sockies tutorial

Please tell me you remember the very clever turtleneck Dickie........

The perfect thing to wear under your winter sweater without adding bulk.  I had one in every color.  They really were smart, back in the late 80's.  You with me?

Once in awhile, I have my very own original idea.  I decided to bring the Dickie back, with a twist.  It's called a Sock Dickie, or a Sockie for short.

You know the super cute socks that all the girls are wearing under their tall riding boots?  Upon investigation, I discovered that all the cute ones were $20 or more.  Not only did I want a pair or two, but so did the other girl in my house, which was going to cost a mini-fortune.  Mia and I were heading out for a day of thrifting and stopped by one of our favorite places, St. Vincent De Paul, where all the clothing was $1 per piece.  I loaded up on some sweaters of various colors and styles.

We also stopped by SAS, our local fabric and trim mecca.  Do not go in there hungry or with a full bladder.  You'll be sorry.

I cut my sweater arm off at 12 inches. 

The seam line of the sweater is going to go on the inside of your leg, so it will never be seen.  I cut a 1.5 inch slit down the side, and a little towards the front of the Sockie rather than right down the side. I just wanted a little detail to show if I was facing someone head-on.  I mean, who is going to notice it on the side unless they don't take their eyes off of you until they are behind you? I want to encourage people to look at me from the front, not the back.

I started at the back part of the slit with my trim, about halfway down.  I thought this would be the most least noticeable place for my raw edges to join up. 

I pulled the slit in the sock toward me until it created a straight line of sewing, and started stitching the trim on.

You want to figure your corner out before you get to it.  Just tuck your trim behind until you round the corner nicely, then stitch it on.

Now, for the top edge of the Sockie, you are going to want to stretch your sweater fabric, as well as your trim (mine was stretchy trim) as you sew.  This way it will gather back up when you are done.  I think it would work just as well if you were using trim that wasn't stretchy, just be sure to stretch your sweater fabric while sewing it on.

I just overlapped my raw edges about 1/4 inch, and cut off the excess.  Lastly, I sewed two little, white buttons on each one for that adorable detail.

All done!  Stylish Sockies for $1.50 a pair.  Are you excited?

If your super lucky like Mia, you'll find a sweater with a cute scalloped edge on the sleeves, and simply cut them off to create your custom Sockies.  No sewing necessary.

I fear there might be a cat fight when Mia comes to retrieve these from Jaci.  She loves them!

A cheap and easy way to boost your holiday wardrobe.  I bet your niece or sister-in-law would love a pair!  Hopefully they don't read this post and discover how cheap you are....... There's no question my family already knows I am!