Girls Ruffled Socks

My daughter is almost 8 and still just ADORES anything pink, sparkly and/or ruffly.  She also LOVES wearing dresses and skirts--its sometimes a fight to get her to wear a pair of jeans!  (What is wrong with her?  Her Momma LOVES jeans!!  Oh well!)  Because she often wears socks with her little skirts and dresses instead of hot, itchy tights (see--she really is my daughter!) I decided to jazz things up and bring some of those ruffles down to her feet!  

I got the idea to do this a couple of years ago--and made her a couple pairs of socks--but I just sewed some lace to her socks with regular thread--and forever after they were SUPER hard to get her feet into--as regular thread does not stretch!!!  Duh. 

So--When I was using ELASTIC THREAD for the SHIRRED DRESS and SHIRRED BEACH COVER UP that I made--I got the idea to use the elastic thread for her socks too!  Brilliant, I know.  Why didn't I think of this before?

So here is how I made them.

I started with the elastic thread that I was just talking about:

And I hand wound it around a bobbin until it was full.

Next I found two coordinating colors of knit fabric (I happened to find some great knit shirts at the Dollar Store--so I used those).

I cut a couple strips of the outer fabric 3" wide.  The inner fabric I cut about 2 1/2 " wide--on the hot pink one I cut it about 1" wide--you can make them whatever width you like.

Next I layed the narrow strip of fabric in the middle of the wider strip of fabric.

(Notice my cutting is not perfect--as I was cutting thru a shirt--but it doesn't matter--it all gets gathered up and you never notice).

Next I sewed a basting stitch (set your machine to the longest stitch length) using your elastic thread in the bobbin--sew down the center of your strips.  I like to backstitch at the beginning--but don't backstitch at the end--instead leave yourself a little tail of threads. 

Here is what my stips looked like after basting:

Cute--but I wanted a little more ruffles--so I pulled the little tail of elastic bobbin thread--until it looked like this: (Sorry about the shadowy picture--DARN CAMERA PHONE!!!)

 

After getting the ruffles as full as you like them--I tied a knot in the end of the threads to help keep them in place.

Next I pinned the ruffle in place on the sock.  Her socks were the fold over kind--so I made sure to place it on the part that was folded over (so you actually sew it to the inside side of the sock).  I always start pinning in the back of the sock so the seams are less noticable.

Then I pinned the ruffle all the way around the sock.  I made sure to lay the edge of the sock so that I would catch it when I sewed along the same line of basting stitches.  Also--you don't need to pull or stretch the sock or the ruffles at all--just lay the ruffle nicely on the sock and pin it where it lays.

At the end I had a tail:

I simply cut it off about 1/2" longer--then folded the edge and pinned it down--overlapping the first edge that is already pinned down. 

The great thing about working with knit fabric is that you can leave these edges raw and they won't fray. 

Next I sewed the ruffle onto the sock.  I used another basting stitch with the elastic thread again.  This ensures that it will have enough stretch in it for your little girl to get her foot into the sock!  (TRUST ME--THIS PART IS IMPORTANT!)  However--Backstitch Well at BOTH ENDS.  This will keep it securely attached to the sock.

I sewed right on the same line of stitching.

I trimmed my threads and I was done!

These make a little Girl's Feet VERY Happy!

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