How to Sew a Long Skirt With an Elastic Waist & Back Slit

MADAME POLY
by MADAME POLY
8 Materials
$15
1 Hour
Easy

This elastic-waist skirt with a back slit is super easy to make, and I’ll show you how it’s done in this video. The free pattern for the skirt is available for download. Once you’ve got the pattern, you’re all set to begin!

Tools and materials:

  • 1 x 1.2 meters of fabric (for EU pattern size 36)
  • Sewing elastic
  • Fabric chalk
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Sewing pins
  • Thread
  • Sewing machine
How to draft the long skirt pattern

1. Cut your skirt pattern

You will need to cut two rectangles from opposite corners of the same edge of your skirt fabric. Check the above image to see the positioning of those cuts.

DIY long skirt pattern

Mark a 45 x 5-centimeter (17.7 x 1.96-inch) rectangle in one corner on the wrong side of your cotton fabric. Cut out the rectangle.

Cutting out the rectangle

Now, mark and cut out a 45 x 4-centimeter (17.7 x 1.57-inch) rectangle from another corner of your fabric.

Overlocking the raw edges

On your sewing machine, overlock all of the raw edges of your skirt fabric.

Making the elastic waistband

2. Make your elastic waistband

Lay your fabric out so that the 2 rectangles are at the top of each side of your skirt fabric. Mark an 11-centimeter (4.3-inch) waistband at the top of your skirt. Fold the waistband in half so the top raw edge meets the waistband marking, and iron flat.

Sewing the waistband

3. Sew your elastic-waist skirt

With the waistband unfolded, fold and pin your skirt in half lengthwise, with the right side facing in and the long edge of the rectangle cut-outs aligned.

How to sew a long skirt

Sew from the top of the waistband to the bottom of the rectangle cut-out. That is your center back seam.

Pinning the waistband into position

Pin and sew your waistband into position using the previously ironed fold. Leave a 3-centimeter (1.18-inch) gap at the back for inserting your elastic.

Inserting the elastic into the waistband

Use a safety pin to insert the waistband elastic into the waistband casing, through the gap. Pin and sew the ends of the elastic together then sew the gap closed.

Finishing the back slit

4. Finish the back slit and hem

With your skirt inside-out, mark 5 centimeters (1.97 inches) from the edge and the bottom of the slit on the wider back side of your skirt. Draw in those lines so they intersect at the bottom corner of the slit.

Sewing a long skirt

Fold the bottom corner square into a triangle and pin to secure it.

DIY long skirt tutorial

Now fold and pin the triangle over so the corner points toward the side seam on the same side.

Drawing the long edge in chalk

Chalk the long edge of the triangle onto your skirt.

Sewing along the chalk line

Now unpin the triangle and sew along the diagonal chalk line you just drew.

Trimming the excess fabric

Cut the excess fabric off the triangle and snip the corner in the seam allowance.

Pressing the seam open

Press the seam open and turn the corner right-side out. You now have a crisp mitered corner, and your bottom hem is in place.


With your skirt inside out, repeat this step on the other back slit corner.

Hemming the skirt

Complete the fold of the hem and back slit, 5 centimeters (1.97 inches) from the edge.

Marking the hem with chalk

 Mark the hemline on your skirt with chalk.

Adding fusible hem tape

Unfold the hem and the slits and add fusible hem tape along the raw edges. Press the shiny side of the fusible tape to the fabric and then peel off the paper.

Ironing the fusible tape

Refold the hem and the slit, with the fusible tape on the inside, and iron flat.

Making a snip in the corner

Make a small snip in the corner where the top of the slit meets the back seam of the skirt.

Pinning the slit

Pin the top of the slit flat against the skirt. Then turn your skirt right-side out and sew along the top of the slit on the right side of the fabric.

How to make a long skirt

Long skirt sewing tutorial

Here is the completed elastic-waist skirt with a finished back slit. That was a pretty simple sewing job for a skirt you’re going to want to wear all the time! I hope you give this elastic-waist skirt tutorial a try and let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment.

Suggested materials:
  • 1 x 1.2 meters of fabric (for EU pattern size 36)
  • Sewing elastic
  • Fabric chalk
See all materials

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