Greenstyle Leggings Ballet Hack
Channel your inner dancer with this fun and easy ballet hack!
I used the Inspire tights pattern for this hack, because the side seams were the easiest to alter out of all of the Greenstyle workout tights. I used the basic tights pattern without any of the insert options, and it worked great. The back of knee panel won’t work for this hack, but you could do the thigh inserts since they fall higher than the area where we will add the straps. It would also work well with the Super G Tights- you’d just use the view without the side panel, and have to shorten the gusset piece along with the pant pieces.
Let’s get started!
Here’s what you will need:
Your pattern- Get it here
Tracing Paper
Permanent marker that works on your tracing paper
Measuring Tape
Fabric
Sewing Machine
Pattern Modifications
NOTE: I knew I wanted these to fall just below my knee so that I’d have room for the ties on my calves. I measured my inseam from the crotch seam to where I wanted to hem to hit. I’m 5’7”, and my desired inseam fell at 15”.
Step 1: Measure to your desired length in the inseam, so that you have this number to work with as you modify the pattern. Add 1/4" for Hem Allowance.
Step 2: Take the back pant piece and lay it flat, and prepare a piece of tracing paper to lay over it. Trace your size on the tracing paper. I only traced to the capri length for my size, so I could use it as a reference point for my length.
Step 3: Measure down the inseam to your desired length + hem allowance and mark. Mine was 15 1/4". Draw a line from the inseam to the outseam at the mark you made for the new length.
Step 4: Measure 2” from the inseam and mark, and measure 31” from your new hem and mark. Continue marking the point 2” from the inseam until you meet the 31” mark. I narrowed mine a little as I got closer to the bottom, so my strap would be tapered.
NOTE: If you do not have enough fabric to make the strap continuous, you can add a cutline just below the hemline. You’d need to add seam allowance to the bottom of the cutline, and the top of the strap.
Step 4: Draw in a curved line from the new hem line to the strap. This is an optional step, but I feel it adds a nice line to the hem and helps the straps wrap more naturally.
Step 5: Trace off the front pant piece and place over the back. Trace the new hemline and the strap you just made for the front.
Cutting the Fabric
Step 1: You can now cut the fabric with either your new front and back pattern pieces, OR the front, back and strap pieces. Cut the waistband and gusset as directed by the pattern.
Sewing Steps:
Step 1: Start at step 4 in the pattern tutorial, since you will not be using the back of knee inserts for the ballet version. Continue to step 11.
Step 2: When it’s time to sew the outseam, mark the point where your hem is by folding it over to the inseam edge.
Step 3: Stitch down until you reach the hem line. Don’t stitch the whole length of your straps.
Step 4: Finish the raw edges on the outside of the straps by folding the raw edge over ¼” and stitching with a stretch stitch. I started at the bottom of on strap, and sewed up and around to the bottom of the other side. This allowed me to finished everything on the outseam.
Step 5: Stitch the inseams with pant pieces right sides together.
Step 6: Finish the raw edges on the inside of your straps by starting at the end of one, up and across the bottom of your hem, and down the other strap. I used ¼” here as well.
Step 6: Continue to step 13 of the pattern tutorial to finish the waistband on the pants, and you are done!
The finished result makes such a huge statement, and helps to accentuate those calf muscles!
