elastic issues

[Abbyloos Mommy]

i've just done 3 diapers in the last 3 days, the first i had pulled on the elastic too much, and i had other issues with it so i gave up on it.

the 2nd seems to have turned out ok, except that it's not wide enough for dd's butt

the 3rd, i love the way it looks, except that the elastic is like... stretched out on the legs. i turned and topstitched, is it possible that maybe i sewed onto the elastic while topstitching and it made it stretched out?

are you supposed to stretch out the diaper when your topstitching, when you get to the legs? maybe i didn't stretch the elastic enough when sewing it onto the shell? or maybe the cut just inst' right, i dont' know. the only modifying i did of the pattern on the 3rd diaper from the 2nd was that i changed the tabs into wider more rounded squares.

if you care to see them, they're at my blog, but you will have to register and login to be able to see the post with the pictures.

[jenamiles]

If you t&t'd into the elastic, you probably lost some elasticity and it stretched it out (more like it prevents it from bouncing back. I have experience this when t&t'ing wool covers and I straight stitch into the stretched elastic while doing the t&t. The good news is my elastic shrunk right back after I removed the t&t and placed it alongside the elastic. Of course, you may not feel like seam ripping for that.

Jen

[beepsmnms]

Yep, you probably stitched thru your elastic. I've done it, it sucks, but youll probably have to seam rip it and sew around the elastic (as you pull it tight). I saw a tip on here last night that if you put pins thru the elastic after you turn and tipstitch youll know exactly where to sew so you dont sew the elastic. Make sense?

[jenamiles]

The pp got me thinking. There was also another mom who gave a little tutorial for t&t wool/fleece cover elastic that was awesome. I don't remember who it was but it was in the last few days. The directions were basically tack the ends where they are supposed to go (so you have to know how long a piece of elastic you need). Then fold over and sew the casing straight stitch with the length of the elastic stretched but completely free except the tacked ends. I kept thinking I needed to sew the elastic down first, but she is right as long as the ends are tacked, what happens in between is all good if the casing is sewn around it. (I hope my directions make sense.)

Jen

[Abbyloos Mommy]

you know, the directions i was following did that for the back elastic, but w/o a casing. after i finished the diaper, i wondered, well why can't i do this for the legs also? i will look up that tutorial.

thanks again mamas! my mom does alot of sewing, but i know had i asked her she would just confuse me lol

[beepsmnms]

How would just tacking down elastic work? I mean, even with a casing around it, if its just tacked on the ends, whats to keep it from coming UN tacked? I prefere stretching it out as I'm sewing it after I've tacked it, THEN sew a casing around it either while I'm there or after I've T&T. Someone explain this to me.