Hi Greenies! It’s Kyema here with a quick hack for the Youth Strides. I’ve been seeing these cute ruffle athletic pants all over in RTW clothing and I thought it would be the perfect addition to the Stride Tights and a great way to wrap up a month where we’ve been celebrating this pattern.
You are going to need to measure and cut out all the pieces like normal. I chose not to add the pocket to this pair.
Here you see:
-2 fronts
-2 backs
-2 side inserts
-2 inner waistbands
-2 outer waistbands
-1 one strip for the ruffle that is not included in the pattern (This is what we’re going to add for this hack! :)
Because we are changing the pattern slightly, the assembly steps will change from the pattern.
Step 1: Determine how long you want your ruffle to be and mark this with a pin on both sides of the BACK pieces.
Step 2: Using a flexible measuring tape, measure around the curve from the pinned point to the CENTER BACK.
Step 3: Take the measurement you got in the previous step and double it. This will account for both sides of the tights. You will then want to times that measurement by 1.75 to give extra room for when we gather it.
Mine measured 7.5”.
7.5” x 2 = 15”
15” x 1.75 = 26.25”
Step 4: With RST, sew the BACK pieces together at the crotch seam.
Step 5: With RST, sew the SIDE INSERT pieces together at the CENTER BACK.
Step 6: Sew a gathering stitch on the long edge of the ruffle with a ¼” seam allowance.
Step 7: Gather the ruffle to the length you marked in step 1. Pin the gathered ruffle to the pants back.
Step 8: Line up the bottom edge of the ruffle corner with the raw edge of the BACK piece. This will create a “dog ear” on the ruffle that will be removed with a serger blade or can be cut off after sewing so that the ruffle is flush with the top of the curve. Base in place with a ¼” seam allowance.
Step 9: Align BACK and SIDE INSERT at CENTER BACK SEAM and pin in place. Continue pinning all the way around. I like to pin the center back seam and then pin together at each ankle and pin from ankle to center seam. This helps me keep the straight portion straight and follow the curve with the appropriate amount of stretch. Serge this seam to create the back piece.
Step 10: Now you have the back legging piece created. Next, you'll sew the FRONT pieces together on the crotch seam with RST. Then, place the front and BACK pieces RST, aligning the waist and ankle edges and sew inseam and outer seam together. Lastly, you'll follow the tutorial to make and attach the waistband.
Tadah! You're all done! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and can make some cute ruffle butt Stride Tights for a loved one in your life. My daughter loves hers!
