How come no elastic measurements????

[ThreeTimesAMama]

I am using the Darling Diaper pattern to make PUL/fleece pockets...and my seam ripper to unmake them LOL! Why doesn't this or any pattern say what length of elastic to use for each size at the back and legs????? I mean, it just says to stretch the elastic as you sew it on. Well. I can stretch it lightly or pull it hard andget totally different sizing results. So I took a guess and made my smalls with 5 in lengths of elastic, measuring and marking the elastic cause I want to be consistent.

It seemed like the waist may have been too tight so I re-did them. Then the waist was too loose so I added a crossover tab. Still had leaking out the leg holes, so took off that elastic and sewed it a bit tighter. Still leaking, so maybe DD is just between a newborn and small size? Maybe I had it right in the first place? I have also experimented with using cotton swim elastic, polybraid, and lastin as the different stretchnesses give different fits. Can you tell I am going crazy trying to sew something workable here???

[mehndi mama]

For my diapers, I instruct to stretch the elastic firmly, but not so far that you can't stretch it any further. In most cases, I think you should stretch *almost* to the full extent.

[Jayneysews]

Originally Posted by ThreeTimesAMama

Why doesn't this or any pattern say what length of elastic to use for each size at the back and legs????? I mean, it just says to stretch the elastic as you sew it on. Well. I can stretch it lightly or pull it hard andget totally different sizing results. So I took a guess and made my smalls with 5 in lengths of elastic, measuring and marking the elastic cause I want to be consistent.

figure that every brand /type of elastic would give different results and this way it gives you that much more autonomy!
I think thyat just to NOT cut the elastic first attatch one end and sew down,pulling then seeing how much it ruffles up and you should be able to followe back and work out how much you need!
I just eyeballed the first time,whilst making a note of how much I had used for future reference.
But when I ran out of lastin and used poly braid or woven i found a BIG difference......

HTH a bit anyhow

Jayne

[our3boys]

Wow! I did not know that many patterns did not have elastic measurements. I use the HB pattern and it does have measurements.

I can see the point about different elastics having different pull/recovery, especially if the elastic was stitched down, but there should at least be some sort of starting point. That would absolutely drive me crazy! I have considered buying other patterns in the past, just for fun. I think I will not buy any more if they are lacking in elastic length specifics.

Maybe then it would be nice if they at least listed what *finished length* you are aiming for.

The HB pattern uses casings, and I can't remember if it specifies type of elastic or not.

[elizajo]

Thank you for asking this question, I was wondering the same thing! I have wondered how you keep from sewing the elastic in too tightly, which would leave red marks and be uncomfortable. Since I'm using an adult size lingerie pattern for incontinence panties, I went and found the instructions. Kwik Sew provides a cutting chart for each piece of elastic that I use for each pattern size. Of course, they also specify the kind of elastic and fabric to use, so you end up with panties that fit. I have confidence in KS patterns because I know they have been tested for fit, etc. I would have been disappointed if they hadn't included a chart. Even the Big 4 pattern companies will provide a pattern piece labelled "elastic guide" or a chart.

You could stack scraps of the fabric and elastic that you're using and measure each before sewing to find a ratio of elastic to fabric. I would mark the elastic every half inch with a pen dot to help you see how the elastic behaves. Sew with the same stitch and tension you would use in the final product. This process should also help you find the recovery of the elastic after it is sewn. Some elastic will not return to its orignal length after you sew it. After elastic is applied and the leg opening has its final stitching, the circumference of the inner layer should measure slightly less than the baby's upper thigh measure when the elastic is in its fully relaxed state. That "slightly less" amount varies by type and width of elastic also.

Because there are so many variables in elastic, I even do a little test on tried and true patterns to make sure I am comfortable with my stitch length and amount of tension.

[allnaturalmama]

None of my patterns have elastic measurements. If they did, I'd ignore it. I stretch to feel, not to measurement. I like the legs to have more stretch than the waist, so I pull tighter there.

Like Jayne, I also don't cut until after the elastic is sewn in.

[peverroad]

i haven't ever had measurment with patterns but i can only afford to stick with the free patterns as well but i have never had a problem

[brogansmomma]

Which DD pattern is it? The pocket fitted has elastic measurements.

[ThreeTimesAMama]

Thanks for all the comments!
It is the AIO DD pattern that I've been using for my pockets. I don't pre-cut the elastic, I just mark it with a pen and then stretch as I sew so that the length I marked off ends up fitting in the distance allotted for the elastic that I've marked on the fabric. After I sew it in I cut off the remainder. Like I mentioned, I just took a guess at the length of elastic to use but I can't figure out if I've got it too tight or too loose in the waist versus the legs cause somehow the diaper is not fitting right. I'm looking for a measurement so that both sides of the legs come out the same and so that all the diapers come out the same. Glad to hear Kwik Sew and the Honeyboy do give elastic measurements!

[tippytoes26]

Originally Posted by mehndi mama

For my diapers, I instruct to stretch the elastic firmly, but not so far that you can't stretch it any further. In most cases, I think you should stretch *almost* to the full extent.

yes.. that's exactly what the dd AIO pattern says to do. Otherwise it's impossible to substitute a different elastics. On my pocket fitted pattern, it gives general lengths simply because witht that pattern, I didn't find it altered the fit too much with the elastic in the casing for some reason. Perhaps it has more to do with how the elaistc is sewn in. I never knew anyone had a problem feeling when the elastic stopped stretching until now. Live and learn

[elizajo]

When elastic is applied in waistbands, leg openings or anywhere else, its primary purpose is to evenly gather up the fabric to a specific shorter length and return to this shorter length after it has been stretched. This shorter length is important because if you don't measure correctly, the opening will be too tight or too loose.

Whether you cut the elastic before or after you sew it in, it seems that you need to either mark the elastic with a predetermined length (i.e. it takes 25" of elastic to make this waist gather from a flat measure of 36" to its gathered circumference of 28") or lay a ruler on the bed of your machine so you can measure as you sew and stop stretching when the waist reaches the correct length. When you've made enough diapers, I am sure you can approximate closely without measuring.

But for a novice, it is not easy to get accurate results without measuring something-- either the elastic or the final gathered length. Which is why most pattern companies include some sort of measurements on their instruction pages to help you out. Yes, elastics do behave differently, but the object is still the same-- you apply it in a way that makes the flat length of fabric gather up to a certain smaller size.

The leg openings on diapers need to be small and the layers of fabric are bulky and long, so I'm sure that stretching firmly as you sew will give you acceptable results. But that won't work too well when you are putting elastic in bigger things, you'll end up with "too tight" or "too loose" far more than "just right". And with leg openings, you might end up with two different sizes!

You don't have to rely on a chart, its a nice convenience. The traditional way is to take a long length of elastic and put it around the essential body part, such as the waist. Pin it together at its most comfortable length. Mark the elastic before unpinning, add the seam allowances for the two side seams, and allow a little extra for bulky fabrics. If you like to have a little extra elastic to hold onto when you start sewing, then put a little mark for where the stitches should begin.This is the correct length of elastic. Using the quartering method will give you evenly distributed gathers.

I'm not a super-precise, jacket tailoring kind of sewist. But I have learned over time that some things just have to be measured every time. For me, elastic is one of them, even on my 20th pair of yoga pants from the same pattern. Believe me, the sight of my yoga pants falling to the floor at an inopportune moment would not be a pretty sight!