Gathered Skirt with Elastic Waistband

Posted on October 23, 2018 by Emily Leave a Comment. This post may contain affiliate links. Clicking and purchasing through them helps to keep the great content coming your way, thanks! Find all my favorite items in my Amazon SHOP HERE. Posts written in collaboration of Brother as a Brother Brand Ambassador.

A few weeks ago I made this simple gathered skirt to add to my fall wardrobe. I’ve been loving leggings this fall and also love to keep my bum covered, so this simple skirt is the perfect answer… PLUS I made it AND leggings from one yard of fabric. Of course you could make it longer, but would have needed more fabric {haha} I’ve used this same idea when I made these cute tulle skirts years ago. This elastic waist skirt can be as long as you want, as short as you want and as full as you want all using the same sewing tutorial.

Gathered Skirt sewing tutorial –

I can’t get enough of the gorgeous fall weather we are having this week! I’m not at all thinking about what my photos are going to look like in just a few weeks without all this gorgeous color. This easy gathered skirt sews up very quickly and has an elastic waist. Not just a waist band, but actual elastic as the waist. I love wide elastic because not only is it easy, but it holds everything in {you know what I mean}

Here’s the 3″ elastic waistband on this gathered skirt.. Again, this is a short version of the elastic waist skirt to wear with leggings, but you can easily make this a maxi skirt as well.

How to make a skirt –

Ok! Let’s get sewing! You need fabric and elastic {never would have guessed that}. I used 3″ wide. elastic, if making a child sizes skirt I would use 2″ wide elastic. I had one yard of this gorgeous purple DBP and I made leggings for myself using my free pattern. There was about 12″ of fabric left. It was the full length of the fabric {so about 60″}. The great thing about this skirt is that you can make it more full if you have more fabric and adjust the length easily as well. Measure the elastic around your waist or hips {wherever you want to wear the skirt}

Cut your fabric to the desired height of skirt. Add 1/2″ seam allowance to top for elastic. I didn’t hem the bottom to keep it light, but if you want to hem it, add desired seam allowance as well.

If one long piece of fabric sew up the back seam, or for two pieces, sew up the side seams. Because I didn’t hem my skirt and I used a serger to sew I used some frey stop on the ends and then cut the threads close.

Sew your measured elastic in a circle and overlap 1/2″. Sew with a zig-zag on both sides of raw edges. I used contrasting thread so you can see, but matching thread is best. {obviously} Gather the top edge of your skirt. Do not make it the same size as your elastic. It needs to be big enough to still go over your hips. If you need some gathering tips see this post.

Quarter the elastic and then quarter the gathered skirt.

Stretch and equally spread the skirt on the elastic. Place the fabric on the INSIDE of the elastic and the pins on the outside of the elastic so you can see as you sew. The fabric should come up over the elastic about 3/8″.

Pin around on the outside of the elastic.

Stretch and sew the elastic to the fabric. I use a zig-zag stitch and sewed about 1/4″ from the elastic edge. Use matching thread for best results. You will have to stretch the elastic between the pins as you sew. Here’s what the outside looks like.