Twisted waistbands are both unflattering and uncomfortable but they don’t have to be an inevitable part of wearing elastic. So here’s how I like to sew my waistbands to stop them twisting.
I’ve made you a video for a quick overview, or scroll on past if you prefer more step-by-step instructions with pictures.
First up, I sew the channel for the elastic to go through, leaving a hole at the bottom to thread the elastic into
Then I like to top stitch near the outer fabric edge and press this in place. This helps to hold the fabric in the centre so it’s less likely to roll and move around the elastic.
Thread the elastic through the channel, making sure that the elastic isn’t twisted before sewing the ends together. I like to open out my elastic edges and stitch them down to hold the join open and flat.
Then I redistribute the elastic inside so that it’s spread equally all the way around.
Then lastly, I like to stitch the elastic in place down the side seams. This leaves plenty of movement to still move with you inside the garment, yet gives it more stability so that the elastic is less able to twist or roll
And by stitching the elastic down the centre of your side seam (also known as stitching in the ditch), it hides your stitches so you’d never even know they were there!
If you have any other tips for sewing elastic waistbands, leave them in the comments! I’d love to hear them!
I am obese and find it difficult to find patterns to fit in the style I want. I want to make a slip on coat. I want it to have princess seamings. I have a dress pattern that I could use but do not know how to make it larger. Any tips would be grateful.
Have you come across the Curvy Sewing Collective? They have some fantastic resources on their website that walk you through the best ways for adjusting patterns for plus size sewing – you’ll find them in the article section. They also review and recommend patterns that work well with plus sized shapes if you wanted to look for a coat pattern there instead too. If you’re not sure, they also have a fantastic facebook community that you could ask in too. I’m sure they’ll be plenty of people there who have done similar and are able to help you get that coat made! Best wishes, Linda x