The Rundown on Maternity Leggings...And Making Your Own For $11!

Maybe you're into leggings...maybe you think no one who is pregnant should wear them...Maybe you think no one (that that means no one!) should wear them.

I've never been a big legging person. But decided this winter, they beat living in yoga pants and always feeling like I'm in my PJ's!

I went to Target earlier this week and found a nice Kamino style dress (to join the other too-short-to-wear-past-28-weeks maternity dresses I've gotten on clearance in other pregnancies). And I started looking for pregnancy leggings. I can't just wear normal leggings: the elastic rolls down my round belly and sits -quite unflatteringly- under my cesarean scar. And any elastic on my sensitive pregnant belly is obnoxious.

So my search began.

Target has them for $22.00-$25.00 (and oh boy do they feel like heaven!!!). But given the material... 1.) It didn't breath (it is 100% synthetic. Some cotton is some thing this preggo wants, even in the cooler months!) 2.) it seemed like they would wear fairly quickly...But perhaps not.

And if you're wanting to shell out that money: get them! They are seamless and have I mentioned that they feel like HEAVEN? They do.

Gap has them for $30 and Motherhood Maternity for $20sih The cheapest I could find were from Forever21 for about $11 but the had rouched bottoms...not my cup of tea. And you have to pay for shipping and handling. blegh!  Also worth mentioning, the top didn't really seem any different from regular leggings. Those would totally roll down under my c/s scar, no thank you.

I wanted $10 leggings that I could be comfy in, ones that I could roll up over my belly when I'm huge, or fold down across it or beneath it if I like.

So I made my own. I went to walmart (yup, walmart) and bought a pair for less than $6.00 I also bought this $5 seamless cami  (they sold them individually at my walmart) from there. I took them home and the pictures tell the rest...The whole converting process took 10 minutes.

lay pants out.

Cut off waist band.

lay out cami evenly

cut off just below back straps/edging

tuck pants (right side out, don't flip them inside out or any thing) inside of cami and line up back seam with the middle of the tag (NOTE: I don't mind the "tag" showing when I wear my leggings "unrolled" :I have a shirt/dress over it anyway: but putting leggings together this way the tag will be on the outside when you wear it unrolled...you always have the option of cutting the whole cami off below the "tag" so it's not an issue...But I found it helpful for keeping things lined up)

pin the front seam and the back seam evenly with the front and the back of the cami, and then pin- as best you can- all the way around...The cami is smaller/tighter than the leggings (in most cases) and so it will be hard pin: you'll have to make allowances for that when sewing.

Start at the back seam. Be sure that as you sew you keep the edges lined up as much as possible, if they curl certain ways they will be on the "outside" when you wear the leggings unrolled.

use a small to medium zig zag stitch

Because the cami is slightly smaller pull it tight as you sew so it's "as big" as the pants. This will keep you from having excess fabric (legging part) when you make your way around and are at the end of the seam.

All done!

It sits nicely up over my belly- no rolling.

And with a dress. All ready for my body to grow as it needs to (in comfort!) and for the cool season to begin!!

You can obviously be pickier about colors (getting them the same or with less contrast)...I like contrast and I really don't think I will ever wear a shirt short enough for it to be visible (yes, I'm sure the public thanks me!). 

So there you have it! All you wanted to know (and way more!) about how to meet your maternity legging needs.