Okay, the above picture doesn’t look like much. That’s the point! It’s the easiest way to sew elastic to a waistline without the telltale topstitching of an elastic waistline.
Over the years, I’ve tweaked and personalized sewing techniques. My favorites are collated in my book, The Absolute Easiest Way to Sew. Now I’ll share a bonus technique for the letter “E” for inserting Elastic in a waistline. I believe you’ll find this technique to be the absolute easiest way to sew elastic to a waistline.
Prepare the elastic.
- Cut the elastic 2″–4″ smaller than your waistline measurement, depending on what you feel is comfortable. (If your waist is quite a bit smaller than your hips, pin the elastic together without trimming off the excess.)
- Try on the elastic, pulling it up over your hips. If the elastic is too tight to slide comfortably over your hips, readjust the elastic before sewing it together.
- Zigzag the elastic ends to woven fabric without overlapping the ends. (This tip eliminates the bulk that occurs when elastic is connected by overlapping its ends.) Zigzag several times.
- Trim away the excess woven fabric.
- Quarter mark the elastic. Fold it in half and then in half again, placing a pin at each quarter.
- Also quarter mark the waistline.
Attach the elastic.
- Pin the elastic to the garment at each quarter point, meeting the elastic to the wrong side of the garment.
- Serge or zigzag the elastic to the cut edge of the waistband, stretching the elastic to fit. (This is what real sewing looks like, sometimes it’s not perfect.)
- Fold under the elastic for a casing. Check to be sure the fabric is securely wrapped around the elastic.
- Stitch through the elastic and garment at each seam. This holds the casing and elastic in position. Don’t stitch the elastic to the waistline along the lower edge. This is enough stitching!
When wearing the skirt or pants, that telltale elastic stitching is gone. The sewing is about as easy as it gets! How about that!
All my favorite sewing tips are in one book.
-
The Absolute Easiest Way to Sew chapters include:
- Sewing Notions
- Sewing Machine Confidence
- Serger Spotlight
- Patterns
- Fabric Facts
- Sewing Basics
- Beyond the Basics
Watch The Absolute Easiest Way to Sew (Part One) on Sewing With Nancy online.
To watch Sewing With Nancy on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone, download the app.
I hope you’ll give my elastic sewing tip a try!
Bye for now,
Nancy Zieman—author, pattern designer, businesswomen, producer, and national sewing authority—is the host of the popular show Sewing With Nancy®, which appears exclusively on public television stations across the United States and Canada. Follow Nancy’s Blog at NancyZieman.com/Blog and sign up to receive Nancy’s E-News for the latest news in Sewing, Quilting, & Creating.
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“I really like and appreciate your blog post.Much thanks again. Want more.”
Just ruined a good pair of pants. They were stretch jeans which stretched with the elastic and ended up with a balloon waist. Drat.
Wow!! I can’t believe you cut your notches into the seam allowance. I was taught many years ago not to cut into the seam allowance because that takes away some alteration room and potentially weakens the seam. Of course those notches were actually drawn pointing out back in the 80′s and earlier. I still to this day cut all my notches out and teach all my students to do the same. Is this how you were taught? If not, why did you change? Thank you, Sandy
Did you just turn the waistband/elastic down once before stitching at the seams, or did you turn down twice? I can’t tell from the pictures or the description. Thanks -I’m ready to sew a couple pair of pajama pants for Christmas gifts, and would like a response so I can use this technique for finishing.
Yes, Mary, I only turned down the elastic once before stitching at the seams! It works out perfectly!
can this method be used for the “little dress for Africa” neckline? Thanks for taking the time to read and respond to my question. I,like so many others, are being encouraged to take up sewing again when reading your tips and suggestions to others questions. Thx
Hi Kathy, This technique is recommended for waistlines. I don’t believe it would work well for the Little Dresses pattern. Thanks for following along!
Nancy
Genius!! I have a circle skirt to complete and this technique will save me loads of time .
I’m sooooo glad I landed on this post…..being the comfort creature that I am. But I’ve never been happy with the results I’m getting when sewing an elastic waistband. This appears to be the perfect solution to those frumpy waistlines. Thanks so much Nancy.
Thank you Nancy!! You’ve inspired me for years!! Happy New Year!!
Great web site. Plenty of useful information here. I’m sending it to
a few buddies ans additionally sharing in delicious.
And naturally, thank you to your effort!
Thank you so much for this. I think i will use this technique for my boy’s PJ bottoms. That way if I need to expand the waistband it will be a quick process.
I was wondering if the tutorial you gave would work with a circle skirt
Yes, use that elastic technique wherever you think it would work.
Can you elaborate on how this would work on woven or any other fabric I was thinking it would only work on knits…due to the fact that cottons etc don’t stretch, would there be too much gathering or bunching in the waist and stomach area I just need a better understanding or better yet does anyone have any photo examples of this being used on woven or any type fabric
Would this work well for baby pants using a woven fabric?
Yes it will. Make certain that you clean finish—zigzag or serge—the cut edge to prevent raveling of the fabric.
I’m using 1.5″ wide elastic and I have high hips but I’m having trouble with the elastic being straight up and down. The shape isn’t working for my body. Any suggestions?
Danielle, could you try a narrower elastic? Or, is the elastic exposed. If you could send a photo of your issue to [email protected], we might be able to help you.
Have always done my elastic casing as you described, but reading your post I saw how you joined the elastic with a strip of fabric. Have to say absolutly brilliant. Always annoyed with the bulky join. kiss always is better. Love it. Cheers
Thank you for this; I wish I had known how to do this years ago.
Thank you for posting this, Nancy — this method is GENIUS. I have charmeuse PJ pants I’m working on right now that are perfect for this treatment!
I’m absolutely going to try your quick method for sewing elastic into a waistband. Thank you so much for sharing this. I have used the old method for many, many years.
Thanks SOOOOOOOO much for this!!! I’m a lazy sewer, I like to get things done in as few steps and, omg, PINS as possible. I will do anything to avoid extra pinning. I have two boys who have potty problems and fine motor skill issues, making for lots of accidents if they are not in elastic waist. And the larger they grow, the harder it is to find elastic waist pants for them. I started to whip some up for them out of old adult sized pants, and they always come out PERFECT *except* for the waistband, because I rush through it, and can’t find any clearcut easy shortcut to make them nice. Yesterday, I barked at my kid to, for the love of jesus, DON’T TUCK HIS SHIRT IN at school! His little shorts were perfect, as long as no one saw his horrible waistband! this technique is the PERFECT shortcut for non-embarrassing waistband for my boys’ pants. THANKS SO MUCH!!
Yes great technique. I wish there was something like this for non-stretch fabric… If anyone knows of a way, please let me know, thanks.
50+ years of sewing and still learning new techniques! I can’t wait to try it.
Nancy, I am so glad you showed this technique of putting elastic in waist bands. I have a pair (actually three) of high end slacks that have this waist. They fit so smoothly and drape wonderfully. They don’t even look like there is elastic in the band! I want to start back to sewing for myself after years of just sewing for children and I will certainly be using your ideas! Thanks for all the helpful hints. Judy
This is an excellent tip for my project of hacking off the top of a dress to make an elasticized waist skirt. Thanks so much!
so instead of feeding the elastic through u just folded it over?
Yes! Then, I stitched in the ditch at the side seams to hold the elastic in place. Give it a try!
the thing is im doing it by hand :-/ wats the easiest way?
Need tip for sewing on elastic on little open sleeve at wrist for American girl doll.
Hi Nancy!
Thank you so very much for this tutorial! I have been haunted about sewing in elastic, because one time years ago I absolutely stretched out and ruined something I was trying to fix with a new waistband! Your instructions were so simple and easy to follow, I was able to perfectly transform my daughter’s dress (that she had cut the bodice off) into a fabulous skirt!!!
Can I use this in a band for a maternity dress?
HI Ann, Yes you can use the absolute easiest way to sew elastic in a waistline for a maternity garment with a waistline.
Nancy will this work for a 5 yr olds waistband do you think?
Thank You
Hi Deb, Absolutely; this will work for any elastic waistband.
Hi Nancy Love your show and tips! I am a newbie to sewing and am making my 5 yr old great grandson a pair of shorts that have a mock fly in them. Will this method work good for them or do I need to stitch the bottom of it as well as reinforcement? Thank you so much for all your help and for your work with Designs in Machine Embroidery I love em all!
this sounds really easy to do but have a question i want to try and make pj bottoms but dont want to see the elastic underneath how would i do this do i sew under the waistband or thro the elastic
Hi Ann Weller, Please follow along with the blog as you try this technique. The elastic should not show underneath. If you need assistance, please write me at [email protected]
WOW!!!! Sooo much easier than the old way! I just tried it on a pair of jeans I’m making. Easy Peasy!!
Thanks so much!
Thank you so much for this wonderful tip.
Excellent tutorial – worked beautifully on a pair of spandex workout shorts that I am making for my daughter. Here’s the question: I read that you recommend NOT sewing down the bottom of the elastic. Is it detrimental if you do? I would like to topstitch it down so that it looks like a pair of Adidas shorts that I patterned the shorts after. Bad idea or okay? Thanks for your time and expertise!
Cady, I am glad that the elastic treatment worked well for you. If you’d like to topstitch down the elastic, please do so. On workout shorts and other athletic wear, that’s the norm. On fashion, sometimes the extra topstitching detracts from the flow of the fabric. Either way is acceptable.
Thanks for this tip. I tried it today on a pair of pants and had some issues. 1 was that I did not have a nice smooth underneath like you do. I stitched the elastic to the top on the wrong side and rolled it under but have the raw top edge now there. Did you roll it 2x? Tho that would not make sense.
And the other is that tho yes I did have 4 seams- it seems the back did not need as much elastic as the front! So there is little stretch across the back but a lot in the front. WHY????
I stitched the seams as you did but am having to stretch the elastic and stitch several spots across the front to keep the elastic down flat. I do like the technique but why didn’t mine come out like yours? Thanks so much for all your great tips…
I love this. it eliminates the problem I always have with elastic in a casing – after a while it gets all twisted up.
Can this be done with a garment that only has two seams? It doesn’t seem like the elastic would stay in place if it was only sewn in two spots. The example skirt above has four seams.
MRC, Yes it can be done with a garment with only two seams. Once you put on the garment, the elastic stays in place.
Thank you!
Does this work only on knits…can this technique be used on cotton fabric?
Yes, Barbra Ann, it works on any fabric. Good luck!
This is genius! I knew where you were going when I saw how the skirt was laying and said to myself “Why didn’t that ever occur to me?” Even in design school no one mentioned this to me! I’ve been doing it the old way
Thanks for this awesome tip. I have really hated working with elastic. You have made it so simple and simple is always helpful. Now I need to buy your book.
Nancy love this elastic idea. Could the same method be used for tube tops? If so, what route would the elastic be best measured.
Oh Nancy!
I’ve been a fan of yours for many, many years – you inspire me! I’m really adoring this elastic waistband treatment IN A BIG WAY.
Love it love it love it. Thanks!
Will try this next time I put in an elastic waistband. Thanks, Nancy, for all your great tips!
Awesome awesome awesome. I ma about to make some jammie pants and some summery capris. I am chubby so I love elastic waist pants. This is going to make things so easy.
Once again Nancy a great idea, thank you very much for sharing this tip. i will make sure to remeber this next time I sew elastic to waistbands.
Have a wonderful day!
What sewing pattern was used or what type of pattern should we look for to use this technique?
Susanne, This easy elastic technique may be used with any pants or skirt pattern. If the original pattern had a separate waistband, eliminate the waistband and extend the top of the pattern at the stitching line. Example: If you’re using 1″ elastic, add 1″ to the top of each pattern piece at the stitching line. If you’re using 1-1/4″ elastic, add 1-1/4″.
This is an easy to follow…excellent way to sew in elastic. It makes me want to sew NOW!
This is a wonderful technique but I wonder if you have to change the width of the waist or will it lay just like when you insert the elastic in a casing?
Yikes, I wish I’d seen this last week, I just made a skirt for a friend and the top stitching made it a little bulky. I will try this.
Great idea!
Elastic waist always dumbfounds me! Thanks for the tip with the tute. Have been thinking of getting the book A to Z and now I guess this helped me make up my mind to buy. Thanks again.
Wow, that looks great! Do you need a special type of elastic to do this? Will stitching the elastic reduce the stretch? definitely going to try this!
Ann, you can use any elastic. You’ll only be stitching it along one side, not enough to stretch it out of shape.
Miss Nancy … Thank you so much for this sewing tip! I am about to put elastic in slacks, and this couldn’t be posted at a better time. You have saved me from a major headache!
I took a class with Pamela Leggett to make pants that fit and she said the same thing. Use your zip foot to “stitch in the ditch” at front, back and side seams for elastic waist pants. Works beautifully.
http://www.pamelaspatterns.com/home
This is brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing. I am only just getting into garment sewing for my daughter, and admit elastics are a bit of a bane to me. I look forward to trying this.
I was thinking off line yesterday after looking at the number of responses for the different shows! Isn’t it time for Nancy to start her own online social network? A place where people could post their latest and communicate, comment and keep up on everything sewing! Since Nancy masters anything she takes on, it could be another area for the Nancy empire to grow! The irony of such a suggestion on a waist program! Good time to loosen the belt and take on more……
To make sure I’m reading this correct, your not going all the way around on the “bottom or lower” seam of the elastic, only stitching it at the four spots? Does the material stay in place around the elastic on the non sewn parts?
Connie, Indeed – I suggest not to sew around the lower bottom of the elastic. it stays in place once it is on your body.
Why didn’t I think of that?… I just love sewing the elastic to a piece of woven fabric to eliminate that bulky overlap. Thanks bunches for sharing this tip with us. It will really make a difference in how my new skirt looks.
My preteen niece received a sewing machine for her birthday and I bought some corduroy for her to make an elastic waistband skirt for one of her first sewing projects. We start this Sunday. I am going to teach her this method. We will have to finish the top of the skirt that will be at the bottom of the elastic so it won’t ravel first. Thanks for the info. I have this book; guess I need to read it!
Thank you!! I have commercially made clothes with this technique and love it! I will be using this frequently
Thank you for showing this. I really must go and watch the programmes again. I learnt so much the first time around. I have the book on my wish list but I must have spent too much time last year sewing and not doing my house work since Santa didn’t bring me the book. Maybe I should just go buy it for myself
This is one of those Da moments, why didn’t I think of that. Thanks Nancy
How to eliminate bulk,and give a professional look to your clothes, what a great tip! Thank you . This tip came just in time, I need to insert elastic this afternoon in a pair of pants I just finished. Thanks again.
You make this look so easy and I can’t wait to try it.
I did this for the first time and just love the look. Much more comfortable for some reason.
What a neat “trick”! I’ve had a skirt on “hold” because I didn’t want the tale-tale top-stitching! Now I’m off to finish that skirt today!
What a great idea! It eliminates several steps and, as you said, bulk and tell-tale signs of an elastic being there. For the kids it’s fine but for my cothes I don’t want everyone to know I choose elastic comfort. Thanks for sharing – I’ll definitely be using this technique.
Your new sewing tips for elastic waistbands is brilliant!!! Love not having the overlap at the connecting seam. Love it
Nancy,
Thank you so much for this elastic tip! You remain first rate in my book. I loved watching you when my children were younger and used your tips to sew some of their garments.
I plan to utilize this tip on my next skirt project.
Thank you for sharing your talents with us.