Today I decided to sew an elastic skirt made of lightweight denim because elastic skirts are super easy and require very little measuring and supplies. They also allow for wiggle room and can be tailored to any style. Outside of measuring and marking tools all you need is fabric and elastic. I like to use knit elastic because it is flexible, has a great stretch and keeps its shape.
***Heavy weight denims are not ideal for elastic skirts because they add a lot of bulk to the band.***
Start by measuring waist and desired length. Take your waist measurement and times it by 1.5. If you want a wider stride times the waist by 2. This will make the skirt fuller. Divide this number by two and you will get the width of your skirt panels. My daughter’s waist is 24 inches. So, by this measurement I would cut a panel 18 inches wide for a narrow skirt or 24 inches wide for a flared skirt. ***If you want your skirt to be slimmer at the top but trickle to a flare, you will cut the top of the skirt at the smaller measurement an widen to the larger measurement as you get to the bottom.***
Next, determine if your band will be attached or detached. This matters because it will affect the amount of the total length. For this skirt I elected to make a detached band. The band height will be the height of your elastic doubled (because you will be folding it) plus an inch. (The band width will be your skirt width at the top divided by 2.) The skirt panel length will be the desired length + hem allowance – band width.
Time to cut!! You will have 4 pieces altogether, 2 band pieces and 2 skirt panel pieces. Once you have cut out your band pieces it’s time to assemble. Pin the skirt panels right sides together and sew. Finish the edges. Next pin and stitch the band pieces together. It is not necessary to finish these seams as they will be enclosed when we’re done.
Fold the band in half wrong sides together. Slide it on top of the skirt panel with right side facing out. Line seams up and pin in place. Sew along the edge and leave room to insert the elastic. The length of your elastic will be width minus 2 inches.
Take a safety pin and pin one side of the elastic. Insert the safety pin end into the casing and feed it through all the way around. Be sure not to pull too fast or you will lose your other end inside the casing and have to start over. When you have both pieces outside the casing sew the elastic ends together.
Sew the casing close and finish the ends with a serger, zigzag stitch or pinking shares.
Finally, hem the bottom of the skirt. Turn under twice and stitch desired hem for the neatest look. Another way to hem would be to finish the ends and turn under once. Completely your choice.
