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Add Waistband Icon

Add Waistband

What it Does​

Drafts a waistband that fits the waist edges of your pants or skirt pattern. You select the front waist lines and curves, then the back ones. The tool measures them and draws the band, with labels for center front, center back and the sides.

Use this when you want a straight waistband that matches your pattern pieces. You can add ease, an overlap, an underlap and a self-faced width.

How to Use​

First tell the tool the front waist length, then the back.

  1. Activate the tool by selecting the Add Waistband icon
  2. Select the lines and curves that make up the front waist. Leave out any darts
  3. If the items you selected are only part of the full front, change the Multiplier. For example, if your pattern is a quarter of the front, enter 2 for half. The Multiplier starts at 1
  4. Select Measure. A list shows the name of each selected item, with its multiplier if it is above 1
  5. To add more items, repeat the last three steps. Each group of items can have its own Multiplier
  6. Select Done when the front list is complete
  7. Select the lines and curves that make up the back waist, and set the Multiplier
  8. Select Measure. Repeat to add more back items
  9. Select Done when the back list is complete
  10. Enter the Waistband Ease in the unit shown. Ease is extra room added to the waist length. A negative value makes the waistband smaller than the waist. Enter 0 to match the selected edges exactly
  11. Enter the Over Extension in the unit shown. This is how far the band extends to form the overlap, which holds a button or snap. Enter 0 for none
  12. Enter the Under Extension in the unit shown. This is how far the band extends to form the underlap, which sits under the overlap. Enter 0 for none
  13. Enter the Finished Width of the waistband in the unit shown. This is how wide the band is when sewn. Do not add seam allowance. It must be greater than 0
  14. Check Self-Faced if the waistband folds over to make its own facing. This draws the band three times the finished width instead of two times
  15. Select the opening position: Center Back, Center Front or Side. Center Back is selected to start
  16. Select Continue
  17. Click in the workspace where the upper left corner of the waistband should go. You can click again to move it
  18. Select Continue. The waistband is drawn
  19. Select Save to keep the waistband, or Cancel to discard it

What You Get​

The band is drawn standing up, with its ends at the top and bottom. It has these markings:

  • Labels for Center Front, Center Back and Side. Their order changes with the opening position you chose. The lines that mark them are dashed blue
  • The overlap at the top and the underlap at the bottom, if you entered them
  • A dashed red fold line down the middle. A self-faced band has two fold lines, which divide it into thirds

When you pin the band to your garment, the centers and sides line up with the matching places on the pattern. Ease is the only difference.

tip

You can type a number or a formula in the ease, extension and width boxes. See Entering Values.

🧠Memorization

When you memorize a draft, the waistband is remembered along with the items you measured and the ease, extensions, width, self-faced choice and opening position.