Well-designed dance studios have good ventilation, so they can sometimes be drafty. Tights are designed to keep a dancer's legs warm while allowing her to move freely. The close-fitting tights do not obstruct the instructor's view of the dancer's movements. Use the same tights to make a shrug that will keep a dancer's arms and back warm without getting in the way.

Instructions

1.   Jacket-Style Shrug

  • Remove or drop the sewing machine's base plate to set up the machine for free-arm sewing. Check the machine's instruction book for directions on how to do this for your particular machine. Set the machine to sew a stretch stitch.
  • Pull the waist of the tights over the free arm of the machine. Pull one leg onto the arm until the ankle is under the needle.
  • Sew around the ankle with a stretch stitch. Try not to stretch the fabric as you sew. Sew the other leg in the same way. Cut the feet off just below the stitching.
  • Turn the tights inside out and fold up a 1/2-inch hem on each leg. Stitch around the bottom of the leg 1/4 inch from the fold. Try not to stretch the fabric as you sew.
  • Turn the tights right-side out and slip your arms through the waist and into the legs to wear the tights as a shrug.

2.   Pullover Shrug

  • Hem the legs of the tights as described in the previous section.
  • Cut out the crotch of the tights. Cut around the square of fabric where the legs are joined.
  • Pull the waist over your head as if it is the bottom of a pullover top or jumper. Put your head through the hole at the crotch and put your arms in the legs. This stretches the crotch enough for your head to fit through. Take off the tights.
  • Sew around the hole in the crotch with a stretch stitch. Try not to stretch the fabric further as you sew.