Laced Trimmed Capri Leggings

On Monday I took the kids to the mall to play on the overstuffed playground they have inside. On the way back out to the car we stopped at the Children's Place and I saw the most adorable accessory for spring...laced trimmed capri leggings. The only problem...these little babies cost ten dollars or two pairs for $18. No thank you! So yesterday I went to the dollar store bought a couple of pairs of tights. Then I went to Joann's and used my 40% off coupon to buy a yard and a half of stretch lace which normally runs about 1.99 a yard. So for a little more then three dollars I made #2 three pairs of lace trimmed capris. Seeing as she loves all things girl she loves these, especially since her little feet are free to climb and run all over. What follows is how I made them.

Put the tights on your daughter and decide where you want the material to end. Keep in mind the lace will go down at least an inch or so below the cut. On the white tights I made a mark in pencil. With the pink and black ones I marked with a small pin. Take the tights off and cut one foot off. Fold over and cut the other side to match.

Now you are going to have a lovely pair of footless tights. Take your stretch lace and measure how much lace you will need to go around the circumference of the tights plus a little extra for a seam.

Cut the lace and then use that piece to cut a matching piece for the other side. Fold the lace in half and sew the edge. I used a zig zag stitch but you can use whatever you prefer. It does need to be a permanent stitch though because this part will not be sewn again.

Flip the lace circles right side out so the seems are on the inside. Then pin the lace to the leggings. I have about 1/4 of an inch overlap between leggings and lace but that is up to you. Also you have to pick where you want the lace seam to go. I put the seam on the inside of the leg because I figured it would show the least there but you could also put it on the backside.

Stitch the leggings and lace together. I used a feather stitch and it worked AWESOME! First off it actually looks like a stitch that you expect to see on lace. Secondly this part was the hardest by far. I could only work on a part of the lace at a time and had to readjust constantly so as not to sew the legging holes together. The feather stitch could be picked up and started again easily and still look great. It is possible that it would be easier to sew the lace on while still in a strip onto the leggings and then sew the edges of the lace together. In fact as I'm sitting here thinking about I think that would probably be the case but I haven't tried it so I can't say for sure. Anyway now we have a pair of bright pink, black, and white tights and they are so cute. I still have some leftover lace so if I buy some more tights I'll try attaching the lace first to the leggings and then sewing a back seam on them to see if that is easier.