how to: stockings from tights

I can not wear tights. I had to wear them all through high school for music concerts (yes, I was an orchestra geek) and was constantly struggling to keep them from sliding down--what a nuisance that was! Now I only ever wear garter belts with stockings--they never slip, and I get to enjoy the boost in confidence that comes from sexy underthings. Trouble is, most of the proper stockings sold at retail stores (unless you want to drop muchos dolares at a specialty store) are either of the pantyhose or fishnet variety, so I've developed this method for converting tights into stockings. That way I don't have to be so limited in my choice of colors or patterns.

Step 1: Cut off the legs of the tights. Straight across the top, right at crotch-level (sorry, there's no nicer way to say that).

Step 2: Turn the stocking inside out. Now fold the top edge of the stocking down.

Then, fold it over again.

Step 3: Get out your needle and thread and start stitching. If you wanted to be fancy you could go out and buy some elastic thread, but this isn't necessary if you use the method I describe below.

The best way I can describe these stitches is that on the right side you will end up with a row of little X's, and on the wrong side (the inside of the tights) you will have a series of alternating vertical stitches and loops of thread--the loops allow the hem of the stocking to be stretched without straining and breaking the thread, and the little X's help the loops to stay in place.*

Start by making your diagonal stitches to form the X's on the right side (which is currently on the inside, since we turned the stocking inside-out). Go from bottom left to top right,

... then pull your needle through the bottom right up through the top left:

Repeat this pattern, leaving plenty of slack in between as you move from one X to another. The more slack you leave, the more you will be able to stretch the fabric without the thread breaking, but be sure to keep those loops smaller than your pinkie toe to avoid snagging your foot every time you pull these on. The finished seam will look something like this on the wrong side:

And like this on the right side:

Once you've stitched all the way around the hem, do the same for the other leg, turn them right-side out again, and you're ready to party.

*A simpler way to stitch the hems would be to use two short vertical stitches made right on top of each other instead of the two diagonal stitches that make the X's. That is the way that I normally sew these, but I thought tiny X's would be cuter.