Master Sewing And Design Certification/Building A Better Waistband

When I have the opportunity to visit Houston, I love to hit the The Guild Shop. What a fabulous place to shop. I always find a treasure...well, to be honest, quite a few treasures. In fact, the last time I was in Houston, I ended up with an extra bag to carry home. Next week I'll share a glorious bias number that I can't wait to remake. But today, I wanted to share a beautifully finished waistband on a Louis Feraud pencil skirt. 
What initially grabbed my interest was the fabric of this skirt. It's a lovely silk, woven into a basket weave pattern. The skirt is a little too big, but a quick alteration will fix that. 

 The darts were not stitched down, but just pressed in place.

Rather than a hook closure, this skirt is fastened with a button. It's obviously cheaper and quicker to do. I prefer the stitched hook method that I shared with you a few weeks ago. 

The lining is not stitched to the zipper, just turned back and stitched. Again, not my preferred method.

So here's how the waistband, lining and skirt were stitched together. The waistband was made and laid against the skirt, then the lining was laid on top. All were stitched at the same time and then the seam was serged. Not couture, but clean and easy. 

Once the waistband and lining have been attached to the body of the skirt, the waistband is held in place by stitching in the ditch, which is the seam between the waistband and the skirt.

On the opposite side, the lining was extended to match the waistband extension. The lining was actually extended further, look closely and you'll see that the extended area is folded back and stitched. All in all, it was extended approximately 1 1/2" past the waistband extension.   

The lining is not stitched to the zipper, with this application, it would be impossible. The center back seam is shaped, similar to the shaping that would be done for a back pleat. 

This waistband was not cut in 1 continuous piece, but in 3 pieces. This makes alterations a quite a bit easier, but takes a little more time in construction.

I like how the waistband and lining were attached to the skirt. I'm not a big fan of how the lining was treated, but it's an option that you might want to experiment with. 

For the Master Sewing and Design Certification Program, you will need to demonstrate 3  types of waistbands,

1. On-grain waistband

2. Elastic casing waistband

3. Contoured/Faced waistband

The above waistband would be considered an on-grain waistband. The positive side of this waistband is that it holds it's shape. The down side is that since it is cut on the straight of grain, it is not the most comfortable waistband to wear. The most comfortable waistband would be probably be the elastic waistband, but typically not the most attractive. The contoured waistband sits beautifully on the waist and is quite comfortable. 

I'll talk more about waistbands in the coming weeks. 

In the meantime, if you live in Houston, or take a trip to Houston, by all means, stop by The Guild Shop. I know you'll find a few treasures :)