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Quick Tip: Stretch Lace for Finishing or Revamping Undies

The always-wonderful Beverly Johnson wrote a blog post about swapping out elastic for stretch lace a few years ago. In it, she points out that you could use the same technique for new-made undies or to replace worn out/too small/stretched out/unlovely elastic on previously made (or even RTW) undies.

I love stretch elastic as an edge finish for a few reasons.

  1. It only needs one pass to sew, so it’s fast!
  2. You don’t fold under any edges. This makes the edge of your undies lie more flat, which can help reduce showing through your outer clothes.
  3. It’s pretty!

Beverly recommends 1″ stretch lace for the legs and, really, any width you like for the waist. I had a pair of RTW panties that used a very wide stretch lace at the waist. Near the top of the lace edge, a matching 1/4″ plush lingerie elastic was sewn to help keep the edge from stretching out. If you’re struggling to match your elastic to your use, Beverly created a very handy chart (along with tips for application) for that!

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