That’s a useful stitch for jersey, quick and better than an ordinary zig zag as it’s wider.

As regards the hem, is it straight or did it have a curve?  If it curved that would account for the pattern being off.  My tops usually have a curved hem but it doesn’t show when it’s on

Have you tried a curved waistband?  That eliminates a lot of back gape.

No I haven't. I'll look into that. Thanks for the idea.

Fabulous @Ouryve - such cute foxes!

Sew Ruthie Sews' entry #3 A Whale of a Cushion
I made a large cushion for the sofa. It uses panels from a rather flimsy cotton bag from Whale and Dolphin Conservation and some fabric in a whale print. I interfaced the main graphic panel and added blue textured flanging and then the whale print fabric. For the back I used some plain blue fabric and added a button closure.
As this came out a unique size, I also made a cushion insert which I filled from 4 smaller cushions.

Looks really good @Sheilago