Wednesday, March 28, 2012

How to add a drawstring waist to a too big top - a no sew project


This project started out with this thrift store Ann Taylor jersey top. It was a little big and baggy (and unflattering) at the bottom - probably a size larger than I would normally wear. To remedy the fit, I grabbed my scissors and some rope and added a drawstring waistband.

Here it is now:




To add a drawstring waistband to an existing top, simply cut a small slit through one layer of the hem at the side seam, like this:


Cut a length of rope or ribbon long enough to go around your waist and tie. Pin a safety pin to one end of the rope and thread it into the opening that you created - it will go into the casing made from the hem. Thread it all the way around and out the other side. And that's it - no sewing involved!
Note: This works best with fabrics that don't fray, like jersey, since you are not finishing off the slit.

www. mytwobutterflies.blogspot.com

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Smart idea, I like it!! Thanks for sharing

Erica EOD

Sandy said...

Hi, looks good!

Just a few tips...
you might want to remove the rope when you wash it. if you wash it with dark clothes, it will take on a greyish hue.

also, it would be good to put the rope in very hot water to shrink it because most rope is not pre-shrunk. you don't want it to cause problems by shrinking while it is still in the garment.

I use rope like this in channels for textile work specifically because I want it to shrink and cause wrinkles and texture...but you probably don't want that for your shirt.
Sandy in the UK

Bat Ma'am said...

Wow what a simple change but it looks so cute! Love it, thanks for the idea!

The Renegade Seamstress said...

What a great solution! It looks great!