Fold-Over Elastic Binding

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Duration:   15  mins

Fold-over elastic is a great way to bind the edges of a garment in areas that require stretch, like the neck opening or armscye openings on a knit top.

In this video, Nicki LaFoille shows you step by step how to sew fold-over elastic to these areas.

Fold Over Elastic

Nicki begins by explaining what fold-over elastic is and how it is different from standard elastic. For more information on elastic, check out the complete guide to elastics.

Nicki also talks about some of the different widths and colors it can be found in. While it has two distinct sides, a dull side and a shiny side, either can be used as the “right” side, depending on personal preference.

Nicki then explains the two main ways that fold-over elastic can be sewn into a knit garment in the neck and arm openings—in the round and in the flat. She begins by demonstrating how to sew fold-over elastic in the round around the neck opening. Nicki explains how to measure in order to know how much elastic to cut to give you enough to overlap the ends, sew them together, and still have the elastic lay flat when it is attached to the garment.

She then explains how to quarter mark both the elastic and the shirt. This step is essential in making sure that the elastic is evenly distributed around the neck opening of the shirt.

She then shows how to sew fold-over elastic to the edge of the garment, explaining what sewing machine settings to use as well as what stitch, needle, and thread is best. Attaching the fold-over elastic to the edge of the garment in the method that Nicki shows is a multi-step process; however, she explains additional ways it can be done.

She then finishes by showing how to do the same process to attach the fold-over elastic to the garment in the flat along the armscye opening and how to join and finish the edges of the elastic when this method is used.

Once you’ve mastered fold-over elastic, move on to other elastic types with inserting and sewing elastic with ease.

Share tips, start a discussion or ask one of our experts or other students a question.

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7 Responses to “Fold-Over Elastic Binding”

  1. pam

    when sewing an elastic binding on a neckline it make more sense to pin at each 4 points , then pin at 8 points, makes it easier and not so much lose fabric to work with , Nicki made it much harder than it should be.

  2. Virginia Slawinski

    Why after we paid for this National Quilt sewing do we have to watch So many adds

  3. Tina Andrade

    </strong> Im a new beginner and having issues with moving my sewing machine from one part of the table to another when I want to sew. Could u give me ideas to put under my machine to make it a slight Mobil?I see there is a base on this one on the video.

  4. Jennifer George

    where can i find this type of binding to purchase? I am having trouble finding "fold over elastic binding"

  5. Laura

    Do you have a video showing how to attach fold over elastic to a V neck T shirt?

  6. DeeAnna

    This is by far the best explanation I have read or watched regarding fold over elastic. Thank you!

  7. Sue Hammond

    Please can you tell me how to attach fold over elastic to a V neck T shirt

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