Inserting and Sewing Elastic with Ease

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Duration:   4  mins

Whether in the waistband of pants, around the bottom of a sleeve, or on any home décor item, inserting elastic can be tricky. ZJ Humbach teaches both old and new methods to make inserting any size of elastic easy. If you don’t have any tools on hand, a safety pin can help you slide the elastic through a casing. If you’ll be inserting a lot of elastic or just want to make things even easier, a bodkin is the answer. This tool is fairly inexpensive and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, as well as in both plastic and metal. ZJ Humbach explains how each tool works and even shows how to use it in other ways with ribbon and trim for an embellishment!

Depending on the type of bodkin you have, they can also serve different functions. A bodkin like the first shown in the video, sometimes called a “pull” bodkin, can come in handy if a drawstring slips into a waistband or hood of a sweatshirt. Rather than pulling the drawstring all the way out in order to feed an end through a bodkin or secure with a safety pin, simply insert the pull bodkin teeth side first into the casing opening, grab the drawstring by pinching the bodkin and securing with the metal ring, then pull it out! This type of bodkin can also be used to turn straps or other narrow casings right side out.

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7 Responses to “Inserting and Sewing Elastic with Ease”

  1. Teresa Kelly

    Based on the comments, National Sewing Circle should redo this video! I also noticed that some of the bodkin use would never work.

  2. Janet Hammond

    You would NEVER get elastic through a casing at right angles which was INCORRECTLY demonstrated in this video. The metal bodkin with ring tightener has teeth at the ends to hold the elastic and the ring is snugged up to hold the elastic firm.

  3. Pamela Kawashima

    The metal bodkin was demonstrated incorrectly. As mentioned on other comments, the elastic should be caught in between the teeth of the bodkin like a tweezer and you push the ring towards the teeth so it is tight on the elastic. Then you feed the bodkin into the casing so it is all going the same direction as the elastic, not 90 degrees to the elastic! Impossible to do on a thin casing! Otherwise, good video!

  4. Janet Allen Vandermeulen

    No factory ever uses this method. Industrial production always sews the casing while enclosing the elastic. 100% faster and easier. I have instructions on my blog.

  5. Judy

    Yes, the demonstration was wrong. I agree with both of the other comments. That's the correct and easy way.

  6. Paula Maxwell

    I was taught that the metal bodkin with the slide holds the elastic at the TEETH on the front of the bodkin. The slide then moves up to tighten and then the rounded end is fed into the casing.

  7. fairytreefolk@live.com

    The demonstration of the metal bodkin was incorrect..The metal bodkin has "teeth" at one end that grasps the elastic. You slide the metal ring towards the teeth to tighten the grip...it's then ready to thread on through your casing. It's one I've used forever, but I think the plastic ones would be easier. I've had the elastic slip out of the teeth.

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