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Sewing clear elastic on bamboo jersey Sew or serge, what needle type, etc?
Marilly Advanced Beginner OR USA Member since 7/9/06 Posts: 609	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 9/5/12 2:21 AM Hi All I scored a bolt of bamboo jersey and want to try a crossover top with it. The bamboo has great recovery, but I'd still like something to stabilize and help keep that crossover edge secure so I picked up some 3/8 in. lastin/clear elastic. It's been ages since I tried clear elastic, but since this is a light, very fluid, stretchy material I really want to give it another shot. Does anyone know what needle size/ type will work for this? Is it better to serge the elastic or use a regular machine zig zag to apply it? Any handling tricks for keeping the elastic in place while applying are welcome, I plan on having some starter length and pin here and there. I'm guessing basting is out of the question in case. I also have a Brother coverstitch and would like to use it to topstitch with polyarn in the looper to keep things stretchy. How well does that work with elastic in the mix? Advice or links appreciated. Shel
Scheri   Advanced Beginner AB CANADA Member since 7/13/10 Posts: 251	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 9/6/12 0:28 AM I just used the clear elastic on my neckline edge. Refer to this post sew review tip ------ Scheri Manson Edmonton, AB CANADA
beauturbo Advanced CA USA Member since 5/2/09 Posts: 1457	Login to reply to this post In reply to Marilly << Like this post Date: 9/7/12 2:27 AM One of the first things I made with an overlocker, were several very extra thin weight polar fleece cross over wrap tops. I actually just flat locked them for the garment seams and not the edges, just since I wanted flat lock practice. I have sewn though clear elastic on serger or sewing machine. Sewing machine, I use zig zag. On those, tops though, I used an overlocker. On the front wrap edges where I wanted the clear elastic under the fold that got folded down to cover stitch onto, I wanted mine slightly drawn up, so the elastic made it more shaped and tighter there. Under the bust, so it would stay on better and not gap while I was wearing it. I actually did just hand baste down the clear elastic on the wrong side of the fabric, first with just a hand needle, because I wanted it along the whole front wrap edges, but relaxed about the neck shoulder seam and only even starting to be getting more stretched out and drawn up a bit at the start of the wrap part and under the bust. Then I turned and cover stitched it and then pulled out the hand basting stitches later. But I'm a pretty fast hand baster, so doing that, did not bother me at all. I don't think you even need any polyyarn or textured crimped nylon to do that, just real overlocker thread, would still be way stretchy enough, just because of that kind of stitch does just stretch anyways. I have seen woolly nylon covered clear elastic though, and often covered quite densely, in some underware or bra's sometimes. But I think the only reason they used that Woolly nylon there like that, as because on something really tight fitting like underware, it actually made a softer feeling right onto your body kind of edge on it, to kind of avoid chaffing. I don't think you would have that issue in a outer kind of shirt at all. Also I think wooly nylon could be a bad thing, in the looper, when doing cover stitch, just because it would stretch out then tighten up again, way more than other threads while getting sewn into there like that and tend make your cover stitching tunnel up. Maybe that would be good, if you wanted it to look like more pronounced pin tucks, but if not, maybe not. Just try and see, on a scrap not the real thing, as you never know.

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