When you want an elastic waistband, it is usually a no-brainer – you just make one by folding the top of the fabric into the casing, inserting the elastic, and that is it. Or you can add a pretty elastic as it is on the top of the skirt for an exposed elastic waistband. But if you want a more pretty one, the idea is to create one in a separate contrasting colored fabric. Here is a tutorial to make one easily.

What do you need to sew the separate elastic waistband?

A 1-inch wide elastic  – length equalling waist round * 4/5
A 5-inch wide fabric for the waistband in the color of your choice
Skirt fabric – A light to medium-weight fabric like cotton, rayon
Measurement of  your waist and hip round

Step 1

Cut the skirt fabric of width = your waist measurement multiplied it by 1.5 or 2. This depends on the fullness you want. Some even cut it three times. Cut your fabric to the desired skirt length.

Step 2

Sew the side edges together to make a tube. This is your skirt body. Gather the top of the skirt – make two rows of gathering stitches 1/2 inches down from the top edge of the skirt tube. Leave thread tails at the start and the end. Gently pull the thread tails – this will gather the skirt’s top edge. Gather it to match the waistband, which is hip round plus 2 inches.

Step 3

Cut the waistband fabric.  Cut it in length, equalling hip round plus 3 inches. Cut the elastic too.

Step 4

Sew the waistband. Follow the sequence given below. Step 1. Keep the waistband folded by the middle, rightside in (rightsides together)

Step 2. Keep the elastic on top, just under the half way mark of the fabric width. The red arrow points to the half way mark of the waistband. Keep the elastic straight just under this mark.

Step 3. Fold the top of the waistband over the elastic.

Step 4. Bring the other end of the elastic over the folded fabric.

Now sew this in place. Sew them together using a very tight zigzag stitch. Make more than 2 stitches to ensure that the seam does not come apart. This forms your elastic waistband loop. With this method, you get a seamless and neat waistband.

Step 5

Top stitch just under the elastic (this effectively creates a casing for your elastic) over the waistband. As you sew, the fabric will bunch up – that is ok; just move the elastic to the back so that you can sew easily on smooth fabric, not the bunched-up one. Straighten it after you have sewn it to get a nice gathered waistband.

Step 6

Sew the waistband to the skirt tube. Keep the rawedges of the skirt and the waistband together and sew together as in the picture below.

Finish the edges.

Related posts : Sewing tutorial – elastic waist skirt ; Types of elastic waistbands ; Names of skirt types