I made my first skirt today, just an elasticated waist one out of an old bedsheet. It's just a mockup, so I'm glad I made one, as I can already feel the elastic inside turning over. Is there a way to make it stay flat? Or do I need wider elastic?
I used 20mm elastic from Tesco and a 1" casing.
I want to buy some fun prints for skirts for my girls (5 & 8), is it any cotton I need or should I be looking for something in particular?
Hi Debbie, it depends if you want your stitching to be visible.
You could sew round the middle of the elastic all the way round your skirt using a zig zag stitch, to secure it in the casing.
If you want it to be less visible, you could also stitch in the ditch down the seam lines at the side and/or back of your skirt.
Another option would be to not sew it in a casing. Once you have sewn both ends of your elastic together, pin it around the top of your skirt (to the wrong side of your fabric), stretching the elastic as you go. Sew with a zig zag stitch or use an overlocker really close to the outside edge. Once attached you can then fold it over and sew it down, this time you need to sew it close to the raw edge, not the folded edge. This gives a slightly different finish to the waistband.
If the elastic is not comfortable round your waist, you can always go for something wider. 20-25mm will be fine for children's clothes. It's all personal preference!
Thanks Suzanne! I think next time I'll do two side seams rather than one and then stitch down the seam lines for the kids. I might try that other option when I've had a bit more practice.
I really like top stitching an elastic waistband - after finishing the waistband I then sew two or three lines of zig zag stitches through all layers of the waistband and the elastic. This stops the elastic twisting inside and gives a little extra element to the waistband.
This step is included in the True Bias Mave skirt which has a very wide waistband.
You have to stretch the waistband flat as you sew the topstitching to ensure it will move as you pull the skirt on and and off. I made the mistake once of not stretching the waistband as I was sewing which meant the stitches all snapped when I went to put it on
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