Skirt Sew-Along Part Two ~ Sewing the Waistband
Kathie’s back with part two of our Skirt Sew-Along. Part One includes a materials list and instructions for preparing your pattern and cutting the fabric. Today’s instructions include the use of 12-18 inches of 1/2″ elastic, which we missed on our supply list yesterday. We apologize for the oversight! Today you’ll learn how to sew the waistband, including the use of elastic thread to shirr the back waistband. It’s a really fun and satisfying process!
Shirred back waistband.
Sewing Waistband Front & Back:
1. Place the two front waistband pieces right sides together, sew along the TOP edge, using a 5/8 seam allowance.
2. Press seam allowance open.
Front waistband, sewn & pressed.
3. Refold waistband so the right sides are facing out, and press the top sewn seam.
Back waistband.
4. Repeat the process, sewing the two back waistband pieces together and pressing well.
Shirring Back Waistband:
5. Wind an empty bobbin with elastic thread, making sure not to stretch the elastic thread when you are winding.
Winding elastic thread on the bobbin.
6. Place the bobbin with elastic thread in your bobbin case, and lower the tension on your top thread just a little bit.
Elastic thread in bobbin case, regular thread through the needle.
7. Test your tension on a piece of scrap fabric to make sure your machine is shirring properly. You may need to play around with your top tension a bit to get it right. You want the elastic thread to gather the back fabric but still have the ability to stretch back out to the original size.
Sewing elastic thread.
8. Begin shirring your back waistband 3/4” down from the top seam.
Rows of elastic thread.
9. Run 6 more lines of shirring. Each line should be approx 1/4” apart.
Finished shirred back waistband.
Adding Stabilizing Elastic:
10. I found that the fit of the skirt was dramatically improved if I ran a length of narrow 1/2” elastic through the channel that is created between the seam at the top of the waistband and the first line of shirring. I used a 12” piece of elastic for a 21 1/2” back waistband piece.
Adding elastic band to top of back waistband.
11. Stitch down the short ends of your back waistband to secure all shirring and elastic in place.
Back waistband with elastic band.
Joining Front & Back Waistband:
12. Open up front waistband.
13. Place right sides of waistbands together, aligning the front of the back waistband (the side that does not show the elastic thread) with the front of the front waistband (choose a side- they should both basically be the same).
14. Your front waistband should still be flared open and the piece that will be the back of the front waistband should open up and above the aligned front and back waistband pieces.
Piecing together front & back waistbands.
15. Pin together your short ends. Match top seams. You will still have one half of your front waistband ABOVE the junction of your matched up top seams.
16. Sew a 5/8” seam allowance.
17. Fold the opened up back side of the front waistband to the back side of the back waistband, sandwiching the back waistband in between.
18. Pin and sew 5/8” seam allowance.
19. Repeat for the other side of the waistband.
Front & back waistbands, sewn together.
20. Flip the back waistband out from being sandwiched between the front and back of the front waistband and you should have a nice full waistband, front and back joined. You should iron the waistband and gathering, otherwise it’s just too poofy! Take some steam and a hot iron to it and it will keep its stretch without looking like a tutu.
Tomorrow: Sewing the skirt!
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56 Responses to “Skirt Sew-Along Part Two ~ Sewing the Waistband”
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I can see a dress in my daughters future using this technique!
This looks like fun. Need to get some elastic thread.
I’ve never used elastic thread, I should give this a try.
Great idea with the stabilizing elastic!
Great Tute!
Thank you!
Thanks for great tips.
yes, easy and perfect to turn into a little girl dress. just add a tie to go from the front around the back of the neck and voila!
kahite
Soooo nice! Easy without looking lightweight. I love it.
Wow… I have never thought it’d be possible for me to do that. Cool, thanks for the instructions!
I love the elastic in the back so you have a nice clean looking front. And I do love sewing with elastic thread!
I never would have thought of the stabilizing elastic. That makes all the difference!
While I think this is a cute skirt I don’t think it would be very flattering on me. But I am enjoying reading how to do it.
Heading to my machine now!
I’ve never used elastic thread before – do you have to wind it onto the bobin by hand or can you use your machine to do it?
Thanks for this tutorial!!
I’ve got elastic thread sitting in my drawer waiting on me to get around to using it…sounds like this will be the project. Right after I get my sewing room cleaned up from the last project!
Yay! So helpful!!
I never would have thought of putting the stabilizing elastic in the top, I’ll have to remember that for future projects too.
Hmmmm. My old sewing machine may burp on the elastic thread, but could modify for traditional casing.
What a great touch with the shirring on the waistband – I really like it!
i’ve been wanting to try out shirring, the results look great
Wind the elastic by hand. I’m as new as you get to sewing but I tried this the past weekend for a dress for my daughter and it worked wonderfully.
Neat! I’ve never seen this technique before!
elastic thread has always made me weary…thanks for making it look a bit easier than I have made it!
I tried shiring for the first time a few weeks ago for dresses for my daughters. It worked okay, though I had to use really long stitches and stitch really slowly. I didn’t adjust the upper tension though and my machine is from 1953.
This reminds me that I want to make a shirred dress with elastic thread! So fun!
I think this would be so cute on my daughter. Thanks for the tute.
I’m trying to shirr some fabric, but it’s not gathering up enough. Advice? I hand wound my bobbin very loosely and am using a basting stitch.
I need to go shopping for some elastric thread. Good tutorial.
I am following!
Great shirring technique! Hope to try it tonight.
I’ve bought elastic thread and wanted to learn how to use it. Thanks for the info on how to use it. Maybe I will make a skirt for the kiddo since I’m on the expanding waistline plan – you know the 9 month baby making plan. Or maybe I will put this on my ever increasing to do list for later.
beth- try loosening up your top tension. some machines just have a harder time with elastic thread in the bobbin. if you can, pull out the manual for your machine and see if you can’t loosen your bobbin tension a bit, as well.
kathie
I love elastic thread. Such a clever idea to just use it on the back of the waistband.
Having the pictures to look at is fabulous – great tutorial. I think I might be able to pull this off
too cute!
Hi! Nice skirt!
About the smocking bit. When you sew the second row, do you have to stretch the fabric first, or just sew it with the gathered fabric. Difficult to explain but I hope you understand what I mean. On the photo where you are sewing the next rows the fabric looks stretched out/straight.
Thanks
Barbara
Sorry. Me again. And does the stitch length nedd to be wide? How wide? Thanks again!
Love these instructions. I, too have elastic thread just waiting to be put to good use!
This is a great tutorial, wonderful pictures make everything very clear!
Nice Thanks.
I love this technique! everything looks so dreamy with it!
I plan to try elastic thread for the first time. This will help!
Great tutorial!
This is a little too poofy for my body type, but I’m totally using this waistband technique to make myself a gored skirt!
Great idea about using the elastic at the top!
I always thought this shirring was much more difficult and never dared! Once i finish the dress i am doing now I will try this skirt.
Any tips for working with elastic thread? I have tried it before but the elastic thread snaps when I try to sew it.
Having trouble getting the elastic thread through the eye of my needle. Tried three different sizes… anyone have ideas?! Help! I am loving this project but am stuck!
Never mind – re read directions more closely – normal thread on top – got it! : )
I think I want to have the “too poofy” version of this
Can’t wait to try this!
Perfect. As always, this site has exactly what I am looking for!
great idea–love the look it gives the skirt
I made it!!!
I had some old old fabric at home and after seeing this, I decided to make this skirt… soon I will post pictures of it in my blog
http://poison-mary.blogspot.com
thanx for the tutorial
I can say I had loads of trouble when sewing the elastic thread… but I survived!
greeting from Peru
Hi all, I just successfully shirred the waistband, after several failed attempts (3 or 4 bobbins full of elastic!)
The problem was my drop in bobbin, on a newer computerized machine. (Brother CE-4000) The thread is also thicker than my bobbin case usually takes. The instructions here helped out a lot: http://simpleanalogy.typepad.com/simple_analogy/2009/07/shirring.html
You’ve got to take off the faceplate (on mine, the plastic part around the bobbin case, not the metal presser foot area), and manually catch the thread on a metal tension hook that is near you, at 6o’clock. Then manually raise the bobbin thread by turning the needle wheel while holding onto the needle thread. You’ll catch a loop of elastic and pull it out through the top. Replace the covers, and you can start sewing. Top tension at 5.5 and stitch length at 4.
Also, hitting the shirring with steam was like magic. I thought I wasn’t getting enough shirring until I steamed it, and it shrunk by probably 40% more.