I have several pairs of slacks from which I have removed the worn out elastic. That meant removing several rows of stitching. I would like to replace the elastic but I have never conquered the art of sewing through elastic without stretching it. Please tell me what type of elastic I need to buy and how to sew it.
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Replies
Have you considered running the elastic through a channel and not bother with the stitching? I stitch across the waistband in four places (front, back and side seams) and that keeps it from twisting.
Isn't it a pain to un-stitch all those rows? I have done it many times. You can use "sport elastic" which has designated stitching rows. It is probably best for the exposed elastic application, what you might see in boxer shorts or pj bottoms. The good thing about sport elastic is that most sewing stores carry it. Another option is stitch through elastic like this one http://www.thesewingplace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=4955 which is very much like what you see in ready to wear pants. After sewing the many rows in both types of elastic all you need to do is steam the waistband with your iron and watch the elastic shrink back to size.
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