Here I will show you how to make Spandex Straps in 3 different ways to get the exact look you are after. Some machines will suck up fabric pretty easily, so having extra allowance can help to prevent that from happening. Fabric Sample List Also utilizing elastic material in the base, this will help you to maintain the position of the bathing suit even when youre swimming in it. The base of the suit is also a bikini cut and provides you with spaghetti straps that wrap around the hips. Required fields are marked *. On top of all that, having elastic in your swimwear looks and feels more professional, so if youre selling swimwear thats definitely something to consider. Cut your" (1cm) elastic the same length this time with no reduction. Plus, if the elastic falls short then its not actually holding the tension its intended to. Youll still end up with a perfect looking strap even if your elastic wobbles 1/16 off from the perfect edge either direction. Look at your local dance school or skating arena and you will find all kinds of unique strappy designs as inspiration. Product List| Worn throughout the summer, the one color design assures you that youre going to get noticed. The bathing suit includes a top that features double spaghetti straps that cross the shoulders and crisscross one another in the back. Turn over the edge again. With the left hand Id gently guide the fabric so it didnt rely on the feed dogs so heavily. Second, leave extra seam allowance. Leave a comment below on your favorite method. Clear plastic and nylon coated metal swimsuit S-hooks, Swim Cups and If youre just making pieces for yourself and youre trying to conserve elastic then maybeeeee use it again, but the proper thing to do would get some fresh elastic. Not 100% but I think the trade off is worth it. Fold the elastic edge over once on the wrong side of the binding. I had this problem before I had an elastic foot, and what helped me was keeping my left hand holding the back of the garment as it goes out of the machine. So I recommend using the tips I talked about on how to apply elastic flat as well. From my knowledge, not necessarily. You can use the same technique for wider elastic to make wider straps though you will need wider fabric strips to start). This depends on whether you want to buy a bunch of elastic or just a little. Customer Service| Use a wide zig-zag of 6.0 wide and 3.0 length. This classic look with a modern twist will make sure that youre going to be comfortable as well as noteworthy. You could use a serger but I generally find the results are more consistent using a zig-zag. Sew your elastic along the edge using a wide zig-zag. With cheap thread you really do get what you pay for, so if youre having issues with your machine then its possible cheap thread could be the reason. Its good to keep at least 10 yards on hand, but if you do a lot of sewing I suggest keeping much more than that on hand. Home| mail("Email Sew Sassy","mail"), Sew Sassy Fabrics LLC, 307 Jordan Ln NW, Huntsville, AL 35805256-536-4405Serving US and international customers since 1987, Clear plastic and nylon coated metal swimsuit S-hooks. Sure, technically speaking using elastic is the correct way. Run a line of stitching down the strap. One of the most common categories of questions when it comes to sewing swimwear is elastic. Instead, the part of the seam without elastic is holding that tension too, which is a big no no and could wear down and stretch out that seam over time. Poly Laminate Foam Fabric You can pin the strap folded like this or you can carefully feed it through your machine holdingthe folds in place. Kwik Sew Activewear Patterns, Bra Making Supplies| If you are learning how to make a leotard or swimwear, sooner or later you are going to want to sew some strappy styles. The advantage of the turning method of making spandex straps is that there is no visible stitching along the strap. Ive read that stretch needles are the best specifically for elastic! This makes for a very clean and professional strap. I only really use 1 for bands, extra supportive straps, or for thick straps just for stylistic choices. In some fabric you can see the unsewn part of the elastic but it's not super noticeable. Technically speaking, you should always use elastic in your swimwear. Your email address will not be published. This is a little bit of personal choice and a little bit of depends what youre doing, I use elastic for pretty much everything. Copyright 2014-2021. Copyright 1995-2022 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. I used to cut the elastic short and taper it but when you do that you can sometimes see it when the piece is finished. Even if you think youre doing everything right, theres a good chance that the problems youre having have to do with your machine. Align your elastic to one long edge of your strap on the wrong side of the fabric. Attach the elastic to the raw edges with a zig-zag stitch. People really like this stuff, but unfortunately out of all three it seems to be the one to break down the quickest, especially when it comes to UV, So bottom line, rubber elastic is the best Ive found, but if you do come across braided thats meant for swimwear then go for it. If one of those is pulled even just slightly that can cause waves or bunching. Swimwear Elastic Rubber Elastic Swimwear S Hooks What is it, how do you sew it, why is it such a pain sometimes? All your hard work can be ruined by stretched out elastic that won't hold its shape. Your email address will not be published. But from pieces Ive made and swimsuits Ive purchased Ive seen some that cover the seam fully and some that dont. Cutting it short/tapering is in an attempt to prevent bulkiness at the seam, but honestly if you do a good job trimming it still prevents that bulk pretty well. Wholesale Products| Id say if you had to choose one size of elastic for every project, Id go for ! It's Salt and Chlorine resistant. But honestly in my reversibles there isnt much peeking over even on the non-dominant side. You can sew a single strap that is twice the length of your finished strap and cut it in half when you are done. View cart for details. This is why we dont do the final line of stitching to the edge of the strap. The theory is that you want even tension on both the fabric and the elastic. Now for the tricky part. Rubber elastic is the best elastic for swimwear. Cut a piece of Spandex 1 inches (3.8cm) in width and the length indicated in the pattern. If you use a matching thread your stitching will be almost invisible and look much more professional. In this post we're aiming to answer every question you might have about elastic for DIY swimwear. These straps all use " (1cm) swimwear elastic. On YouTube we'll be doing a three part series that answers these questions and more. And lately Ive been seeing a lot of braided elastic! It is easy to cut off any excess strap at the end. And thats it! Look how clean the top looks. Sew the elastic all the way to the end of the seam! We offer rubber elastic from 1/8" to 1" wide wholesale. Mine is the zig-zag as it is the fastest. On the top side of the strap, stitch with a zig-zag stitch through the center. We stock it in 1/4" and 3/8" widths. Spaghetti Elastic 5mm round face mask black white silver swimwear bikini straps, {"modules":["unloadOptimization","bandwidthDetection"],"unloadOptimization":{"browsers":{"Firefox":true,"Chrome":true}},"bandwidthDetection":{"url":"https://ir.ebaystatic.com/cr/v/c1/thirtysevens.jpg","maxViews":4,"imgSize":37,"expiry":300000,"timeout":250}}. - eBay Money Back Guarantee - opens in a new window or tab, Learn more about earning points with eBay Mastercard, - eBay Return policy - opens in a new tab or window, - eBay Money Back Guarantee - opens in a new tab or window. You can pin it in place before sewing if you prefer or just feed it carefully as you sew. The wide Torso strap and elastic material in the top assure that the suit will remain in place even when youre active while wearing it. Elastic also helps the garment sit nice and flat so seams dont roll over. When the strap is worn no raw edges will be visible. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Website designed by Erin Weisbart. Im going to answer this question from two different views, because honestly it depends. The item you've selected was not added to your cart. Sale Items document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 Treasurie. Thank you , A++++ very fast great transaction thank you. Then theres the people who arent worried about being proper quite yet, they just want to sew a bikini! It holds up the best in terms of tension, plus its resistant to chlorine, salt water, UV, and sun tan oils. Start by cutting a strip of your swimsuit fabric that is 1.5 wide (works for either 1/4 or 3/8 elastic. Thats just personal preference though, so stretch the elastic if you want to! Make sure you keep a bit of tension on your elastic as you sew. Further Reading: How to sew Lycra and Spandex with a regular machine. As far as what percentage to stretch the elastic, it depends on the garment and your personal preferences. In this example I used a mid-sized zig-zag down the center of the strap. But for aesthetic purposes you typically dont see a lot of scrunched up swimsuits hanging on a rack at the store. It is made in the USA and we have quantities from 10 yards all the way up to 1,000 yards. Experiment a little to get the tension right with a serger. All finished and ready to sew on to your leotard! The stitching can be any stretch stitch and can be oriented to the middle of the strap or the edge of the strap as long as the edge of the stitching doesnt go all the way to the edge of the fabric. Once again you will use binding 1 inches wide (3.8cm) wide and a few inches longer than you will need. Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing. So now you know 3 ways how to make spandex straps! Try a width of 6.0 and a length of 3.0. If you prefer to watch the video, you can find them below. If youre using an elastic foot it can be a lot easier to find the right tension! If you have a really long strap you should mark the center of the elastic and the center of the binding. Theres a good argument to stretch the elastic in order to make a more snug fit, and most non-reversibles use this technique. The previous stitching will now be completely hidden. Fold the elastic over again so that the original stitching is now totally hidden. And not just that- Some machines will need a change in tension switching from one fabric to one even slightly different. The zig-zag will be right on the edge and go off the fabric. Here are some of my bestselling leotard patterns you can use as a base for your unique customized costume. However, with reversibles its a different issue. Our top quality Latex Free Swimwear Elastic contains 64% Cotton and 36% Neoprene. Yes, Ive found that elastic sits better on the dominant side, so whichever print you want to be the primary one. Edgewaters sister company Swimwear Notions USA sells elastic by the pound and I usually keep a 1 lb box at all times. You can see from the wrong side that the edge of the fabric is just inside the edge of strap. Cut the inch (1cm) wide elastic 95% of the length of the binding (the maths: length x 0.95). Needle punctures mess with the structural integrity of the elastic and I wouldnt gamble with it. Do make sure that you are using swimsuit elastic so that your elastic doesnt degrade in chlorine. Site Map| There are others who dont have the means to get elastic, usually because they cant find any that ships to their country. Counteract that by shortening the elastic length slightly or stretching it as you sew. Available in 1/4", 3/8" and 3/4" widths. This is the easiest and fastest method for making spandex straps and is great for beginners. I didnt have an elastic foot for years and I got by just fine. All rights reserved. Also, you should not only pay attention to pulling as the fabric and elastic are feeding into the machine, but you should also be careful about pulling it too much or too little out of back of the machine. Some people dont like the feeling of elastic. Straps can be especially challenging because theyre so thin, so here are some tips! Required fields are marked *. So I dont know anything about where to find it but apparently there is braided elastic out there these days that can work for swimwear. Don't forget your stretch needle to prevent skipped stitches and a teflon foot to prevent the fabric from feeding through the machine unevenly. Theres something ever so satisfying about a crisp little spaghetti strap. Also see our latex free 1/2", 3/4" and 1" White Polyester elastic which is already preshrunk and is not affected when exposed to salt water or chlorine. Its true! If you dont have a foot youll just break up the process into two steps- first sewing the fabric, and then going back and sewing the elastic. Pin the center and ends and stretch the in-between sections to get a nice even tension. Now Ill discuss circumstances where you dont need elastic. From what Ive seen, a reduction of 2-3% is appropriate. So I sew my elastic all the way to the edge, then I trim it after Ive sewn the sides or straps or whatever it is. Swim Cups Swimsuit Lining Fabric Spandex Swimsuit Fabric This is a controversial question and many of you might not like my answer. Never use cheap elastic for your leotards or swimwear. Turn your tube right way out. This is because the elastic serves an important purpose, and that purpose is helping the garment keep its shape. Your email address will not be published. Try and wrap as tightly as you can. Using a wide zig-zag, stitch the elastic along the wrong side of the binding stretching it slightly to fit the length of the binding. My serger has automatic tension so Im never changing it unless Im switching from swimwear to an entirely different fabric.