Question about sewing the waistband

[Deesquared]

Barb,
You have been so helpful with every question I've had, through every step of making my kilt. Thank you so much!
I have another question for you in regards to attaching the waistband.

I have machine stitched the 3" wide band to the top of the kilt, and now I'm trying to follow the directions in TAOK to turn it to the inside and stitch it down.
After folding back the excess at the side, the instructions state to " fold the top band tightly over the top of the kilt, enclosing both the ragged top edge and the extra top band fabric"

So does that mean you fold it down twice to enclose the raw edge of the band? The pictures in the book make it look like it is folded down only once, which would leave the raw edge out, at the bottom of the waistband. That doesn't seem right...

Here it is, folded down once...

Here, in three steps, is how I assume it is supposed to be done: edges folded in, top raw edge folded down to the seamline, then everything folded down once more to enclose the raw edge.


Is that the right way to do it?

Thanks so much!
Dianna

[Barb T]

No - you don't turn under the long raw edge of the top band strip - that just doubles the thickness, and the raw edge will be covered by the lining. It's the raw edge of the top of the kilt that you're enclosing. So everything is fine except that you should unpress the 1/4" that you folded under along the long raw edge and leave it unfolded.

[chasem]

Barb is clearly the master here, but my take has always been that it's okay for the raw edge of the waistband to show inside the kilt at this stage because the lining is going to cover it when it gets sewn in.

I've always done the following:
1) Fold edges in (at an angle where - using your pictures above as a guide, the bottom is farther left than the top - so that what's folded now will be inside the edge of the apron when folded down)

2) Fold top down once.

3) Sew it down.

4) <other steps>

5) <Sew in lining which covers the waistband raw edges>




Edit: Barb is also the master of typing faster and more concisely.

[Deesquared]

Thank you Barb and chasem!
It makes sense now, knowing that the lining will cover up that raw edge.
Now I can get back to sewing!