How to Use Fold Over Elastic (FOE)

This week, all being well, I will be re-releasing my free pants/undies/knickers pattern. It's been expanded and vastly improved, both the pattern itself and the instructions. In the latter, I include a section explaining fold over elastic and how to use it, which may be new to some sewists . I thought that it might also be useful for people if I shared that section here on this blog also to reference, whether you plan to try the free SoZo Undies pattern, another undies pattern or some other project that features fold over elastic. If you decide to use FOE (I'll be using that abbreviation going forwards) for a project with seams stitched using an overlocker/serger, you will need to use a regular sewing machine to apply the FOE. In the case of my undies pattern, it will be applied along the leg hole edges and the waist edge. But let's go back to the beginning...

What is FOE?

Fold over elastic is flat and has a visible line that runs down the centre to help you fold it in half. It can be found in a variety of widths. For my free undies project, I recommend using FOE that is 16mm - 20mm wide when flat. The narrower the elastic, the more fiddly it is to apply. If you are new to using it, try to buy some that is 18mm or 20mm wide and practice before using it on your undies project. 

FOE is available in a whole rainbow of gorgeous colours, shades and textures, and can even be found with patterns printed or woven in. Solid coloured FOE often has one matt and one shiny side, so you can decide which you prefer to be visible.

How to apply FOE:

**If you are new to using FOE, I STRONGLY advise that you have practise applying it to some scrap jersey fabric before working on your undies project. When buying your FOE, remember to order extra for practising if necessary.**

Place a section of FOE down on a surface laying vertically, wrong side up. Position some jersey on top of the left half of the FOE with the raw edge of the jersey sitting along the central line of the elastic. 

Fold the elastic in half so the raw edge is enclosed. You are about to sew through this sandwich to keep it in place with the fabric’s raw edge permanently enclosed. I find it easier to start off my row of stitches by sewing through elastic only before the fabric is introduced into the sandwich, so try leaving a few centimetres of elastic free at the beginning. 

Use as many pins as you feel is necessary to keep this sandwich in place, then position the whole thing under the foot of your sewing machine keeping the fabric to the left. You will be sewing through three layers, two elastic, one jersey, so it’s a good idea to select a stronger stretch/jersey needle than would be suitable for sewing the gusset seam/s. I usually use a 90/14 sized needle for the task of applying FOE.

To make sure the elastic and jersey remain stretchy, you need to select a stretch stitch on your machine. I recommend using the three-step zigzag stitch. This stitch is sometimes also called the tricot stitch or the serpentine stitch. It comprises three tiny straight stitches per zig and per zag. The three-step zigzag stitch is commonly used in underwear manufacture, both domestically and industrially, because it allows a lot of stretch but also provides more stability and a flatter finish than a regular zigzag stitch. The only drawback of the three-step zigzag stitch that I’ve found is that those tiny straight stitches make it a real pain to unpick if you make a mistake!

Begin by stitching through both layers of elastic, and then as you get to the jersey, through the elastic-jersey-elastic sandwich, removing the pins as you go. After every few centimetres of stitching, stop and readjust the next section of jersey and FOE as necessary before continuing. 

This is the basic technique for applying FOE. Things get a little trickier in the undies project because we will also be going round the curve of the leg holes, and giving the FOE a little stretch as we stitch. To make these undies, you will be applying FOE that is shorter in length than the measurement of the leg hole edges and waist edge that you’re stitching it to. I will show you how to pin the elastic evenly to the edges. Then you will need to give the FOE a little tug with your right hand as you stitch through the three layers to get a neat result. But get the hang of the basic application technique described above and you’ll be ready to tackle this project!

Why can I buy FOE?

FOE is wildly available at many/most sewing shops and haberdashers. Recently I have used FOE from Craft and Thrift and Plush Addict (both based in UK).

(image source: Craft and Thrift Etsy shop)

Cordelia Maternity Camisole Pattern: On Sale Now!!!!

It's here! My latest PDF sewing pattern which has been designed to help women who are in one of the trickiest points in their lives to dress for: the third trimester of pregnancy! The Cordelia maternity camisole is a potentially invaluable addition to a maternity wardrobe. Suitable for wear in hot weather, as a layer in cooler weather, to sleep in or to wear to pregnancy yoga, this simple strappy top accommodates your bump with side gathers but feels super secure with a snug hem band. AND the pattern includes an optional bust support panel!

As a pregnant lady currently in the third trimester, I know first-hand how useful these camisoles are! During the heat wave the UK is having at the moment, a Cordelia camisole is pretty much the only thing I can stand to wear. In fact, I'm wearing one as I type this.

This sewing pattern comes in a digital format. When you buy the Cordelia maternity camisole pattern, you will receive both print-at-home and copy shop versions of the pattern, the print-at-home version consisting of just 14 pages, as well as detailed instructions on all aspects of how to use this pattern and make the garment.

The Cordelia maternity camisole pattern is suitable for almost all levels of sewing experience. It is recommended that you have a couple of garment projects under your belt already, however the clear instructions include lots of tips for using both knit fabric and fold over elastic (which is used for the straps and binding the top edges) if those elements are new to you. A handy single-page version of the instructions has also been included for those with a lot of sewing experience, or as a reminder for when you make your second and third etc. versions. For further information, including how to purchase it, please head to the Cordelia Maternity Camisole page!

Enormous thanks to Claire for all her help making this pattern into a product, both Cordelia and Sian for fit-modelling, and Cordelia for final product modelling also, a host of amazing pattern testers, and to Girl Charlee for sending me fabric to make samples from. I used their white stitched arrow on blue jersey (pictured above) and red and blue triangle stag jersey (pictured below).

Fold Over Elastic: What The Hell is it, Exactly?

(image source: The Daily Stitch)

'What on earth is Fold Over Elastic then?'. This is a question that The Village Haberdashery were being frequently asked after they posted images of their awesome new range of FOE on social media recently. As a lover of the stuff, they turned to me to provide some explanation, which was originally posted here on the Daily Stitch blog last month. Here goes…

What is FOE?

Fold over elastic (as its mum would call it, FOE is its street name) is thin, flat elastic that has a line running along the centre of its length that makes it easy to fold in half. Sold by the metre, it can be bought in a variety of widths and textures, but commonly it is about 20mm when flat and has one matt and one shiny side. Its purpose is similar to bias binding in that it finishes raw edges, but has the added benefit of stretchiness and recovery.

(image source: The Village Haberdashery)

How does it work?

The FOE is positioned so the centre line is aligned with the raw edge of the fabric. The left hand side of the elastic width will be underneath the fabric at this point. The right hand side of the elastic width now gets folded over on top of the fabric, so that the raw edge is entirely enclosed between the two halves of elastic. You will then zigzag stitch through this three-layered sandwich to keep it all together.

What is it used for?

Most typically FOE is used for making undies, both in mass manufacture and in home sewing. The likelihood is that there’s some FOE present in your undies-drawer as we speak. If you’re interested in giving it a try, there are two PDF sewing patterns available for free download on my blog here. One is for making pants/undies/knickers and one is for making a vest/camisole/singlet, both are designed for knit fabric. 

You could try using FOE as an alternative for finishing necklines and/or cuffs on knit tops on both women’s wear and children’s wear. Little girl’s gathered skirts can be made super quickly with FOE with either knit or light-to-medium weight woven fabric. This is a great video on Youtube by Angry Chicken on how to do that. Nappy/diaper covers can be made with FOE, but usually a specific wide variety that has a fuzzy/terrycloth-type texture is used for this.

(image source: The Village Haberdashery)

Why should I use it?

There is a lot to love about FOE once you’ve got the hang of using it, but perhaps my favourite feature is that you apply the elastic whilst neatening a raw edge AT THE SAME TIME. A bit of fiddling and one row of stitching and both these tasks are complete, which makes for some speedy garment making. Available in a rainbow of colours and with two textures in each length (matt and shiny), there are so many possibilities for creating cool contrast finishes on suitable projects.

Any tips?

Through analyzing some shop-bought pants and a bit of experimentation, I figured out that a 3 step zigzag stitch works best when stitching through the sandwich of elastic and fabric. I like to use a stitch width of 5mm and stitch length of 1mm on my Janome sewing machine, but have a play about to see what you prefer.

Once you’ve mastered the basic ‘elastic/fabric sandwich and stitch’ application, you can amp things up by giving the elastic a slight tug as it passes through your machine. This creates a pleasing gathered effect. Experiment with tugging the elastic at various tensions to see how much or little gathering you are able to produce. A little gathering looks great on knickers, for example, and helps them to be snug when worn. A lot of gathering is great when creating gathered skirts or the cuffs for wide sleeves. See here (http://sozowhatdoyouknow.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/how-to-construct-undies-with-serger-and.html) for my tips on using FOE to create pants/knickers/undies, and there are many more blog posts, tutorials and videos out there to help.