I regularly receive questions about my blocks and one recent question has spurred me into creating this post, as I imagine, if one person asks then others also want to know.

The question was – do I supply waistband patterns with my blocks, and the simple answer is no, I don’t. However I am happy to show you how to construct a waistband here on my blog!

There are several different types of waistband and I thought I would start out by looking at the straight waistband, of course you can also have a shaped or curved waistband, a high waisted waistband, a low waisted waistband or even a facing if you don’t want a waistband.

There are a number of ways to finish a waistline, the same theory applies to both skirts and trousers.

Let’s look at the most common type of waistband – the straight waistband.

A straight waistband is usually constructed slightly smaller than the skirt pattern measurement (as the main skirt has a quantity of ease included) so that it fits the body better. To complicate things slightly the waistband also needs some ease, but not as much as the skirt waist.

The maximum depth of a straight waistband, before you should consider using a different pattern cutting method to the one shown below is 5 cm. Waistbands deeper than this will need to be shaped to fit the body contours and we will look at the method for drafting a deeper waistband later.

Drafting Your Straight Waistband

It’s as simple as constructing a rectangle, however notches are essential!

You will need to decide on the finished width you require, let’s say 5 cm and multiply this by 2 and then add on 2 lots of seam allowance. You may be happy with 1.5 cm seam allowance, but 1 cm is more suitable.

Here comes the slightly more complex part –

You will also need to calculate the length you require, this will be your (BODY) waist measurement and some ease allowance so that you can sit, move and breath in the skirt, very important! The quantity of ease you choose to add to the waistband, can be less than the ease you have in the waistline of the skirt pattern or block. So let’s take a look at an example –

If skirt pattern / block waistline has 5 cm ease at the waist line, then you may decide to add 3 cm ease to the waistband, and therefore you will be easing 2 cm of the skirt waist into the waistband.

On top of this you will also need to add some extra for a button stand and 2 sets of seam allowance.

If the width of your skirt back and front is the same at the hip level, which it will be on some blocks or patterns, but not on others, then the placement of the notches is more straightforward. If the the skirts have been drafted with a displaced side seam then the placement of the notches is slightly more complicated. As the ease needs to be distributed around the skirt block, to be perfectly accurate.

Lets look at the basic rectangle first

Step one

Construct a rectangle twice the finished width you require. The length will be the waist measurement plus a couple of centimetres ease – please note that the ease you add to the waistband is up to you, if you have a comfort stretch fabric such as a stretch denim you may want to add very little ease if you want a snug fit, older wearers may like more ease and personal preference and target market have a lot to do with this.

The only thing you need to ensure is that you are aware of the ease in the actual skirt waist, and either keep this the same as the waistband (this is simpler) or have a little less ease in the waistband so that the main skirt eases to the waist band (for a much better fit). The ease will need to be focused either side of the dart locations, or if there are no darts, then ease the extra in where the darts would have been placed.

Add some extra for a button stand to the left side of the pattern piece as it is shown, and then proceed to add seam allowance around the whole waistband. (1 cm is perfect)

Now the important part – the notches – If you have the zip opening at the CB (Center Back) then the left and right of the rectangle are both CB – the very center of the dashed rectangle is the CF (Center Front) and each quarter of the rectangle can be marked as shown, the quarter either side of the CF is the SS (Side Seam) – that is if the skirt is the same width at the hips for the front and the back. If this is the case for you then place notches at each quarter of the dashed rectangle and you have completed the waistband.

Place notches also at the button stand and also at the horizontal fold line.

If your skirt pattern or block has a displaced SS then the notches will have to be located differently. This can be done by measurement. You will need to know the amount of ease you have to ease into the waistband. For example, lets say we have a skirt that has 2 cm to ease into the WB. This means that per 1/4 of the skirt we need to ease in 1/2 a cm.

Start by placing a notch at the CB positions and the CF positions. Now measure the skirt waist between the CF and the side seam on the pattern or block, and reduce this measurement by 0.5cm – this will be the position of the notch on the waistband itself.

Apply this measurement either side of the CF and you have an accurately placed SS notch – to check that all your measurements are correct, you can check that back section of the waistband fits to the back skirt – but also is 0.5 cm smaller each side.

Having explained all that, maybe it wasn’t as simple as I first thought!

As always, if you have any questions at all then please ask.

Nicola