BubbletronSpaceCadet: Cosplay Tutorial : #1 The Elastic Sock Stripes

I decided to make a tutorial for this because I couldn't find a good way to put lines on my cosplay socks. I am working on a cosplay for Natsuo Maki from the anime Love Lab. I figured I would also share this tutorial because a lot of anime characters have striped socks.

Before trying this method of sock stripes I tried painting on the stripes with fabric paint. I went all out by putting on the socks and putting plastic wrap around my legs were the socks stopped and also using tape to make clean lines. I thought it would work( I used this tape method on my shirt and it worked great! ) but after 2 hours of drying the lines bled and I as really frustrated. I decided maybe I would sew ribbon onto the socks but the ribbon would not be stretchy enough and I didn't want something I could possibly mess up! I decided I could use elastic and sew it to the sock but I figured that would end up badly. I also couldn't find a tutorial that would help. Then I came up with the idea of making "stripe garters " with the elastic. It would be easy to take off and on and it would hold on to my socks well and wouldn't fall down.

Now on to the tutorial!

What you will need

Elastic (in the color you need for your character
a pair of scissors
thread
sewing machine
Pins are optional (if you want to pin your measured elastic to the elastic you want to cut)

Step #1

cut a strip of elastic or you can use a stretchy piece of rope to measure your leg where the stripes will rest.
make sure the elastic or rope is slightly stretched so it will fit around your leg (don't measure unstreached because then it will be too large) Also leave a little room for seam allowance!

Step #2

after measuring make a test stripe.
this is when you can cut the elastic to the desired thickness you need.
Fold the two ends of your test stripe together
This is when you will need your sewing machine.

Step #3

take your stripe and sew along the end( this is where the room you made for seam allowance comes it!)

I used the number 8 stitch on my machine
I secured the stitch by going over it more than once.
Your test stripe should come up looking like image 3

Step #4
- Turn the elastic inside out ( meaning make sure your seam is on the inside of the loop.
- And there you have your test stripe!
before I turned it inside-out

Step #5
- Now that you have your test stripe you can use it to measure out the other stripes you need!
- just cut other strips of elastic and fold them in the same way you folded your test stripe before sewing and cut it to be equal to your test stripe.
- Now just sew the loop shut and you have another stripe
Cut a strip

cutting down to get same thickness

after cutting what I need

Then when your done just slip on the elastic bands and YAY! you have stripes! they will not move around if you made them tight enough and there is no damage to socks or any messy clean up!