Taking in a Waistband

Losing weight can leave you with a possibly expensive option such as purchasing new clothes to fit your smaller waist. If you have recently lost weight, you can alter your own pants or skirt, rather than buying new clothes. All it takes is a sewing machine and basic sewing skills.

Try on the skirt or pants prior to beginning altering procedures. Bunch the waistband together in the back of the garment until it fits tights. Place a large safety pin through the fabric that is bunched together to secure it. Make sure the fold is pointed outward. Mark the location on the pants and skirt with a washable pencil. Remove any belt loops in the back with a seam ripper or sharp scissors. Look at how the loop is connected before removing it, so you can figure out how to reattach it. Take out any tags sewn in the garments with scissors or seam rippers.

Open up the horizontal waist seam about 4 inches with a seam ripper or about 2 inches on each side of the middle back. If there is stitching along the top edge of the waistband, take out about 3 inches or about 1 1/2 inches on each side of the middle back seam. Many garments do not contain a middle back seam. If there is not a center back seam, you can add one later. If you need to take the garment in 4 inches, take in 2 inches from each side of the center back seam. Place a mark on the garment, 2 inches from the center back with a washable pencil; do this to the right and left of the center. Draw in a center back seam with a washable pencil if there isn't one. If the waistband is elastic. take in 1 more inch on each side.

Do the following if your pants or skirt does not have a center back seam. Conceal the new center back seam by sewing it to the right or left of the existing center back seam. Move it over about an 1/8 of an inch. This center back seam will be hidden by the belt loop. Sew in the waistband by folding the new seam line with the right sides together. Secure it in place with pins and stitch together.

Cut the seam allowances inside the garment after you are finished altering. Flip the pants or skirts inside out after you are finished to remove the top stitching with a seam ripper or scissors. Pin the pants or skirt at the correct amount and sew it. Switch the garment right side out and top stitch the seam as it was before the altering. Sew the belt loop back on and replace the labels. Replace the waistband to the garment and top stitch the opening shut. Resew the belt loop and put the labels back on. Attach the waistband to the pants or skirt and top stitch the opening closed.