A gathered elastic-waist skirt is the quickest skirt to sew: two rectangles sized from your hip and a gathering ratio, joined at the sides, with the top folded into a casing for elastic and the bottom hemmed. There is no zip, no dart and no fitting beyond the elastic. With the fabric washed and pressed beforehand, cutting and sewing fit in three to four hours, in-seam pockets included.
How big should the rectangles be?
The skirt has to pull on over your hips, so the width starts from your hip measurement, not your waist. Multiply the hip by a gathering ratio to get the total width, then split it between a front and a back panel.
With a 97 cm (38 in) hip and the classic ratio of 1.8, the total width is 175 cm (69 in): two panels of 87.3 cm (34 3/8 in), plus a 1.5 cm (5/8 in) seam allowance at each side. Each panel is cut on the fold, so you measure half of that width from the folded edge.
| Ratio | Look | Total width for a 97 cm (38 in) hip |
|---|---|---|
| 1.3–1.5 | Softly gathered; good for heavier cottons | 126–146 cm (49 5/8–57 1/2 in) |
| 1.8 | Classic dirndl fullness | 175 cm (69 in) |
| 2–2.5 | Very full; for voile, lawn and other light fabrics | 194–243 cm (76 3/8–95 5/8 in) |
The gathering ratio calculator works this out for any measurement and ratio.
The height is the finished length plus two allowances: the casing at the top, which is the elastic width plus 1 cm (4 cm or 1 5/8 in for 3 cm elastic), and the hem at the bottom, 2.5 cm (1 in). A knee-length skirt of 61 cm (24 in) is therefore cut 67.5 cm (26 5/8 in) tall.
How long should the elastic be?
Cut the elastic a little shorter than your waist so it holds the skirt up without digging in. A good starting point is 93 % of your waist minus 2 cm, plus 3 cm (1 1/4 in) of overlap to join the ends. For a 72 cm (28 1/4 in) waist, that is 65 cm plus the overlap: 68 cm (26 3/4 in). The elastic length calculator does the math for other waists and elastic types.
Elastics differ: a soft knitted elastic needs to be shorter than a firm woven one. Pin the loop and try it around your waist before you sew it closed. For casings, choose knitted or non-roll elastic 2.5–4 cm (1–1 1/2 in) wide; braided elastic narrows when stretched and tends to twist in a wide channel.
Which fabric works, and how much do you need?
Light to medium cottons gather best: cotton poplin, double gauze, seersucker, voile and broderie anglaise, with viscose for a softer drape. The heavier the fabric, the lower the ratio should be; otherwise the gathers stack up into a thick roll at the waist.
Each panel uses one length of fabric, so the rule is two cut lengths plus a little for pockets. A knee-length skirt usually takes about 1.5 m (1 5/8 yd) and a midi about 2 m (2 1/4 yd), on 110, 140 or 150 cm (45, 55 or 60 in) wide fabric, as long as one panel fits across the width. If half of your hip times the ratio is wider than the fabric, join two widths for each panel: the extra seams disappear into the gathers.
Should you add pockets or tiers?
Pockets are worth the extra half hour. In-seam pockets use four pocket bags sewn to the side edges before the side seams; the opening is about 17 cm (6 3/4 in), which fits a phone and a hand. The in-seam pocket guide walks through them.
Tiers turn the skirt into a prairie or tiered skirt. Each tier is one and a half times as wide as the one above, and the tiers get taller toward the hem. They take much more fabric: on a three-tier skirt with a 1.8 ratio, the bottom tier alone is about four times your hip measurement around. Leave tiers for a second skirt.
How do you sew it, step by step?
- Prepare. Prewash and press the fabric, then cut two panels on the fold, and four pocket bags if you want pockets.
- Pockets. Sew a pocket bag to each side edge of the front and back between the notches, right sides together. Press the bags outward.
- Side seams. Sew front to back at both sides, pivoting around the pocket bags and sewing the bags together.
- Finish the seams with zigzag or a serger, or use French seams on light fabrics without pockets.
- Casing. Finish the top edge, fold 4 cm to the wrong side and press. Stitch 3 mm (1/8 in) from the finished edge, leaving a 5 cm (2 in) gap at a side seam.
- Elastic. Thread it through with a safety pin or bodkin, overlap the ends by 3 cm and zigzag them together in a box. Close the gap, then spread the gathers evenly around.
- Hem. Press 1 cm (3/8 in) to the wrong side, then 1.5 cm (5/8 in), and stitch close to the inner fold.
- Press, avoiding the gathered waist so the elastic keeps its stretch.
There are no gathering stitches to pull up: the elastic makes the gathers.
How do you stop the elastic from twisting?
Twisting happens when the elastic is narrower than the channel or rolls as you wear the skirt. Once the gathers are spread out, stitch in the ditch of each side seam through the casing and the elastic; this locks it in place. You can also sew one or two rows all around through the elastic for a ruched look, stretching the waist flat under the presser foot as you go. The elastic waistband guide shows both methods.
Can Sewly size the panels for you?
Sewly's gathered skirt pattern works out the panel sizes from your hip, the gathering ratio and the length you choose, and gives them as cutting dimensions, so there is nothing to print for the rectangles. It also lists the elastic length, adds pockets if you want them, and can switch to one, two or three tiers, or to a waistband with a zip instead of elastic.