :: Drawstring Waistband PegLegs Hack

April 21, 2017

Today I’m sharing a quick cute hack to your peg legs to add a drawstring to your waistband. I wear peglegs all year round and the drawstring changes up the look just a bit. Let’s get started.

First you sew your legs together as per the pattern.
Before we start the waistband we are going to make some markings. I am using a disappearing ink pen from my fabric store to mark mine. I folded my waistband in half to find the center and marked the center with my pen in a few spots. Next I found folded the fabric long sides together to mark where I wanted my buttonholes. I wanted my buttonholes in the middle of my waistband. Your waistband is 7 inchs wide so folded it is 3.5 inchs but the bottom .5 inch is your seam allowance therefore I measured 1.5 inchs down from the top fold and marked that as being the center right across the other mark that I had made. Now I have a little cross right marked.

3. Buttonholes can be a bit of a pain on knits so I added a little piece of interfacing on the back, I didn’t actually iron it on to my fabric I just wanted something to give it a bit of stability, a tear away stabilizer would also do the trick or you can iron on a piece of knit interfacing. I happened to have a bit of regular interfacing sitting here so that is what I used. I sewed the buttonholes on either side of my cross .25 inch from the center. I just did a really small buttonhole, it doesn’t need to be big cause you are just threading through some drawstring. Now for all those people that hate sewing buttonholes not to worry knits don’t fray so you can always just cut some little slits in the waistband if that is the option you choose make sure to iron on some knit interfacing thou, it would prevent the knit from stretching out while wearing them.

4. Once you have the buttonholes are done we are going to create a casing for your drawstring. First you are going to match the short sides of your waistband as the pattern directs and sew them together, fold the waist band in half and then your going to sew all the way around about .25 of an inch above the waistband and below the waistband. Now you can mark your lines here that you are going to sew but I’m a rebel and just went for it by sewing 1.25 inchs from my fold, for the second row of stitching I sewed .5 down from the first line I made. Once your casing is all done just attach the waistband to your legs as normal.

5. Now you just need to add your drawstring. I used 50 inchs of drawstring on the xxs size and I just tied off each end but you could certainly fold the ends over and hem the edges of your drawstring. I like to just put the drawstring around me and leave long tails and then insert it into my casing try it them on and you can always cut the drawstring shorter so start with a long piece and then cut them the length you like best. Remember you have to leave your drawstring fairly loose or you won’t be able to pull your leggings on! I figured this out while trying mine on! Another simple solution to use elastic for most of your drawstring, I would use 1/4 inch or 3/8 inch elastic. You could cut your elastic slightly shorter then your drawstring and then sew drawstring onto each end of your elastic and thread it through your casing, it would give you just a bit more give when pulling them on and off.

I hope you try adding some drawstring in your peglegs and don’t forget to show them off in our Facebook group! – Angela

Here are our hacks / tutorials / latest tricks:

Lace Waistband Alternative | Drawstring Waistband Tutorial
Exposed Elastic Waistband | Stirrup Pant Hack
Ruched Ankles Adjustment | Decorative Topstitching Tutorial
Ruched Side Panel Hack

50K Fan Celebration :: Lace Waistband PegLegs Hack

April 19, 2017

Every once in awhile, our Facebook group gets hit with a picture of a trending item with the question “How can I make this?”. For a few months, a picture of a lace waistband was circulated and while we secretly worked on the Peg Legs update, we knew we had to add it to our hack lineup.

To achieve this look, we are going to eliminate the waistband piece, but in order to help keep them up, we will be increasing the rise and adding elastic at the top edge. You will also need wide stretch lace (we used lace between 5-6″ tall) and 1/4″-3/8″ elastic.

I wanted to keep the original mid-rise of the leggings but since we are eliminating the extra waistband piece, I cut on the high rise line and added about 0.25″ to accommodate the elastic. Once cut, assemble the legs as you normally would.

Cut your elastic the width of the waist of the Peg Legs. The Peg Legs already have negative ease (meaning, they are smaller than your body measurements and stretch to fit) so we do not need to cut the elastic smaller than the opening. This is just used as extra support to help keep them up.

Butt the ends of the elastic to one another, and using a zig-zag stitch, stitch, creating a circle. Stitch the elastic to the wrong side of the fabric using your favorite stretch stitch. If using a serger, do not cut any fabric off. The elastic should be measured at 1:1 with the top of the leggings so should not need to stretch to fit the opening.

To determine the size of the lace waistband, lay your lace on top of the leggings and cut them 1/2″ wider than the leggings on either side. Cut 2.

With right sides together, stitch each short end with a 1/2″ seam allowance to create a circle. Flip right side out.

With both right sides out, slip lace waistband over the leggings. I wanted to encase my elastic so chose to fold over the edge of the fabric as well. Top-stitch using your favorite stretch stitch around the top edge of the leggings. I did not stitch along the bottom edge of the lace. I used a brushed poly so the lace sort of “stuck” to the fabric when worn so found I did not need to stitch the bottom edge in place.

Here are our hacks / tutorials / latest tricks:

Lace Waistband Alternative | Drawstring Waistband Tutorial
Exposed Elastic Waistband | Stirrup Pant Hack
Ruched Ankles Adjustment | Decorative Topstitching Tutorial
Ruched Side Panel Hack

P4P University :: Peg Leg 101

March 21, 2016

Have you heard about P4P’s Peg Legs? And no, we are not talking about those wooden pirate legs! P4P released the Peg Legs some months back in celebration of reaching 5k members in the P4P Facebook Group. (crazy right!?!? since we just celebrated reaching 15k members last month!) If you don’t have them, you can grab them HERE and don’t forget to join the Facebook Group for a special promo code (check the pinned post for details)! In the last few months, we’ve seen the good, the bad, the fails and the “HAAALLPP” questions posted frequently. So, just like any introductory 101 college course, we are going to give you all the basics with this crash course to make a successful pair of Peg Legs!

First and foremost, if you are new to P4P, check out our First Time User Tips. Pattern Assembly, a few fabric shops, general cutting instructions, and sewing machine stitches are all discussed there. So now that you’re familiarized with P4P, here we go!

What are Peg Legs? A classic mid-rise, tight fit leggings pattern for 4 way stretch knit fabrics. Options include 4 lengths: shorties, bike, capri and ankle with a no elastic waistband.
Sizes Included: XXS – Plus 3x
Fabric Recommendations: 4 way stretch knit with at least 50% stretch (vertically and horizontally). Typically 5% spandex or more will work.
- Cotton Lycra/spandex (note- Lycra=spandex). Medium weight is usually 10oz or more
- Rayon spandex. This is typically thinner so may not be opaque. One of our tunic tops to cover your booty are a MUST 😉
- Nylon spandex / Supplex – great for performance wear. This usually has a higher content of spandex and will feel tighter, much like compression wear. Some prefer to size up 1 for a more comfortable fit.
- Polyester spandex – brushed polyester spandex is what many of the boutique leggings are made from however, it is a slightly harder to find the fabric in retail stores. Be sure to check the vertical stretch percentage as some may be less than the 50% require stretch.
- Stretch Fleece – Fabrics such as Polartec Powerstretch are a 4 way stretch fleece. Regular fleece, like blizzard, anti-pill and cuddle fleece found in retail stores are NOT recommended.

Fabric is extremely important to get an accurate fit. Here is an example of the same size medium, capri length made from a 2 way stretch ponte de roma and a 4 way stretch rayon spandex. You can see the overall fit of the 2 way stretch is much shorter in length and has a lower rise. I am able to put on the 2 way stretch pair but because there is no vertical stretch, they do not stretch and bend with movement and tend to slip down over time. While they are a super cute fabric, sadly, they sit in my drawer as they are not comfortable to wear.

STRETCH PERCENTAGES

So, you ask, how do I know if my fabric is 4 way 50% stretch knit? A 4″ piece will stretch to a minimum of 6″ both vertically and horizontally. Below is a stretch percentage guide. Cut a scrap piece of your fabric 4″ x 4″. Fold in half so it is now 2″ x 4″ and place at the end of the stretch guide. Hold fabric at one end (where indicated) and grab the opposite end and stretch. If you can stretch the fabric to 5.2″, your fabric has 30% stretch, 5.7 is 40% and so on. Unfold and refold the opposite direction and test again. To determine horizontal stretch, your grainline will run vertically with the stretch perpendicular and horizontal. The vertical stretch is with the grainline. For a printable copy, head on over to our Facebook Group and download a copy from the files section. 🙂 Need more help? Megan from Made from Mermaids has a great blog post with video about stretching fabrics. You can check it out HERE.

PICKING YOUR SIZE

Now that you have checked your fabric, how do you pick your size? If you are unsure on how to measure your body, check out our “How to Measure Yourself” post. The peg legs use the high hip (where your hip bones are) and the hip (across the fullest part of your booty) measurements to determine size. If you are in different sizes for your high hip and hip, you can grade between the two or use one size for the waistband and the other for your “legs”. This works best for those that have a high hip 1 size smaller than their hip. If your high hip is larger than your hip, it would be best to grade your sizes.

ADJUSTING THE RISE AND LENGTH

The Peg Legs are a mid rise legging, meant to hit under your belly button. For those wanting a higher rise or more tummy coverage, you can either add a taller waistband than the pattern calls for or increase the rise of the legs and use the existing waistband measurements.

Taller waistband: increase height of waistband to 10″ instead of 7″
Fold Over Yoga Band: double the height of waistband to 14″

To increase the rise of the legs: 1) follow the curve of the rise to a larger size on the pattern and blend. OR 2) Slash and Spread – Cut the pattern horizontally through the rise, add the desired amount and smooth out the curves.

Our patterns are drafted for a curvy 5’5″ frame. Using the same principle as found in our Petite & Tall Fitting Adjustment post, you will adjust your length of the legs by 1/2″ for every 1″ over or under 5’5″. The Peg Legs’ have a 28″ inseam for ankle length. If your inseam is shorter or longer, you will adjust to your desired length in the same manner.

Determine the amount you need to adjust your length by. Using the principle above – A 5’10” woman would need an additional 2.5″ (5’10” – 5’5″ = 5″ ~ 5″ x .5″ = 2.5″ ). A 5″1″ woman would need 2″ subtracted (5’1″ – 5’5″ = 4″ ~ 4″ x .5″ = 2″). It is best to split the total length that needs to be added or subtracted throughout the entire leg. Slash and spread the pattern in equal parts and blend the lines. The most common areas to adjust are the shorties, bike, and capri lengths as there are cut lines already indicated on the pattern. You may also need to adjust the rise, higher or lower depending on your desired height.

CUTTING YOUR FABRIC

You will need the following: 2 legs (mirror images) and 1 waistband. Note: the greatest stretch should be horizontal and what goes around the body. To create mirror images you can cut your fabric two ways:

Cut 1 pattern piece with pattern writing face up. Flip your pattern piece over and cut again.

Cut your pattern piece with fabric on the fold to create mirror images with 1 cut.

Once you’ve assembled your pattern, pre-washed your fabric and cut your pattern pieces you are ready to sew up a pair! Because this is a great beginning knit project, we have included a quick video tutorial! Enjoy!

Sewn up a pair of Peg Legs? We would love to see what you are all creating. Join the Facebook Group and share away.

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