The weather seems to finally be getting better here where Calico Laine is located in the North West of England, thank goodness! I just can't wait for it to be sunny and warm, and I am counting down the days until the summer vacation that I have booked with my family and best friend later this year. In preparation for the incoming warm weather, I have been sewing myself some new clothes to wear, and one of the easier projects I have taken on is a skirt with an elastic waistband. In today's blog, I'll be walking you through how to make one of your very own! There is more than one way to create an elasticated skirt, but this is the method that I have always used and am most comfortable with. You will need: - 1 metre of 60" wide fabric - 1 reel of matching thread (Try using our Gutermann Sew-All threads or our Moon threads) - 1" wide elastic (Enough to go around your waist) - A packet of dressmaking pins - A flexible tape measure - Two large safety pins Step One Measure the length of your waist, and also measure how long you would like your skirt to be. Your fabric will currently measure 60" by about 39", meaning that if you do not cut your fabric down, your fabric will end up being about 36" long. If you would like a shorter skirt, simply cut your fabric down to the length you desire, plus 2" for the waistband and 1" for the hem. Step Two Fold your fabric in half with the right sides together, and line up at the selvedges. Pin the selvedge edges together and sew along this side with 0.5" of seam allowance. Press flat. Step Three You should now have a tube of fabric. Turn in one raw edge by 0.5", and then again to create a rolled hem. Pin in place and top stitch around the entire tube - this edge is now your skirt's hem. Step Four On the other side of the tube, turn the raw edge in by 0.5" and pin into place. Top stitch around this edge. Step Five On the same side of the tube, turn in your now sewn edge by 1". Pin into place, and top stitch around the entire tube, making sure that you leave a 2" gap. Step Six Attach the safety pins to the ends of the 1" wide elastic. Pin one end to the skirt securely, and use the other safety pin to thread the elastic through the fabric casing that you have just created. Once you have done this, overlap the two ends of the elastic by 1" and use a zig zag stitch to secure them together. Step Seven Once your complete ring of elastic is sitting inside the fabric casing, sew up the 2" gap you left earlier to complete the waistband and secure the elastic in its casing. Your skirt is now complete! If you decide to give our tutorial a go, be sure to upload a photo to our Facebook page and let us see your completed project - we love to see what our customers come up with!