Running skort - fail?

 WISDOM GAINED: I don't want to say 'don't use spandex'. I might say 'Don't try to make anything for live-at-home daughter'! Read on!

I REALLY enjoy making stuff for my daughters. But they are no longer kids just wearing what I want them to wear (were they ever that? probably not!). Live-at-home daughter asked for a skort; something like what she wore (and I had made) when she was in the single digits. I had the cutest pattern - shorts with a skirt-flap over the front. I still have the pattern, and suggested making something like that. No... I want to make the Helga playsuit, which is a romper, with such a flap. No.

She showed me a RTW athletic style skort, so I bought the Jalie running skort pattern, thinking it was similar. After hemming and hawing we decided to go ahead and buy the fabric, and ended up with the most... well she calls it 'classic' dark, navy spandex. 

That stuff is harder to sew with than I had expected after my recent knit experiences with cotton jersey and merino wool, which had given me all kinds of confidence!

It might be that there was not quite sufficient stretch in the spandex. It seemed to be okay - at least in one direction. Did I cut it in the wrong direction? Who knows?!

But I am pretty sure that the waist band was simply too small, even though I cut out a second one, bigger, matching the paper pattern piece to the top of the shorts pattern piece (which is all a bit smaller than the skirt, but that is part of the design - it stretches to fit.) But I think it needed to stretch TOO much, and so there is a visible, and unsightly, gathering on the skirt at the waistband. As seen in the photo.

And I am fairly certain I chose the right size based on her measurements.

Ultimately, it IS too small. I want to be mad at her for not liking anything I make (possible exaggeration, there). But it is true, she would not be loving it if it fit!

I have trouble with 'tunnelling' when using the double needle. So I bought some wash away stabilizer (as suggested in various posts). That helped, but only a bit (I think I needed a wider strip.) But I did a lousy job folding up the hem, and inside there was a ratty-looking raw-edge. So I decided to trim that. AND THEN I CUT A HOLE IN THE SKIRT!!! (sigh)... which I have skilfully (?!) mended!The skirt has now travelled to Montreal to see if it fits Montreal daughter (who is shorter, but has a more athletic build). I have instructed them that I need a photo of someone wearing it, doesn't matter who!

What a sad project! (Hard to see details because of the colour, but here it is!)