In this skirt, there are 2 side pockets so a zip option is out. The skirt has 3 layers of frills so a nice, flat waistband would look more flattering than a gathered one in my opinion.
I hope you enjoy this tutorial!
The hardest part of a half-elastic waistband is the math. You need the skirt to stretch MORE than your hip measure so you can get it on and off, but when relaxed is slightly smaller than your waist measure so it stays on.
I made this skirt a standard size M, so the finished waist will fit 28.5"
Ungathered, the skirt currently measures 70"
Half the finished waist is: 28.5"/2=14.25" Since it is elastic, I will make it a little shorter than that at about 12-13"
Cut the elastic to this length.
The portion of the skirt that will be elasticized is: 70"/2=35"
Make your elastic waistband however long it needs to be (mine is 35"). Iron the raw edges in:
Stitch to the back of your skirt:
Fold over, topstitch, and begin to thread your elastic through. Remember, using a safety pin at the beginning of your elastic makes it much easier! When the end of your elastic is flush with the first end of your waistband, stitch it down to keep it in place:
Thread the elastic all the way through and stitch down the other end:
Now make the fitted portion of your waistband by cutting it to your finished size plus seam allowance (14.25"+Seam Allowance in my example)
Fuse some interfacing (NO seam allowance on the interfacing!) to your fitted waistband to make it lie flat. Iron in all the seam allowances, and pin one end over the open end of your elasticized waistband:
Gather your skirt to your waistband and stitch. Then fold over and topstitch, remembering to stitch over the join from fitted to elasticized waistband!
And you are done! The front of the skirt should look like this:
And the back should look like this:
As always, feel free to leave any questions or comments!
