ellastic waistband troubles - Page 3

> Kay Lancaster wrote:
> > Before giving up, stoke up the steam iron and hold it in the

> > just barely off the fabric... moving it along. Then check

> > Personally, I would have used a longer stitch length than you

> > shouldn't be causing that much trouble.
> > Kay
> Now that I've had my coffee and been up all day I can think

> These are the directions I got from Sharon and sent to someone

> you don't have a serger just use your zz where it says to use a

> Juno

> These are the directions I got from Sharon Hayes. The only

> different is to divide my skirt and elastic into eighths. I do

> applying the elastic and when I sew the waist band down. I

> better control that way. I made 2 skirts this afternoon in

> minutes from the time I cut until I did my final trimming of

> I've done 4 skirts in the last 2 days. One other thing is that

> girls don't like a real hem. They like their skirts to have a 3

> hem done with woolly nylon. I use the same setting for the hem

> seams.
> HTH.
> Here's what I do. I use 1" wide elastic. (I don't like any

> that; uncomfortable to me.) I cut the elastic 2" less than the

> measurement. (However, if she has no hips and is an energetic

> monkey, you might want to cut that 3" less.) Then overlap the

> about 1" and stitch (I use 3 step zig zag top and bottom of the

> portions) to form a circle. Now, use the lapped portion as the

> the elastic to find the CF, and both sides. Mark those with

> I have used 3 threads and 4 threads to do this. Either seems to

> however you have the serger set up will do. Disengage the

> don't want to cut through the elastic. Also, you don't want

> for a rolled edge. Turn your differential feed to the highest

> mine, that's "2." I tend to think of that as "most scrunched"

> bottom fabric. ;)
> Turn the skirt wrong side out. Find the CF, CB, and both side

> skirt. Line up the matching points from the elastic and slide

> ring over the skirt. Pin those points. Trust me, you won't

> them, but you will need them to keep everything aligned. Pretty

> to keep the cut edge of the skirt aligned with the edge of the

> You will be serging with the right side of the fabric against

> Start at any one of your 4 points. Pull that pin, and slide

> under the presser foot of the serger. Drop the presser foot

> one of the few times I actually raise the presser foot before I

> Then set your needle(s) all the way down. Now you are going to

> elastic taut between where you are starting and the next pinned

> Only the elastic, not the fabric. Usually once you pull the

> it stretches out to about the same as the fabric. Then just

> You should be overcasting the fabric and the elastic. The

> feed will scrunch the fabric down to the size of the elastic.

> close to the next pin, stop, pull the pin, grab the elastic at

> pin, pull taut, start serging again. Keep going till you're

> started. ;)
> Then I carry it back to my sewing machine. I fold the elastic

> covered by the fabric on the inside of the waist. Then holding

> those same 4 points, and working with the right side of the

> the feed dogs, I carefully stitch it down.
> Now, here's the super sneaky tricky part that is essential. Go

> elastic. And I do mean STEAM. That allows the elastic to

> to it's original length. But don't ever use old elastic that's

> sitting around a long time. It won't recover it's original

> BTDT. :(
> Once you get the hang of it, and it really is easy, this will

> like this method a lot. Much faster than feeding through a

> of that doesn't make sense, let me know.
> Juno

>
>> Kay Lancaster wrote:
>> > Before giving up, stoke up the steam iron and hold it in the
> steam position
>> > just barely off the fabric... moving it along. Then check
> the size.
>> > Personally, I would have used a longer stitch length than you
> did, but that
>> > shouldn't be causing that much trouble.
>> > Kay
>> Now that I've had my coffee and been up all day I can think
> clearly.
>> These are the directions I got from Sharon and sent to someone
> else. If
>> you don't have a serger just use your zz where it says to use a
> serger.HTH
>> Juno
>
> Thanks Juno,
> Many many thanks for the help and instructions. all understood.
>
> I just happened to buy a vintage 5/4/3/2 thrd serger i salvaged
> over the summer. I find myself constantly looking to use it.
>
> So, i used the (Sharon H.) instructions that you posted and it
> worked great.
>
> I use the 4 thread super-stretch stitch with very long stitch
> length.
>
> Thanks again for the help and reply,
> robb

> Kay Lancaster wrote:
>> Before giving up, stoke up the steam iron and hold it in the steam
>> position just barely off the fabric... moving it along. Then check
>> the size.
>> Personally, I would have used a longer stitch length than you did, but
>> that
>> shouldn't be causing that much trouble.
>> Kay
> Now that I've had my coffee and been up all day I can think clearly.
> These are the directions I got from Sharon and sent to someone else. If
> you don't have a serger just use your zz where it says to use a serger.HTH
> Juno
>
>
>
> These are the directions I got from Sharon Hayes. The only thing I do
> different is to divide my skirt and elastic into eighths. I do that when
> applying the elastic and when I sew the waist band down. I find I have
> better control that way. I made 2 skirts this afternoon in about 45
> minutes from the time I cut until I did my final trimming of threads.
> I've done 4 skirts in the last 2 days. One other thing is that these
> girls don't like a real hem. They like their skirts to have a 3 thread
> hem done with woolly nylon. I use the same setting for the hem as for
> seams.
> HTH.
>
> Here's what I do. I use 1" wide elastic. (I don't like any wider than
> that; uncomfortable to me.) I cut the elastic 2" less than the waist
> measurement. (However, if she has no hips and is an energetic little
> monkey, you might want to cut that 3" less.) Then overlap the cut ends
> about 1" and stitch (I use 3 step zig zag top and bottom of the lapped
> portions) to form a circle. Now, use the lapped portion as the CB. Fold
> the elastic to find the CF, and both sides. Mark those with pins.
>
> I have used 3 threads and 4 threads to do this. Either seems to work
> fine so
> however you have the serger set up will do. Disengage the blades. You
> don't want to cut through the elastic. Also, you don't want the serger set
> for a rolled edge. Turn your differential feed to the highest setting. On
> mine, that's "2." I tend to think of that as "most scrunched" for the
> bottom fabric. ;)
>
> Turn the skirt wrong side out. Find the CF, CB, and both side seams of the
> skirt. Line up the matching points from the elastic and slide the elastic
> ring over the skirt. Pin those points. Trust me, you won't serge over
> them, but you will need them to keep everything aligned. Pretty important
> to keep the cut edge of the skirt aligned with the edge of the elastic too.
>
> You will be serging with the right side of the fabric against the feed
> dogs.
> Start at any one of your 4 points. Pull that pin, and slide that point
> under the presser foot of the serger. Drop the presser foot down (this is
> one of the few times I actually raise the presser foot before I start.)
> Then set your needle(s) all the way down. Now you are going to stretch the
> elastic taut between where you are starting and the next pinned point.
> Only the elastic, not the fabric. Usually once you pull the elastic taut,
> it stretches out to about the same as the fabric. Then just start serging.
> You should be overcasting the fabric and the elastic. The differential
> feed will scrunch the fabric down to the size of the elastic. When you get
> close to the next pin, stop, pull the pin, grab the elastic at the next
> pin, pull taut, start serging again. Keep going till you're back where you
> started. ;)
>
> Then I carry it back to my sewing machine. I fold the elastic down so it's
> covered by the fabric on the inside of the waist. Then holding taut at
> those same 4 points, and working with the right side of the fabric against
> the feed dogs, I carefully stitch it down.
>
> Now, here's the super sneaky tricky part that is essential. Go steam the
> elastic. And I do mean STEAM. That allows the elastic to really snap back
> to it's original length. But don't ever use old elastic that's been
> sitting around a long time. It won't recover it's original length.
> BTDT. :(
>
> Once you get the hang of it, and it really is easy, this will go Fast! I
> like this method a lot. Much faster than feeding through a casing. If any
> of that doesn't make sense, let me know.
> Juno

> Before giving up, stoke up the steam iron and hold it in the

> just barely off the fabric... moving it along. Then check the

> Personally, I would have used a longer stitch length than you

> shouldn't be causing that much trouble.
> Kay