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How to Assemble and Attach your Waistband

ONE-PIECE WAISTBAND AND SEPARATE FACING
1). After drafting the waistband and adding seam allowance, cut two pieces from fabric. One waistband will
become the waistband facing. Cut one waistband from interfacing. Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of one
waistband piece, following the manufacturers instructions.
2). Assemble the skirt and then attach the waistband as follows. Pin the interfaced waistband to the skirt with the right
sides together and raw edges aligned.
a) If you do not have an extension (for instance the edge of a wrap skirt), position the waistband ends so they extend
past the skirt opening edges.
b) If you do have an extension, position the waistband end to extend beyond the skirt opening (on the left side only)
by the drafted length of the extension plus seam allowance.

3). Stitch the waistband to the top of the skirt. Press the seam allowances toward the waistband.
4). Pin the waistband facing to the top of the waistband with the right sides together and raw edges aligned; stitch.

Press the seam allowance toward the facing and understitch (see page 37) 18 from the seamline. (Illustration shows
waistband without an extension.)
5). Press under the remaining long edge of the facing to the wrong side. Turn the waistband right sides together
again.
a) If there is no waistband extension, stitch the waistband side seam even with the edge of the skirt.
b) If the waistband has an extension, unfold the bottom seam allowances for both waistband and facing. Stitch the
side seam, pivot at the bottom edge seam allowance, and stitch along the creased fold to the edge of the
skirt. Backstitch. Trim the corners, turn the waistband right side out, and press.
6). Secure the bottom of the facing to cover the seam
allowance with either hand stitches or by stitching in the
ditch
from the garments right side.
If the waistband has an extension, hand-sew a hook
and eye to finish the waistband. Sew the eye to the
extension (or underlap) and the hook to the wrong side of
the left edge of the waistband.

TWO-PIECE (STRAIGHT AND CONTOURED) WAISTBAND WITH SEPARATE

FACINGS
1). After drafting the waistbands and adding seam allowance, cut two front waistbands and two back waistbands
from fabric unless there is an opening in the center back or front, in which case cut two right back (or front)
waistbands and two left back (or front) waistbands from fabric. One set of waistbands will become the waistband
facing. Cut one of each waistband from interfacing and fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of one set of
waistbands, following the manufacturers instructions.
2). Pin the side seams of the front interfaced waistband to the back interfaced waistband(s), keeping the zipper
placement in mind, with the right sides together and raw edges aligned. For a side seam zipper, dont sew the left
side seam. For a centered zipper, dont sew the center-back (or front) seam. Repeat with the waistband facing
pieces.
3). Repeat steps 2 through 6 for One-Piece Waistband to finish. Make sure the waistband side seams are aligned
with the skirt side seams.
TIP : You can also stitch in the ditch to close the waistband. To do this, make sure the bottom edge of the waistband
on the inside of the skirt extends past the seamline by 18. Pin the layers in place, and from the right side machine-

stitch directly over the seamline, catching the bottom edge of the waistband inside the skirt. Its called stitching in the
ditch because your stitch line is sewn inside the indention of the original seamline, hiding the stitches.

DRAFT A WAISTLINE FACING

Unlike a waistband that is visible at the top edge of the skirt, a facing still
finishes the top edge, but folds to the wrong side of the skirt. The facing is
drafted separately from the skirt on patternmaking paper.
To draft the facing, pin any remaining darts closed. Then, trace the top
edge of the skirt front for the front facing and the top edge of the skirt
back for the back facing. Continue tracing the lines of the slopers,
about 2 to 3 down the side seam and center front or center back
onto patternmaking paper. Measure down the same amount from the top
edges and draw parallel lines. Trace the drafted facings (do not cut them
off). Add seam allowances to all seamed edges.

LENGTHEN OR SHORTEN YOUR PATTERN

Your skirt sloper is drafted to span from your true waist to the top of your knee. If you want to change where the
bottom edge of your skirt hits your legs, it is easy to lengthen or shorten your design.
Draft a line parallel to the original hemline, somewhere in the center of the sloper, dividing the pattern in half.

) To lengthen the pattern, cut along the newly drafted line and spread the pattern apart the desired amount. Then
draw in new side seam, center-front, and center-back lines.
) To shorten the pattern, cut along the newly drafted line and overlap the pattern pieces to achieve the desired
length. Then draw in new side seam, center-front, and center-back lines.
Source :
SKIRT-A-DAY SEWING Create 28 Skirts
For A Unique Look Every Day
Nicole Smith

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Tags: draft a waistline facing, how to assemble and attach your waistband, lengthen or shorten your pattern, onepiece waistband and separate facing, two-piece (straight and contoured) waistband with separate facings

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