1. A Repurpose Project - Elastic Waists are EVIL

To the left is an example of why I no longer wear my gray gathered skirt. It did that to my waist.

No offense to Very Purple Person but I need it known that my waistline is smaller than my other two measurements! So I decided to take that skirt apart and make a proper flat waistband for it.

That was half a year ago. I removed the elastic and moved the still mostly intact skirt to the mending pile. While surfing the web last week, I came across Pattern Runway 's FREE Very Gathered Skirt pattern. Yes, so there are gathers still but they are all in the back, all you see from the front is the flat waistband.

I am not doing a true review of this pattern only because I ended up changing quite a bit from their instruction. I ended up using it only for the width of the front and back sections, the slight hip curve, and the pocket pieces; which was something the original skirt lacked.


I instead made the skirt that is a blend between the Pattern Runway skirt and View B from Butterick 5285.



I was able to keep the back waistband from the original skirt. The back pattern piece was much longer than my hemmed skirt so I just used the pattern piece to cut the skirt down to size width-wise, keeping the hem intact. On the front, I removed the old waistband casing, used the front waistband piece and interfaced it for stability. I had just enough fabric left to cut the four pocket pieces. At the time, I didn't have the inspiration picture available so I just eyeballed the pleats, stitched up the skirt, and was done.


Sorry, took picture but had forgotten to press pockets. After these pictures were taken I opened up the back casing and took 1.5 inches of elastic out. The skirt fits more snug now and at my correct waistline.


Before and AfterImages: verypurpleperson, my own pictures