[catherinel]

I’m about to cut out the skort and in reading the instructions I’m unsure of how the elastic ends will be hidden. Once you sew the casing top and bottom and have openings on each side seam for feeding, where will you tuck the ends once you attach the elastic 1/8 inch from the side seams? The front waistband is all closed up from sewing it to the back and the back just got closed from attaching the elastic.

[with love Heidi]

Hi,

I’ve just made a big batch of the skirts (skort with out the shorts). I hid the ends by cutting my elastic longer than I needed and left a short (1/2″)end sticking out when I sewed in the elastic. When I had sewn in the elastic I stretched the short end and cut off the elastic as close to the fabric as I could. Once the stretched elastic had been cut it sprang back to hid itself inthe elastic channel.

Hope this helps.

[catherinel]

Thank you so much for the reply, Heidi. Did you sew down the elastic more than 1/8 inch from the side seams? It seems to me that you would need more than 1/8 inch to hide the elastic, but maybe I’m over thinking this.

[with love Heidi]

I’m not quite sure where you’re measuring the 1/8″. But I’m making one at the moment so I”ll take some pictures and post them with a link back here. I think that this time I only sewed it 1/16″ (about 3mm) from the edge, but this might be too close. You don’t need much to hide the ends this way.

[catherinel]

I finished the skort and it is really cute. I’ll post pictures when I do the matching shirt. In sewing down the elastic to the right length I ended up sewing about 3/8 inch from the elastic channel opening. After cutting it, it did disappear, but I have two vertical top stitching lines on the back 3/8 inch from each side seam. That’s what I was trying to avoid. I was afraid to do it 1/8 inch in because I’ve had too many experiences with elastic coming undone.

[Nicole]

I have not made this so I am not quite sure what is going on,however,if you cut the elastic longer then required and poke the excess through to the front waist band you are able to stitch exactly at the side seams.

This may help http://fiveandcounting-motherof5.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/a-short-tutorial-groan.html scroll down to the waistband.

I hope it is some help.

~Nicole~

[catherinel]

Thank you so much, Nicole. The model is the only thing cuter than the shorts!

Your tutorial is great, but the key to hiding it in the front is unpicking the seam. I’m not sure that would work on the badminton skort because the waistband construction is so different. The back waistband is not completely faced–ie it has just enough to fold over to make a casing for the elastic, which is only 3/4 inch. The finished front waistband on the size 3 is 2 1/2 inches wide.

The instructions have you sew the totally completed and basted closed front waistband to the one layer back waistband with the elastic casing extension hanging over the edge. You then fold the back long edge over, topstitch along the bottom to form the casing and then run the elastic through.

I can think of some alternative construction steps to hide the vertical elastic anchoring stitches, but it’s really not that noticeable. The skort is sooo cute and I will post pictures in the next few days once I get the shirt finished.

[Nicole]

Sorry about that Catherine,I was not sure if it would help.

Thanks for your compliment,she is a little cracker!

~Nicole~

[with love Heidi]

Sorry in my delay over photos, I have them but haven’t got them up yet. However I do get the extra parallel lines of stitching when I do it. As I have been adding wings to all mine I haven’t worried and even if I was just using it as a skort I figure that the top of the skort is normally covered by their shirt. Will try and get the photo’s up tomorrow.

[with love Heidi]

Hi, I finally got my photo’s up, here’s the link. http://www.flickr.com/photos/73669617@N07/7890948898/in/pool-oliverands

[catherinel]

Thank you so much to both Nicole and Heidi! Both of you have such wonderful tutorials! Heidi–I did your exact technique, only gave myself about 3/8 inch in from the side seam (I am paranoid about that elastic letting loose and the skort falling down to the ankles!) I’m making a shirt with a little ruffle at the bottom, so it will be outside the waistband to hide the topstitching.

[catherinel]

Here are the finished results:

I didn’t have matching sewing machine thread, and it was 10 pm, sooo…

The waistband is a little messy, but no one should notice with a shirt over it…

The completed skort. I cut the skirt 2 inches shorter because I really like the knees showing on a toddler.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cklassen1964/7895277652/