Click
here to view the patterns for the Skirt
& Shirt for the
National Square Dance Convention in 2012
Washington State
Waistbands
There are 4 styles of waistbands to choose
from.
Elastic
& Tailored
There is no magic formula that will result in
a perfectly fitted waistband for every dancer
every time. A waistband fitted to a bare skin
measurement may not fit when the dancer is
wearing underpants, pantyhose, pettipants,
slip, camisole and blouse. The waistband may
feel fine when leaving the house, but half
way through the dance it may become too tight
or too loose. Just like those new dancing
shoes.
There are many factors that influence the fit
of the waistband. The preference of the
wearer is the most important. That is why we
make our own skirts, so that they will be
custom created to our desires. Some dancers
like their waistband to be very tight and
feel secure. Others find themselves
uncomfortably squeezed by a snug waistband.
The width of the waistband is also a personal
preference. Taller dancers can wear wider
waistbands because there is more space
between their hip bones and lower ribs.
The type of fabric used in the waistband will
also change the fit of the waist band.
Thicker fabric makes the waistband fit
differently than thin stuff. Waistbands do
not have to be made from the same fabric as
the skirt. A contrasting fabric can make the
dancer look like she is wearing a belt
without the extra layer. Just pin a large
broach in the center for a 'buckle' to
complete the illusion.
Another factor that makes exact fitting
instructions very difficult to write is the
many different types and brands of elastic
available. The amount of stretch and the
recovery strength determine the feel of the
waistband. The age of the elastic can also
effect the fit. If it has been sitting on the
shelf for a couple of years, it will still be
useable, but it may have lost a bit of
bounce. With all of these factors it is best
to leave the final adjusting of the elastic
for the very last step and to make it easy to
readjust as needed
Basic Pull-On Elastic Waistband - The good
things about elastic waistbands are usually
more comfortable and potluck forgiving than
fitted waist bands. The bad things are that
they tend to bend or roll and can become weak
with age.
Materials
Waistband fabric - It is very tempting to
use the salvage edge of the fabric when
cutting the waist band. The salvage edge is
woven differently and often includes other
fibers. It will shrink more than the body of
the fabric. This may not be apparent after
the first washing but will be apparent over
time.
Length - use the same numbers that are used
in the construction of the skirt.
hip measurement + 2 inches ease + 1 inch seam
allowance = ___________
Width - depends on the elastic being used. A
minimum of 1 inch wide is suggested because
thinner elastic tends to cut into the body
when used as a waist band. The tunnel of the
waistband, where the elastic goes through,
must be a little wider than the actual width
of the elastic to compensate for the
thickness of the elastic and for ease.
2 x width of the elastic + 1 ½ inches =
______________
Elastic
Look for Ban-rol™ or Non-roll on the label.
This elastic has cross wise ribs that keep it
from bending or rolling when pulled. This
product does not get skinner when stretched
like braided elastic does. It does cost more
than braided elastic but this well worth the
few pennies difference.
There is a new type of elastic that is made
up of woven plastic strands that is 'latex
free'. If any dancer is allergic to latex
this is good news. Other types of elastic
contain latex. I have found it in 1 inch wide
in packages. For a wider elastic consider
300x by ---- this is found on rolls at the
fabric store. It resists rolling and bending.
The ends must be taped or stitched across to
keep it from unraveling before it is inserted
into the waistband.
Many instructions call for the elastic to be
cut at waist measurement minus 2 inches. This
does not take into consideration all of the
factors. Just leave the elastic on the roll
until the final fitting.
Instructions
1. Stitch the waistband fabric into a
circle using a ½ inch seam.
2. Press the seam open and place a strip of
fuse web, the width of the waist band, under
each seam allowance. If the waistband was
pieced be sure and use fuse webbing to hold
all of the seam allowances down. This will
make it easier to slide the elastic through
the tunnel.
3. Fold the waistband in half and press. Be
sure to get a sharp accurate crease. Pressing
is necessary for accurate stitching and makes
the next step easier.
4. Set the sewing machine for a basting
stitch (6 millimeters or 8 stitches per
inch). Sew a little less than ½ inch up from
the bottom (open) edge. This keeps the layers
together and prevents twisting later.
5. With a regular stitch length (2.5-3.5 mm
or 10-12 spi) edge stitch close to the folded
edge. Sewing a scant ? inch from the fold
will help the waistband to keep its shape and
will reduce rolling and bending.
6. Bar tack across the seam line at the edge
stitching and ½ inch up from the bottom of
the waistband. To make a bar tack set the
sewing machine for a wide zig zag and zero
stitch length. Take 6-8 stitches. This
reenforces the stitching.
7. Divide the lower edge of waistband into
eights and mark with pins. Divide the top of
the skirt into eights and mark with pins.
8. Put the waistband over the skirt, right
sides together and raw edges together and
pin.
9. Using a regular stitch length sew a ½
inch seam allowance attaching the waistband
to the skirt. Sew with the waistband on the
bottom.
10. Clip the seam allowance of the skirt
about every inch, so that the seam allowances
will fold down toward the body of the skirt
instead of up toward the waistband. If the
top of the skirt is gathered it will not have
to be clipped.
11. Locate the seam line on the inside of the
waistband where the bar tacks were placed.
Pick open the seam line between the bar tacks
with a seam ripper.
12. Insert the elastic through this opening.
Trimming the corners off of the leading edge
of the elastic before insertion will make the
elastic slide through easier and it will be
less likely to twist. There are many tools
that have been invented to assist in
threading the elastic through a tunnel but
the one that always seems to be at hand and
work best is a big safety pin.
13. Put the skirt on, inside out, and adjust
the elastic to fit the wearer. Have the
person wear the same undergarments and blouse
that they will be wearing with the finished
skirt. Using a safety pin hold the elastic
where it fits best. Ask the wearer sit down,
bend over and Star Thru. Adjust the elastic
as necessary. Have the wearer remove the
skirt to make sure that the elastic isn't too
tight to fit over the hips.
14. Mark the position of the safety pin on
both ends of the elastic. Cut the elastic
about an inch longer than these marks. This
will allow for a little adjustment later, if
needed.
15. Unpin the elastic and position the marks
on top of each other. Stitch across the mark
with a straight stitch.
16. Work the ends of the elastic inside of
the tunnel.
17. Wear the skirt to one dance. Adjust the
elastic if necessary.
18. When the elastic is perfect stitch across
the width of the waistband in 4 or more
places with a straight stitch. This will keep
the elastic from shifting and reduce rolling
and bending.
Three
Row Elastic Waistband - 2 ½ Inches Wide
Materials
Waistband fabric - It is very tempting to
use the salvage edge of the fabric when
cutting the waist band. The salvage edge is
woven differently and often includes other
fibers. It will shrink more than the body of
the fabric. This may not be apparent after
the first washing but will be apparent over
time.
Length - use the same numbers that are used
in the construction of the skirt.
hip measurement + 2 inches ease + 1 inch seam
allowance = ____________
Width - 5 ½ inches
Elastic -
Three pieces of ½ inch wide non-roll
elastic. The length of each piece should be
equal to or slightly longer than the waist
measurement.
Instructions
1. Stitch the waistband fabric into a circle
using a ½ inch seam.
2. Press the seam open and place a strip of
fuse web, the width of the waist band, under
each seam allowance. If the waistband was
pieced be sure and use fuse webbing to hold
all of the seam allowances down. This will
make it easier to slide the elastic through
the tunnel.
3. Fold the waistband in half lengthwise and
press. Be sure to get a sharp accurate
crease. Pressing is necessary for accurate
stitching and makes the next step easier.
4. Set the sewing machine for a basting
stitch (6 mm or 8 spi). Sew a little less
than ½ inch up from the bottom (open) edge.
This keeps the layers together and prevents
twisting later.
5. With a regular stitch length (2.5-3.5 mm
or 10-12 spi) edge stitch along the fold.
Sewing a scant ? inch from the fold will help
the waistband to keep its shape and will
reduce rolling and bending.
6. With a regular stitch length sew ¾ inch
down from the fold. One way to get very
accurate stitching using a free arm machine
is to put a big fat rubber band around the
free arm. It is very easy to position and
makes a great stitching guide.
7. With a regular stitch length sew 1 ½ inch
down from the fold.
8. Bar tack across the seam line at the edge
stitching, at the ¾ inch stitching, at the 1
½ inch stitching and ½ inch up from the
bottom of the waistband. To make a bar tack
set the sewing machine for a wide zig zag and
zero stitch length. This reenforces the edge
stitching and the other stitching lines.
9. Divide the lower edge of waistband into
eights and mark with pins. Divide the top of
the skirt into eights and mark with pins.
10. Put the waistband over the skirt, right
sides together, raw edges together and pin.
11. Using a regular stitch length sew a ½
inch seam line attaching the waistband to the
skirt. Sew with the waistband down.
12. Clip the seam allowance of the skirt
about every inch, so that the seam allowances
will fold down toward the body of the skirt
instead of up toward the waistband. If the
top of the skirt is gathered it will not have
to be clipped.
13. Locate the seam line of the waistband
where the bar tacks were placed. Pick open
the seam line between the bar tacks with a
seam ripper.
14. Insert the elastic through these
openings. One piece through each tunnel.
Trimming the corners off of the leading edge
of the elastic before insertion will make the
elastic slide through easier and it will be
less likely to roll. There are many tools
that have been invented to assist in
threading the elastic through a tunnel but
the one that always seems to be at hand and
work best is a big safety pin.
15. Put the skirt on, inside out, and adjust
the elastic to fit the wearer. Have the
person wear the same undergarments and blouse
that they will be wearing with the finished
skirt. Using safety pins hold the elastic
pieces where they fit best. Ask the wearer
sit down, bend over and Star Thru. Adjust the
elastic as necessary. Have the wearer remove
the skirt to make sure that the elastic isn't
too tight to fit over the hips.
16. Mark the position of the safety pins on
both ends of the elastics. Cut the elastic
about an inch longer than these marks. This
will allow for a little adjustment later.
17. Unpin the elastic and position the marks
on top of each other. Stitch across the mark.
18. Work the ends of the elastic inside of
the tunnel.
19. Wear the skirt to one dance. Adjust the
elastic if necessary.
20. When the elastic is perfect stitch across
the width in 4 or more places with a straight
stitch. This will keep the elastic from
shifting and reduce rolling/bending.
Alternate -To make this same waistband 1 ½
inches wide make these changes in the
instructions.
Width of waistband fabric 4 inches
Width of elastic ? inch
Stitch at the folded edge, ½ inch from the
fold , 1 inch from the fold and ½ inch from
the bottom.
Two
Piece Elastic Waistband
There are times when the folding of the
fabric makes the waistband too thick and
stiff. One way to reduce the bulk of the
waistband is to make the inside of the
waistband out of thinner lighter fabric.
Almost any thin fabric will work. Slippery
fabric may cause the skirt to slid around
when the dancer moves and the blouse may
twist or pull out. This fabric does not have
to match the color of the outer fabric
because it doesn't show.
Instructions
1. From the previous instructions, decide on
the style and width of the waistband. Take
the unfolded width of the waistband, divide
it in half and add ¼ inch.
ex: 5 ½ inches ÷ 2 = 2 ¾ inches + ¼ inch
= 3 inches wide
ex: 4 inches ÷ 2 = 2 inches + ¼ inch = 2 ¼
inches wide
2. Cut a inner and outer waistband the
appropriate length by this width.
3. Stitch each of the waistband fabrics into
a separate circle using ½ inch seams.
4. Press the seams open and place a strip of
fuse web, the width of the waist band, under
each seam allowance. If the waistband was
pieced be sure and use fuse webbing to hold
all of the seam allowances down. This will
make it easier to slide the elastic through
the tunnel.
5. Placing the right sides together sew the
inner and outer waistbands together with a ¼
inch seam. Do not set the width seam
allowances of the inner and outer waistbands
on top of each other. Off setting the seams
will reduce bulk.
6. Open the waistband and press the ¼ inch
seam toward the inner waist band.
7. Understitch the seam allowance to the
inner waist band with a straight stitch.
Understitching will cause the outer waistband
fabric to roll slightly to the inside,
completely hiding the inner waistband fabric.
It will also form a crisp neat edge on the
waistband.
8. Fold the waistband in half length wise and
press.
9. Sew the waistband as in the previous
instructions. Omitting the edge stitching
because the understitching serves the same
purpose.
Tailored Waistband - Jiffy Waistband &
Ban-rol®
This type of waist band is made to fit a
skirt with a side or back seam. Tailored
waistbands are thinner, roll less and look
neater than elastic waistbands. They can not
be adjusted as easily.
There are several different brands of pre-cut
waistband interfacing. The one that is
different is Jiffy Waistband & Ban-rol®
by Staple Sewing Aids Corp©. Jiffy
Waistband® is a strip of fusible non-woven
interfacing, that is 3 ¼ inches wide and
with three rows of lengthwise slots. It has a
1 ¼ inch wide strip of Ban-rol® built into
the product. This means that the waistband
will be non-curl, non-roll and non-crush.
Materials
1. Jiffy Waistband & Ban-rol ® - one
package is 3 yards
2. iron - with a wool setting
3. press cloth - can be a piece of cotton
fabric
4. clock - with a second hand
Instructions
- 1. Measure the waist and add 2 inches
for ease and 4 inches for seams, underlap,
and just-in-case. If it comes out too
long it can be cut off later, too short
will be a much bigger problem. Cut a
piece of fabric this length by 3 ½
inches wide. It is very tempting to use
the selvage edge of the fabric for the
edge of the waistband but this is not a
good idea because the selvage edge is
woven tighter and differently than the
rest of the fabric and it will continue
to shrink in the wash. The edge of the
Jiffy Waistband® will prevent raveling.
2. Lay the fabric on the ironing board,
right side down, and press it with lots
of steam. This heats and dampens the
fabric and makes a better fuse. Place the
Jiffy Waistband® on the fabric with the
coated (shinny) side down.
3. Cover with a damp press cloth and with
the iron on 'wool' setting, press. The
keys to using a fusible are heat, steam,
pressure and time. Don't skimp on any of
these factors or the waistband will not
fuse completely and may come apart in the
wash. Push down hard on the iron and,
using the second hand, time it for 15
seconds. Pick up the iron and move it to
the next section being careful to overlap
a little. Make sure the pressing cloth is
damp. Press and time it again. Continue
until the entire waistband is pressed.
Turn the waistband over and repeat the
pressing procedure on the right side.
This will ensure that the fusing is
complete. Extra time spent here will pay
off in the life of the skirt. When the
waistband is fused leave it on the
ironing board until completely cool.
Moving it before it is completely cool
can cause the bonding to loosen.
4. Determine the correct length for the
waistband by trying it on before
attaching it to the skirt. Put on the
pettipants, pantyhose, petticoat and
blouse that will be worn with the skirt.
Mark the waist band one half inch from
the end as shown. This will be the seam
line at the end of the waist band. Fold
the waistband in half length wise and pin
it around the waist. While wearing the
waistband, sit down, stand up, bend over,
and reach up to Star Thru. Adjust the fit
as needed. On the Ban-rol® side of the
waist band, mark the point where the
waist band overlaps the seam line mark.
Measure between the seam mark and the
overlap mark.
5. Check that the waist of the skirt is
as large or larger than the waist band.
Measure along the stitching line of the
skirt. If the waist of the skirt is too
small trim off one forth inch of the
waist seam. This will move the stitching
line down one forth inch and it will make
the stitching line longer. This should
not make a big difference in the length
of the skirt. If the waist band is still
larger than the waist line of the skirt
reduce the side seam allowances to ¼
inch and/or trim another ¼ inch off the
top edge of the skirt. If the waist of
the skirt is to large it can be eased or
gathered to fit.
6. Finish the body of the skirt with the
zipper and check the length from waist
seam to hem.
7. Sew the waistband to the skirt with
the Ban-rol side toward the seam. Make
sure that the waistband extends ½ inch
past the left side of the zipper. Pin the
other side of the zipper to the mark that
was made while trying it on. Use the row
of cut out slots as a stitching line.
This will cause the waist band to fold
neatly at this point.
8. Fold the waistband right sides
together and sew a ½ inch seam on the
left end of the waistband just above the
zipper.
9. Press the skirt/waist band seam toward
the waist band.
10. Fold the waist band length wise along
the middle slots, wrong sides together,
and press.
11. Stitch-in-the-ditch on the right side
of the waist band to finish. The right
side of the waistband will under lap the
left side. On the underlap zig zag along
the raw edge. Finish with a button hole
& button or a hook & eye.
The waist band can be top stitched with one
or several rows of stitching. Decorative
stitching can be used to accent the waist
band.
A dance skirt does not always need a zipper
to stay closed. If there are gathers in the
top of the skirt the slit will hide in the
folds. Follow the above instructions but omit
the zipper. A narrow strip of fuse web under
the seam allowance will keep the edges flat.
Cooling
Neck Wrap
This is a quick project that
many people like to have for summer dancing.
It is also a favorite of those who enjoy
outdoor summer activities like gardening and
hiking. Make several for quick and easy
gifts. They make great door prizes.
Materials
1. cotton or poly-cotton fabric 44-45 inches
wide
2. crosslinked polyacrylamide - This is found
in the garden supply stores. It comes under
the names like Magic Crystals or Soil Moist
Granules. It is made to absorb water and
release it gradually in the soil around
plants. - 3 ounces (84 grams) will make seven
neck wraps
3. one tablespoon measuring spoon
4. small household funnel
Instructions
- Cut the fabric into 4
inch wide strips the width of the fabric
so that there is a selvage edge on the
short ends.
- Fold the fabric length
wise, right sides together. Sew a 1/4
inch seam down the long side.
- Turn the tube right side
out. Measure 12 inches from one end and
sew across the tube.
- Put the funnel in the
long side of the tube and measure in
exactly one (1) level tablespoon of
polyacrylamide crystals. DO NOT use any
more. .
- Measure 12 inches from
the other end and sew across the tube
trapping the crystals in the center
section. Sewing across the open ends of
the tube is optional.
- Drop the completed neck
wrap in a bowl of cold water and watch it
swell. When it makes a nice fat sausage,
pull it out and wring out the tie ends of
the tube. Tie it around your neck.
- If it is allowed to lay
flat in a dry area it will shrink down in
about 4 days. A spare neck wrap can be
kept in the refrigerator, in a plastic
bag, so that when one looses it chill it
can be exchanged for a cold one. DO NOT
leave them in water or they will continue
to swell and burst the fabric.
12
inches
12 inches
tie
stitching
stitching
tie
Many people are making
these neck wraps and sending them to service
members overseas. Package them in plastic
bags before sending so that if the package
gets wet they won't swell up and burst the
box.
More information to come.
