Hand basting for tricky areas has always been my go to (but I am a great-grandmother!) Another sewing blogger that I have been following (Lifting Pins And Needles) uses a lot of hand basting and hand hemming.
Yes! There should be no shame in basting, it can be so helpful and save a lot of grief. Whenever I learn a new technique I often rely on basting, and once I get more skilled I can scale back on it
When I first used it, I figured that using FOE was going to quite similar to using double fold bias binding, but under tension - no problem. And it is, to an extent. However, the underlying fabric was always experiencing undesirable gathering. It took more tries than I’d like to admit before I figured out that it simply doesn’t require much in the way of pre-stretching to be effective. It’s exactly as you said - a bit of stretch on curves, practice and experiment. Your stitching of the FOE edge was a gnat’s eyelash away from the edge and rail-straight. Very impressive. Thanks and keep up the good work. (I really enjoyed your activewear book, btw.)
100% agree with all that you said! I think overstretching is the number one issue when first sewing FOE, it really takes practice to develop s feel for it! Just like with gauging sewing straight, practice is key! And thank you for kind words about my book!
I had never heard of fold over elastic! I got some as a free gift when I made a fabric order online and I didn’t know what it was supposed to be used for. Thanks for the info!
Nicely done! I bought an undies pattern and came back to this for tips. I looked at my FOE and saw a shiny side , which seemed to want to fold being on the outside. But for undies, I wanted the soft side out. Next time I’ll make them with the soft side out. Great tips, can’t wait to make my second pair. Thanks
Thank you so much!! I have been struggling with FOE on my watson bra and was seriously about to throw it in the can. I can happily say that I just might have a finished bra today!!!
I have been sewing knickers and use FOE alot, thank you for the tip about machine basting the elastic first before you fold over the elastic, this is a brilliant tip and one that I will definitely be using from now on. I do love anything that I sew to have a neat finish, and sewing on the elastic before meant that everything had double zig zag,
@@Thelaststitch I so much want to do the neatest sewing that I possibly can, and your tip is fantastic, so much so that I have shared it with my sewing groups on Facebook. Do you think that you could do a video about inserting eyelets and what is the best method and tools?
I have been using fold-over elastic in my costuming projects, since that's what I happened to have on hand - I bought a big pile of different types of elastic cheaply from someone who was destashing due to rheumatism in her hands. I guess I've been using it, as we say in Dutch "niet gehinderd door enige kennis", which translates as "not hindered by knowledge of any sort," haha! Thankfully, the costumes are only viewed from several meters' distance, so I can get away with making a bit of a mess. I"m glad I now know how to actually do it, though! I have been gearing up to start sewing actual garments after this round of theater costumes is done, and it's nice to find tutorials that are so well filmed and edited so I can learn the proper techniques rather than fumbling along. So thank you for this! (PS I'm bruennhilde on Insta, in case you're wondering. I'm in the process of documenting some of the costumes I've sewn over the past 6 or so years...)
😊 Yes sometimes not having any preconceived ideas can be a blessing! I too like to dive into things, learn from my mistakes and then refine the process. No one will nail all this sewing stuff at the first attempt! Your custome projects sounds like a lot of fun!
not to mention, the Bernina 1230! same as my favorite daily stitcher. Going strong some 31 years after I gave up haircuts & color for a year in order to pay for it... Excellent video.. thanks you!
Great tutorial! First time I found this elastic was at Hobby Lobby, so many colors available. I liked how you have incorporated this on your leggings pocket.
I have never used FOE and am not sure if we can buy it here in South Africa but will have a hunt for it now. Thank you for your succinct and informative video, as usual your explanations are very clear.
Thank you! Happy to hear you liked my tutorial! Hope you can find it locally, at least here in Sweden the range has gotten improved in the last few years and I hope it would get an even bigger upswing, since it's an underrated notion when it comes to sewing
Great tips Johanna! I love FOE for hemming, around the neckline - all over the place :) You can buy it now in so many different fabrics. For example I had some black velvet FOE that I used to finish all around a Bolero and the effect was so plush and luxe :) I agree though it is a bit tricky - practice makes perfect. In my initial applications I definitely stretched it too much and it ended up looking awful.
Yes practise is key, as with most things. And I agree about having so many great options, I was eyeing the velvet version just this Friday and it looks so good!
@@karenlowes7802 I wish I could remember! I bought it online :) every time I see an FOE which is unusual I order it. I have all sorts of animal print ones for example that are very cool too.
Useful information. How do you stop the fold over elastic from being pinched as you sew around a curve and do you have any suggestions for addressing skipped stitches?
If you sew more slowly you will decrease the number of skipped stitches, also try a different needle, sometimes a smaller needle works better, I like a ball point needle, but not all machines are the same.
Great tutorial. I use elastic on the raw edge of mesh pockets on backpacks. One thing I’m trying to find though is... is there a foot that does this for you? For flat elastic there is a shirring foot, and for binding with grosgrain or bias tape that are binding feet... are there combination that will do this on a raw edge with fold over elastic?
I'm making a Ostomy Belt Wrap. I'm having difficulties finding a wider FOE elastic (1.5 width) for the waistband. My question is can the FOE elastic be used without holding it over? With the covid-19 situation it's difficult to find any elastic. 🙄 I'm new to this kind of elastic and I enjoyed watching your tips. Thank you. 💖💖
@@zinaurrutia5633 Be brave! I've found Jalie patterns are easy and primarily for knit fabrics. Each time I finish figuring out one of their patterns, I feel more confident. They have some camisole patterns that use fold over elastic and also a wireless bra pattern. Jalie has some video tutorials also but not for every pattern. I'm about to delve into trying fold over elastic for the first time myself...
Hi Johanna, I'm wondering when you use the machine baste method are you using a straight stitch or zigzag to baste? It looks straight in the video but won't that reduce the stretch?
Hand basting is such an underrated skill. Comes in handy a lot with sleeves too
Hand basting for tricky areas has always been my go to (but I am a great-grandmother!) Another sewing blogger that I have been following (Lifting Pins And Needles) uses a lot of hand basting and hand hemming.
Yes! There should be no shame in basting, it can be so helpful and save a lot of grief. Whenever I learn a new technique I often rely on basting, and once I get more skilled I can scale back on it
Your books are wonderful, I have your Active Wear and Cover Stitching and they do not disappoint.
When I first used it, I figured that using FOE was going to quite similar to using double fold bias binding, but under tension - no problem. And it is, to an extent. However, the underlying fabric was always experiencing undesirable gathering. It took more tries than I’d like to admit before I figured out that it simply doesn’t require much in the way of pre-stretching to be effective. It’s exactly as you said - a bit of stretch on curves, practice and experiment.
Your stitching of the FOE edge was a gnat’s eyelash away from the edge and rail-straight. Very impressive.
Thanks and keep up the good work. (I really enjoyed your activewear book, btw.)
100% agree with all that you said! I think overstretching is the number one issue when first sewing FOE, it really takes practice to develop s feel for it! Just like with gauging sewing straight, practice is key! And thank you for kind words about my book!
This is a great video. It’s extremely informative and you kept your explanations brief and easy.
Your clear, concise tutorial is a great help for me.
...have never used fold over elastic, but now I will...looks like fun...always looking to find new sewing experiences......
Yes fold-over elastic has come such a long way, now we can even get wide knitted ones which are great for finishing sweaters and such
This is by far the best foldover elastic vid I've seen 👀 👍
I had never heard of fold over elastic! I got some as a free gift when I made a fabric order online and I didn’t know what it was supposed to be used for. Thanks for the
info!
Thank you for sharing your tips--excellent tutorial. Happy sewing!
Excellent tutorial.
Thank you for this very important information.
🌹
Thank you! Happy to hear you found my tutorial useful!
Nicely done! I bought an undies pattern and came back to this for tips. I looked at my FOE and saw a shiny side , which seemed to want to fold being on the outside. But for undies, I wanted the soft side out. Next time I’ll make them with the soft side out. Great tips, can’t wait to make my second pair. Thanks
Excellent instructional video. Thank you.
You're welcome! It makes me happy that you liked the format, I've been meaning to make this video for ages 😊
Thank you so much!! I have been struggling with FOE on my watson bra and was seriously about to throw it in the can. I can happily say that I just might have a finished bra today!!!
I have been sewing knickers and use FOE alot, thank you for the tip about machine basting the elastic first before you fold over the elastic, this is a brilliant tip and one that I will definitely be using from now on. I do love anything that I sew to have a neat finish, and sewing on the elastic before meant that everything had double zig zag,
Thank you! Happy to hear you found that tip useful, it's a real game changer, it took my own FOE sewing to another level for sure!
@@Thelaststitch I so much want to do the neatest sewing that I possibly can, and your tip is fantastic, so much so that I have shared it with my sewing groups on Facebook.
Do you think that you could do a video about inserting eyelets and what is the best method and tools?
Your tutorials are always the best !! Thank you so much for all the Info you share !
Thank you, that means a lot to hear!
I have been using fold-over elastic in my costuming projects, since that's what I happened to have on hand - I bought a big pile of different types of elastic cheaply from someone who was destashing due to rheumatism in her hands. I guess I've been using it, as we say in Dutch "niet gehinderd door enige kennis", which translates as "not hindered by knowledge of any sort," haha! Thankfully, the costumes are only viewed from several meters' distance, so I can get away with making a bit of a mess. I"m glad I now know how to actually do it, though! I have been gearing up to start sewing actual garments after this round of theater costumes is done, and it's nice to find tutorials that are so well filmed and edited so I can learn the proper techniques rather than fumbling along. So thank you for this! (PS I'm bruennhilde on Insta, in case you're wondering. I'm in the process of documenting some of the costumes I've sewn over the past 6 or so years...)
😊 Yes sometimes not having any preconceived ideas can be a blessing! I too like to dive into things, learn from my mistakes and then refine the process. No one will nail all this sewing stuff at the first attempt! Your custome projects sounds like a lot of fun!
not to mention, the Bernina 1230! same as my favorite daily stitcher. Going strong some 31 years after I gave up haircuts & color for a year in order to pay for it... Excellent video.. thanks you!
Thank you Johanna for a wonderful video on Fold Over Elastic tips! 💕
Thank you Myra!
Thanks for that, I needed to see it done.
Thank you! Happy to hear you found my tutorial useful!
As usual, excellent video. Short and precise. Thank you
Thank you! That means a lot to hear! I'm always thinking about how I can make my tutorials as helpful and clear as possible!
Great tutorial! First time I found this elastic was at Hobby Lobby, so many colors available. I liked how you have incorporated this on your leggings pocket.
Yes we have so many options now! And it really simplifies finishing edges on knits!
I’ve only just learned there was such a thing. So this video is helpful, thanks.
Ohh thank you thank you thank you!!
Great tips! Thank you!
I have never used FOE and am not sure if we can buy it here in South Africa but will have a hunt for it now. Thank you for your succinct and informative video, as usual your explanations are very clear.
Thank you! Happy to hear you liked my tutorial! Hope you can find it locally, at least here in Sweden the range has gotten improved in the last few years and I hope it would get an even bigger upswing, since it's an underrated notion when it comes to sewing
Great tips Johanna! I love FOE for hemming, around the neckline - all over the place :) You can buy it now in so many different fabrics. For example I had some black velvet FOE that I used to finish all around a Bolero and the effect was so plush and luxe :) I agree though it is a bit tricky - practice makes perfect. In my initial applications I definitely stretched it too much and it ended up looking awful.
Yes practise is key, as with most things. And I agree about having so many great options, I was eyeing the velvet version just this Friday and it looks so good!
@@Thelaststitch That velvet FOE Is gorgeous :) you won't be disappointed Johanna!
Where on earth did you find FOE with a velvet finish?
@@karenlowes7802 I wish I could remember! I bought it online :) every time I see an FOE which is unusual I order it. I have all sorts of animal print ones for example that are very cool too.
Love your tips.
Thank you!! Just bought some FOE for some undies- good to know how to use it!
Useful information. How do you stop the fold over elastic from being pinched as you sew around a curve and do you have any suggestions for addressing skipped stitches?
If you sew more slowly you will decrease the number of skipped stitches, also try a different needle, sometimes a smaller needle works better, I like a ball point needle, but not all machines are the same.
I"ve actually never used FOE in my sewing. I'll try it on my next yoga top neckline and armscyes.
Yes FOE is excellent for that! Just get a wider one and it will look so good. I've done this finish on many workout tops and it looks really neat 👍
Thanks 🙏 great ideas 💜
Great tutorial. I use elastic on the raw edge of mesh pockets on backpacks. One thing I’m trying to find though is... is there a foot that does this for you? For flat elastic there is a shirring foot, and for binding with grosgrain or bias tape that are binding feet... are there combination that will do this on a raw edge with fold over elastic?
Johanna could you please consider doing a video tutorial about using bias binding and adding piping (trim) to garments please.....
thank you
When I have used fold-over elastic I use my coverstitch machine to attach it to the project.
I do that too for variety, both works great I think!
Would love some advice about this - any tips about how to line up the coverstitch relative to the FOE? Thanks
I agree!
I'm making a Ostomy Belt Wrap. I'm having difficulties finding a wider FOE elastic (1.5 width) for the waistband.
My question is can the FOE elastic be used without holding it over? With the covid-19 situation it's difficult to find any elastic. 🙄
I'm new to this kind of elastic and I enjoyed watching your tips. Thank you. 💖💖
Thank I've been a little scared to try fold over elastic.
Just practise on some scraps to get the feel of it and then you are set to go!
Me too Lady9tails. I’ve seen it in the stores, but never knew how to use it so I just passed it on by. Maybe I’ll get brave and try it.
@@zinaurrutia5633 Be brave! I've found Jalie patterns are easy and primarily for knit fabrics. Each time I finish figuring out one of their patterns, I feel more confident. They have some camisole patterns that use fold over elastic and also a wireless bra pattern. Jalie has some video tutorials also but not for every pattern. I'm about to delve into trying fold over elastic for the first time myself...
I am a firm believer in basting. That is exactly what I would do
I added the elastic to my neck line and the back came out really wonky and wavy I did. 2.0 length and 2.5 width what did I do wrong?
What sewing machine(s) do you recommend to someone who would be sewing primarily knit fabrics (clothing)?
What type of needle and size? Thanks for your useful video.
Great tips. What pattern did you make your top from?
What size did you use??
Hi Johanna, I'm wondering when you use the machine baste method are you using a straight stitch or zigzag to baste? It looks straight in the video but won't that reduce the stretch?
Hi! It's a straight stitch but you remove it after topstitching with a zigzag so it doesn't affect the stretch 👍
Why not use footer to help ,working not smart is working Difficult