Replacing Elastic Waistband - Sew News

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Sewing Q&A

October 2003 Sewing Q&A Index
From Our October 2003 Issue

I would like to replace the elastic on a pant waistband. There is no casing and I'm unsure of how to do it.
Ethel C.,
e-mail

Remove the original elastic by clipping the threads, preserving as much fabric as possible. Buy new elastic the same width as the original. Pant elastic is usually 3/4"- to 1 1/2"-wide. Select elastic that won't be abrasive next to the skin.

Measure your waist (or where the pants will sit) and cut the elastic length 3" shorter. Most elastics won't recover as much when they're stitched to the fabric, so this will compensate for the difference.

Sew the elastic ends together with a 1/2" seam. Open the seam and stitch over the seam allowances to keep them flat (3).
Stitch seam allowances flat.

Divide the elastic into four equal sections and mark with pins. Divide the pant waistline into four equal sections; pin-mark.

Pin the elastic to the fabric right side, lapping the raw edge 1/4" (4), aligning the elastic seam with the pants center back and matching the pin marks.
over lapping 1/4

Set the machine for a long zigzag stitch. Zigzag the elastic to the pants along the edge where they overlap, stretching the elastic as you sew and making sure it overlaps the pants 1/4".

Turn the elastic to the wrong side, so just a bit of fabric shows at the pant upper edge. Using a long straight stitch or a long narrow zigzag, sew the elastic to the pants along the lower inner edge, stretching as you sew (5).
Turn wlastic to the inside and topstitch along the lower edge.

Turn wlastic to the inside and topstitch along the lower edge.

October 2003 Sewing Q&A Index

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