Leggings Sewing Patterns for Production Runs

In leggings, the pattern and the fabric are inseparable: the pattern is designed with negative ease, smaller than the body, and it only works with the fabric it was tested on. The catalog gathers athletic and compression leggings, high-rise, capri, flared, short leggings and bike shorts, in women's, girls', men's and baby, with adult sizes up to 4XL and girls' from 2 to 18.

The Modeltex catalog has 41 leggings sewing patterns (33 for women, 5 for girls, 1 for unisex kids, 1 for men, 1 for babies), all approved with a sewn sample and with the size range available on each product page; the most affordable PDF starts at US$23 with the standard size selection.

Leggings styles: athletic, high-rise and capri

There are basic high-waist leggings, athletic ones with a side pocket, with mesh or color panels, printed, flared, capri, harem with ankle cuffs and short high-rise leggings, plus bike shorts. Compression leggings, a seamless thermal pair and top and leggings sets are also listed.

They have few pieces: the A4 PDF goes together in few sheets and the plotter file fits a narrow width, so testing a new style is quick before you decide on the run.

Leggings fabrics and pattern elasticity

Leggings are cut in spandex knit, cotton with spandex, polyester or nylon with elastane, and also in thermal fabric or with mesh in the panels. The fabric has to have the stretch the pattern was designed for and recover: with less stretch the leggings do not go on, and with poor recovery they sag at the knee. Test the sample stretched against the light: a fabric that turns see-through in the large size is no good. Spread relaxed and without tension, with the wales running along the leg.

Leggings seams and finishes

Athletic leggings are assembled with a serger and coverstitch machine, and a flatlock seam prevents chafing at the inseam and the sides. The high waist is usually a wide folded waistband of the same fabric, with or without elastic inside, and it is the point where the garment is approved or rejected: if it rolls or leaves a mark, check the elastic width. On side pockets and on mesh or color panels, cut each piece with the grain aligned and use a thread suited to stretch seams.

Common fabrics for leggings: spandex knit, cotton with spandex, nylon with elastane, polyester with elastane, thermal fabric, mesh.

Available leggings sewing patterns

Frequently asked questions about leggings sewing patterns

What fabric does a leggings pattern need?

It needs a knit with elastane that stretches in both directions and recovers, with a stretch close to that of the fabric recommended on the pattern page. If you use a fabric with less stretch, the leggings come out small, and if it stretches too much, they come out loose. Spandex knit and cotton with spandex are the most used bases.

Are there compression and high-rise leggings patterns?

Yes. There are athletic compression leggings, high-rise, with a side pocket and with mesh or color panels, and also short leggings and bike shorts. Compression styles need a technical fabric with high recovery and a flatlock seam, and they should be tested in that fabric before production.

Can you make flared leggings?

Yes. There are flared leggings, high-rise and printed. A leg that opens at the hem changes the consumption compared with a straight leg and calls for a fabric with good drape and a hem that does not pull. If the leggings are printed, cut the motif evenly on both legs.

How do you test leggings before producing the run?

You test the sample in the final fabric on a body, in motion and stretched, with a squat and a bend, to check that it is not see-through, that the waist does not slip down and that the seams do not pull. Repeat it in the smallest and the largest size of the range, because the stretch behaves differently.

Guides for producing leggings

Related garments

See all garments, the full catalog (more than 2,000 sewing patterns), the PDF A4, plotter and DXF/AAMA formats, or request custom patternmaking.