drawstring waist tutorial

Our neighbor has this perfect wooden fence…I never thought to stick Sadie in front of it for our photo shoots, but I love it! There were some people looking at the house for sale across the street, they probably thought I was a weirdo, posing my daughter in front of a fence. If they’d only known it was for a blog! Then they really would have thought I was cool strange.

Couldn’t help but throw this pouty one in there. She sure knows how to work it!

annnd…

You know I love me a good tutorial, so here’s how to make a quick and easy drawstring waist for a peasant shirt.

Click below for more! 

You’ll need:
one finished peasant shirt. ( I like both of these tutorials… from Prudent Baby and IndieTutes)
3/4 inch twill tape (4-5 yards depending on the size of the shirt)
the usual suspects: thread, pins, scissors, sewing machine, etc..
First, wrap your twill tape around the shirt, making sure it’s laying flat, and cut to fit, leaving a few inches overlap to make sure it’s enough.
Then, fold your shirt in half to find the center of the front side, and mark it with a pin.
With one end of your twill tape, fold it under 1/2 inch, and pin, leaving 1/2 inch of space from your center pin.
Using a ruler to keep your twill tape straight, continue pinning the twill tape around the hem. I pinned mine at 2.5 inches from the bottom.
All the way around! fold over the other end and pin down, leaving about an inch of space in between your casing ends.
Next, sew down your casing, back stitching a few stitches at the ends…and on both sides of your twill tape casing.
Now, cut a piece of twill tape for your drawstring. I cut mine at about 60 inches…and trimmed a few inches off at the end, so it ended up being 55 inches. Folding it over like the picture shows, sew it in half lengthwise.
tada!
Attach a safety pin, and thread it through your casing.
Tie into a bow and trim excess length.
To finish off the ends, cut a piece of twill tape 2 inches long, fold both raw edges towards the middle, and in half again. Insert the raw edge of your drawstring, and sew along the sides and bottom, making sure to catch the drawstring along the bottom. Go SLLOOOOOWW…try not to break your needle. It’ll be thick. (but doable)
Tada! A cute drawstring waist!

love it! Any questions, let me know.

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***If you have used any of my tutorials, I’d love if you’d add a quick pic to my flicker group! Thanks!***

Comments

  1. So cute! Thanks for adding to my “To Do” list!

  2. OOoooh I really love this!!! So quick and easy. I can’t wait to try it!!!

  3. Sitting reading your blog with my 3 year old on my lap, and at the pix of Sadie pouting, she pointed and said “she’s stroppy like me!” Bless. x.

  4. Cute fence, I mean shirt, I mean Sadie!

  5. So how would you do that to the inside? Could you put the tape on the inside and make buttonholes for the string to hang out? Very cute shirt. I love making peasant shirts!!

  6. LOVE this. Seriously you are my new idol.

  7. Thanks Larissa! lol! Casey- I think that would work perfectly! Let me know if you try it that way! 😀

  8. This is adorable!

  9. Loving that shirt. It would make cute dress too! Thanks for the tute!

  10. SOOOO cute!

  11. Great little customization! I have a whole roll of twill tape, so I’m going to keep this in mind. Thanks for the tute!

  12. So cute!!!

  13. Hi, I’ve just started new blog for my crafty stuff, and added you (well, you’re the first!) to my blog list. I hope that’s okay with you. I love your blog!

  14. Ooh that fence is great! And I love the tutorial. The waist is fantastic. Thanks so much for this, I’ll be linking.

  15. super cute! most of our posing is also done in front of our neighbors fence.

  16. Thanks for the tutorial great for simple sewers like me – nd the 2nd pic of your little on is so precious – the face!!

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