how to - put in an adjustable waistband

When I visit other people's blogs, one of the things I love is when people share a technique, or their creative processes. So I thought I would share the love and do a little 'how to'. This is probably a simple one, but anyway... I figured it out through trial and error, and now I do probably 90% of children's waistbands like this. To do waistbands this way, you need button hole elastic.

I start off by finishing the top of the pants. I do this with my over locker, but you could do a zigzag stitch. Then I iron over a small section of the pants, and then again, to form the casing.Now it's time to put in button holes. Make sure that they are large holes- I do mine at about 2cm, sometimes bigger, depending on how wide I have made the casing. These are to be placed at the inner front, about a third of the way from the centre along the casing. One needs to be done on each side. I have chosen not to sew the casing in and then thread through the elastic- I find this to be a pain in the arse, so I just place in the elastic, and pin it down, making sure that the elastic is clear of where I will sew. (You may notice that I stupidly put the pins facing the wrong way... but hey... I was just too lazy to pull them out and do it again!) For this reason, I don't cut off the elastic to the right size straight away. This way, it all stays flat, making sewing easier, and also means you don't waste elastic. Yep. Just call me Scrooge.Sew around, taking care to stay close to the casing edge so you don't run over the elastic. (Sorry crap photo!) Cut the threads, making sure you leave a longish bit of thread. I never backstitch to finish- I like a finished look, so I always pull the cotton through with a needle, and tie the ends off under a seam. Just looks tidier, I think. :o)See! You can't see it! :o)

Button time! Choose smallish buttons, and place them inside the button hole, making sure the elastic is out of the way. Be careful to check where the needle comes out when you sew in the button. To keep things looking tidy, aim for the exact same spot, and use a thread that matches the fabric really well.Once the buttons are in, put one through the elastic. I leave about 5 holes hanging over, sometimes more. To make sure the elastic doesn't fray, use a tiny blanket stitch to finish the end. Do the same for the other side, pulling the elastic first to achieve the desired tension. See! Look at all that elastic you would have wasted!Ease the elastic back into the casing, toward the front. This is where I love that I have an old over locker. It needs long tweezers to thread it... I use these tweezers for everything- including putting the elastic back into the facing. As far as I am concerned, they are gods gift to sewing!! lol
Ta-Daa! :o) All done! I hope this was clear and not too rambly!!