How to Sew a Long Skirt With an Elastic Waist & Back Slit
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
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.
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.
Now, mark and cut out a 45 x 4-centimeter (17.7 x 1.57-inch) rectangle from another corner of your fabric.
On your sewing machine, overlock all of the raw edges of your skirt fabric.
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.
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.
Sew from the top of the waistband to the bottom of the rectangle cut-out. That is your center back seam.
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.
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.
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.
Fold the bottom corner square into a triangle and pin to secure it.
Now fold and pin the triangle over so the corner points toward the side seam on the same side.
Chalk the long edge of the triangle onto your skirt.
Now unpin the triangle and sew along the diagonal chalk line you just drew.
Cut the excess fabric off the triangle and snip the corner in the seam allowance.
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.
Complete the fold of the hem and back slit, 5 centimeters (1.97 inches) from the edge.
Mark the hemline on your skirt with chalk.
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.
Refold the hem and the slit, with the fusible tape on the inside, and iron flat.
Make a small snip in the corner where the top of the slit meets the back seam of the skirt.
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.
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.
Enjoyed the project?
Suggested materials:
- 1 x 1.2 meters of fabric (for EU pattern size 36)
- Sewing elastic
- Fabric chalk
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Sewing pins
- Thread
- Sewing machine
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Well done would be nice in a ligh
Well done would be nice in a lighter fabric for summer time.