Elastic tutorials

Here are 2 quick alternatives to traditional cased elastic.

1- Fold over Elastic (FOE)

This wide elastic has a fold line down the middle that allows you to easily fold it over the raw edge of your fabric and sew it down making it a quick elastic edging.
Great Aussie suppliers of FOE- GBAU or Nappies covered

Take the length of elastic required by your pattern and shorten it by approx 1" as the stretch of FOE is a little different. Sew into a loop right sides together, you can snip the corners of your elastic if you like.

Mark your loop of elastic in quarters as well as your garment opening then pin the elastic to the opening at those marks. Lay your fabric onto the wrong side of the FOE to the center line then fold the FOE over encasing the raw edge of the fabric.

Set your machine to do a wide 3 step zig zag (the dotted zigzag line on your machine) if you dont have 3 step zigzag normal zigzag will be ok.

Sew carefully stretching your elastic to match the length of your fabric as you go, concentrate on one quarter at a time,  Be sure your fabric is right in the fold of the elastic, you should be catching the bottom layer of elastic, the fabric and the top layer of elastic.

Start and end at your join in the elastic.

2- Serged Elastic (false casing)

Attaching your elastic with your serger can be a quick and simple way of creating your casing.

Cut your elastic to the length indicated on your pattern, mark in quarters and also mark your garment opening in quarters, pin together at these marks. (be very aware of your pins as you surge DO NOT SEW OVER YOUR PINS).

Serge the elastic to the wrong side of your fabric taking care to not touch the elastic with the knife, pull your elastic gently to match the fabric at each pin mark.

On your sewing machine fold your edge over just the width of the elastic, sew a straight stitch just catching the very edge of your elastic as you sew, pulling the elastic flat as you sew.

There you have it false cased elastic with a lovely serged edge.