TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS
This waistband will replace the waistand on any skirt pattern that you may decide to use as long as the skirt has a side seam, and the skirt starts at your natural waist.
Find your natural waist
To find your natural waist, bend at your waist from side to side and front and back. The place where your skin creases is your natural waist. Using a soft tailors measuring tape, place your tape on your natural waist and measure around your torso.
DRAFT YOUR PATTERN
Using your waist measurment, divide that number in half. One half is the front and the other the back.
The front is simple enough, you'll just need to add your seam allowances. I use 1/2" seam allowance, so 1/2" on the left and 1/2" on the right, equals 1" total of seam allowance. You will need to add that to each waist band measurement.
The back is a bit more complicated. You will divide half of the total waist measurment in 3rds. The placket side (wearers right) add 2" to the 3rd measurment. The side seam (wearers left) add nothing to the 3rd measurment. The center is a shirring panel, double the 3rd measurment.
The only other piece you will need is the continuous lapped placket. That piece is 15" x 5".
Make sure you add 1" to each pattern piece for seam allowance.
At this point you have all of your horizontal dimentions. Each of these peices will be 5" wide.
An Example:
If your waist is 30"...
Your Front is 16" x 5"
(right side back) 8" x 5"
(center back) 11" x 5"
(left side back) 6" x 5"
These measurements include seam allowances.
ADD INTERFACING
Use iron on interfacing to front, side backs (right and left) and continuous lapped placket. For each of these pieces, cut interfacing 3" wide x your horizontal measurement. Apply the interfacing along one horizontal length to the wrong side of each piece. 2" of each piece will be uncovered.
After applying the interfacing, fold each piece including the shirring panel in half, so that the 5" measurment is now 2.5".
PICTORIAL INSTRUCTIONS
Shirring Panel
Mark your elastic casings
You will mark the casings as follows:
1/2"
7/8"
1 1/4"
1 3/4"
2 1/8"
2 1/2"
Fold the 5" length in half along your 2 1/2"mark, and using a method called "pin basting", pin along every other elastic casing. Make sure all of your pins are set the same way.
You will sew from pin tip to tip. You will pull the pins out as you go. Using this method ensures that the layers of fabric won't become skewed as you sew.
When you're done it should look like this:
Add Elastic to the Casings
You will cut three 1/4" pieces of elastic half the length of your shirring panel.You can use many tools to pull the elastic through your casings. I prefer a bodkin, or a Fasturn. I suggest you try a number of different methods to see what you like the best. Just make sure your elastic doesn't turn and twist in it's casing.
When your elastic has been placed in the casings, stitch them in place along both ends... back stitch over them to secure them down. You'll use a 1/2 seam allowance.
Complete the Back Section
The most important part of this construction section is to make sure that you place the interfaced side of Left and Right Backs on the same side. The interfaced side is the inside. The plain the fashion side.
The shorter section goes on the wearers left and the longer on the wearers right. You will attach the sides to the center shirring panel the same way on both sides.
1. Match up the fold line of the side panel and the folded edge on the shirring panel. Matching right sides together, pin the side panel to the shirring panel on the un-interfaced side ONLY.
It's a good idea to use your stitch line that holds the elastic in place as your guide. I stitch just to the inside of the original stitches, just to make sure that no stitches will be visible once everything is turned right side out.
2. Now fold over the side panel at it's center crease. Pin in place, and stitch it to the shirring panel.
When your done with both sides it should look like this:
Attach Front to Back
This is simple enough... you'll join them, right sides together, matching center creases, interfacing side to interfacing side un-interfaced side to un-interfaced side.
Evidently, I forgot to snap a pic of this step. sigh... I'm a human after all.
Finish off Opening Edges
The Right side edge front, and Right side edge back are the opening edges of your skirt, as such they need to be given a finished edge.
You will simply fold those two edges over itself on it's center crease line, right sides together. Using a 1/2 seam allowance, stitch the edge closed.
At this point your waistband is done. You may however decide to put a stay stitch line on the interfaced side of your waistband. Basically this line of stitches helps you attach the waistband to the skirt. It's not necessary however. You can also apply topstitching at the waistbands top edge.
Appling stay stitching
Top stitching applied
Finished Waistband
The next thing you'll do is to apply the Continuous Lapped placket. I'll make a pictorial tutorial for that eventually, but until then here is a great video tutorial... Lapped Plackets are great!
My skirt with the waistband attached.
