Sewing Elastic – Adding Snap to Your Sewing

Sewing elastic can be fun and easy to do once you grasp a few basics. And, to achieve that end I want to tell you about the three most common types of elastic and when to use them.

The three most common sewing elastics are… knit, woven and braided. And, once you learn how to recognise them it will be a snap to figure out which to choose for your project.

Knit Elastic -Knit elastic is the hardest to identify at first. It is soft, thin and pliable. Picture this… imagine you are holding a piece of 1-inch wide by 6-inch long knit elastic right now, with one cut end in each hand. Looking closely you would see fine horizontal lines running from side to side. If you were to pull on each end, it would still be 1-inch wide. This kind of elastic is good to use in lightweight clothing. It can be applied to fabric without the Elastic Cord For Face Masks distorting by what is called direct application. This means the elastic and fabric can be sewn together at the same time. Knit elastic is strong enough that sewing through it has no affect on its performance. Knit elastic also works well in casings.

Woven Elastic – Woven elastic feels slightly thicker and firmer than knit elastic with the exception of pyjama elastic which is woven, but very soft. With a close-up inspection one can see both horizontal and vertical lines that look like they are woven together like fine basketwork. When stretched, woven elastic retains its original width, and because of its strength can be applied to heavier fabrics like home dec, canvas and pant weight. Woven elastic may be applied either by direct application or by threading through a casing.

Braided Elastic – Now let’s talk about braided elastic. Again, picture holding a 1-inch by 6-inch piece. You would see highly defined horizontal lines running side to side. The most noticeable difference with braided elastic, and the simplest way to tell it from the other two, is that it gets narrower when stretched. A 1-inch wide piece shrinks to about ½-inch when it is pulled taut. And, if you look closely when it is stretched, you will see that the horizontal lines have turned into rows of tiny V-shapes, like those seen in braids. Although there are exceptions to every rule, for now just remember that braided elastic is applied only by threading through casings because stitching through it weakens the elastic.