submitted by Fay M. Dorr
from Threads #117

To keep shoulder straps — especially spaghetti straps — from falling off my shoulders, I insert elastic cording into the straps. I use a long, double-eyed needle, or a tapestry needle with a large eye and a blunt end, to thread the cording through the strap. Even on a chiffon dress, the smooth eye end of the needle won’t snag the fabric.

I leave about 2 inches of the elastic extending beyond both ends of the strap. Sew one end of each strap to the dress permanently, securing the elastic. Then, when fitting, I pull the loose ends of the elastic until they’re comfortably snug, pin them in place, and sew them to the garment. This method works equally well as an alteration for a ready-made dress or as a fitting fix for one you’re making from scratch.

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