This is a tutorial to sew a straight waistband for your skirt, with a lapped zipper.
Cut the front and back pattern pieces of your skirt.
Find your skirt pattern in these posts : How to sew skirts ; How to sew a basic skirt
Sew the pleats/tucks/darts as you wish or as per your design. Keep the two pieces right sides to the inside together. Sew the side seams – on one side leave 7 inches unstitched – this is for inserting the zipper.
Sew a Lapped zipperÂ
Get your zipper – it should be more than the 7 inches you have left unstitched.
Fold one side of the edge to the inside. Keep the zipper under the fold – pin it along the edge. (Refer to the picture below)
Now turn the skirt inside out. Sew the zipper and the skirt seam edge with a zipper foot on your sewing machine. The picture below is a little blurry but you get the idea?
Now the other side needs to be sewn. Bring the skirt inside out.
You have to pin the other zipper edge the same way, but with the edge projecting over the zipper foot.Â
Do not overlap over the other edge – just over the zipper teeth so that the edges lie adjacent to each other. Pin in place (or baste stitch)
Sew from the inside with the zipper foot. The edge you have sewn now will have the seam line a little to the inside – that is how it should be. The edge will cover the zipper teeth nicely – just as a lapped zipper insertion should.
You can read more details on sewing lapped zippers in this post : Sew a lapped zipper
Cut out the waistband for your skirt. For this, you can measure the top edge of your skirt and then add 2 inches extra.
Pin the waistband fabric to the top edge of the skirt.
You should have 1/4 inch projecting on one side and 1 3/4 inch on one side. The 1 3/4 inch is for the underlap – you will be adding the loop for your waistband hook here.
If you want a strong waistband you can add tape at this point.
Sew the top edge in place. The waistband fabric is thus joined to the skirt edge.Â
Now fold the waistband fabric by the middle to the front. Fold the bottom edge of the waistband fabric up 1/4 inches. (Refer picture below). Sew the side edge. (Red line in the picture).
But be careful not to catch the skirt as you sew this.
Sew the other side also the same way.
Turn the waistband rightside out. You will get this.
On the back you have to baste stitch the fold the waistband in place – you can pin but baste stitching works better.
From the front, stitch in the ditch along the seam – making sure that you are catching the fold of the waistband on the back.
Related post : Stitch in the ditch
Top stitch at the top edge too and also at the short edges of the waistband. Attach your hooks and eye.
Related posts : Different types of waistbands ; 15 Different types of hemlines.Â
Thanks so much for the guide it has really helped me