Sewing with Fold Over Elastic

If you’ve made undies or a cami before, you may have used fold over elastic (FOE) to finish edges. It’s a great little notion that helps finish but also stretch seams require stretching. But they can be a bit fiddly to put together, right? Keep reading, I found a fool-proof way to sew with fold over elastic.

I’ve been making my daughter’s undies since she was potty trained. And up until now, I have used fabric bands for the leg openings and turn over elastic at the waistband.

But … I have a lot of my sewing plate and I was trying to get through them a bit faster so went the FOE route.

What is Fold over elastic?

As the name suggests, it is elastic that has a crease in the middle that allows for it to fold in half. They are great for finishing edges of things that require stretch – like underwear, camis, bras. Fold over elastic is also sold as hair bands.

The elastic has a matte and shiny side. The matte side has a more fuzzy feeling that may be more comfortable on the skin. Either side can be used.

Where to buy fold over elastic?

I bought mine off of Etsy. I can’t find the exact store anymore but it was a grab bag with lots of different colors and yardage. Like this one. You can also find it on Amazon.

How to sew fold over elastic?

1. First you’ll want to determine which side you of the FOE you want to use.

I’ll be using the matte side as the “right side”.

2. Cut out the elastic based on the pattern you are making.

I am using a 1:1 ration for the leg bands and a smaller elastic for the waistband.

3. Pin or mark the middle, and quarters of the elastic, as well as the piece (we’ll call it your garment) you are attaching it too. This is the same whether you are attaching the elastic flat or in the round.

4. Align the wrong side of the FOE to the wrong side of the garment, matching the pins. You want the garment to be sitting right below the fold line (the other half of the elastic should be peeking out)

5. Set your sewing machine to a basting stitch and stitch as close as you can get to the edge – stretching the elastic as needed between the pins. Do NOT backstitch!

7. Now, you want to switch to a zig-zag stitch on your machine (or a cover stitch).

8. Fold the elastic over the raw edge, enclosing it, and zig-zag or cover stitch your elastic to your garment.

9. Once you are done and satisfied that the garment is secured, pull out the basting stitch – you should be able to use a seam ripper to get started and pull the rest out using your hand.

10. And you are done! Admire your work!

Pattern

The undies pattern I used today is the Play Pants by Made It Patterns. I have tried other patterns but keep coming back to this one, as my daughter prefers it. It’s comfortable, and no wedgies.

Size wise – I made a size 7 with a size 5 waist.

Fabric

All the fabric is from old shirts and onsies from Lilli’s toddler years. I found a pile of them and picked out ones that would work as undies before donating the rest.

Modifications

Because of the fabric, I had to color block the pattern, but in a way that worked for the shirts I was cutting from. I cut both the front and back out in an angle. Like this, the extra lines are how I cut out the pattern.

My daughter prefers to where her undies low in the front so I also scooped out the front based on the rise she wanted.

I also add a little scrap knit fabric piece to indicate the back side.

Conclusion

While fold over elastic may take some time to get used to, it is a nice addition to your garments that need the elastic.

Have you tried using FOE? How was your experience, and do you have any other tips? Share in the comments!

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