If you prefer your Virginia leggings with a wider waistband for comfort, this post is for you! This wasitband option is shown in views B & D, but can be used on any version you would like to make (just make sure you cut the right waistline on the pattern!).
There are actually 3 options with a wider waistband – no elastic (fabric only), with narrow 1/4″ elastic, or with wider 1″ elastic. All depending on how much support you would like in the waistline. I’m going to show you how to add the wider elastic in this post, but it’s basically the same steps for the narrow elastic too, so I will let you know when those steps arrive.
Remember, you will need to cut 4 of the wide waistband pieces.
Place two of the Wide Waistband pieces with right sides together. Sew along the side seams 1/4″ from the raw edge using an overlocker/serger or a zig zag stitch on a regular machine.
Repeat for the remaining two Wide Waistband pieces.
One waistband will be the outer and one will be the inner waistband.
Flip one waistband right side out, keeping the other one wrong side out.
Slide the right-side-out waistband, inside the wrong-side-out waistband, so that the two are right sides together.
Align the top edges of the waistbands together. matching the side seams.
Sew the two waistbands together along the top edge 1/4″ from the raw edge using a zig zag stitch on a regular machine or an overlocker/serger.
If you do not want to add elastic to your wide waistband, skip these next few steps up to the ”Attaching the wide waistband” part.
ADDING ELASTIC
Again, I’m just going to show you the wide elastic here, but I will make note of any slight difference for the narrow elastic.
Cut your 1 ” wide elastic (or 1/4″ wide elastic) to the length provided in the size chart.
Overlap the cut edges of the elastic by 1/2″ and sew together with a zig zag stitch.
Divide the elastic into quarters using pins.
With your two waistband sewn together, remaining just as you left them with right sides together, make sure you also have the notches marked.
Place the elastic over the wrong side of the waistband so that the edge of the elastic is aligned with the seamline you’ve sewn. Don’t go past your seamline stitching! Match the quarter markings on the elastic with the notches and seams on the waistline. Pin the edge of the elastic to the seam allowances only – again just at the edge of the seamline stitching.
As you can see here, the other edge of the 1″ elastic extends past the edge of the seam allowance.
If you are working with the narrow 1/4″ elastic, it should fit perfectly within the seam allowance.
Sew the elastic to the waistline by sewing with a zig zag stitch close to the edge of the elastic through the center of the seam allowances only. (Hopefully a little neater than mine, haha. Got away from a bit there.)
If you are sewing the narrow 1/4″ elastic – you can stop there. Sewing through the center of the seam allowance means you sewed through the center of the 1/4″ elastic. You can skip ahead a few steps to where we fold the waistband over.
With the 1″ elastic here, you can see it only covers the one edge of the elastic, so we have one more step to do…
Open the waistbands so that both sides are wrong sides out.
Fold the elastic down so that the elastic encases the seam allowance of the waist seam.
Attach the remaining edge of the elastic to the waistband by zig zagging on the edge of the elastic through that waistband side only (again, maybe try to get your zig zag stitching a little neater than mine, haha. this fabric was not my machines friend).
We will now refer to this side that you stitched the elastic to as the ‘inner waistband’ (you will see what I mean in a second).
Now, whichever elastic you did, its time to fold the waistbands over so that the wrong sides of the fabric are together, and the elastic and seam allowances are encased.
Align the bottom edges of the two waistbands and pin together.
Back to just the 1″ elastic version for just a second. Here is what I meant by ‘inner waistband’ and also ‘outer waistband’. This is important when we go to attach the waistband to the leggings…
The waistband side with the visible stitching from attaching the elastic is the ‘inner waistband’. In the end you will want this side of the waistband on the inside of your leggings so the stitching isn’t seen from the outside.
The waistband without the visible stitching is the ‘outer waistband’, or the right side of the fabric, technically.
ATTACHING THE WIDE WAISTBAND
Place your leggings down inside out, or wrong side of the fabric out.
Your 1″ elastic waistband should have the ‘outer waistband’ side facing out.
Place the wide waistband inside the leggings with right sides together. The side seams of the wide waistband should be aligned with the notches on the leggings. The notches on the wide waistband should be aligned with the center front and center back seams of the leggings.
Attach the wide waistband to the leggings by sewing 1/4″ from the raw edge using a zig zag on a regular sewing machine or a serger/overlocker.
Flip the waistband up and away from the garment so that the seams are pointing towards the garment.
Optional (I didn’t do it here): Topstitch next to the seam on top of the seam allowance (on the garment not the waistband) using a zig zag stitch or twin needle to secure.
That’s it, you’ve attached your super comfy wide waistband!
LOOKING FOR MORE VIRGINIA POSTS?
Here’s the full list of Virginia tutorials:
- Sewalong : Seams
- Sewalong : Narrow Waistband
- Sewalong : Wide Waistband (this post!)
- Sewalong: Cuffs
- Sewalong : Hem
Don’t forget to tag your creations with #MNvirginia and @megannielsenpatterns when sharing on social media, and check out what everyone else is up to!
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