Thread: Changing elastic in a skirt

Okay costume divas. I am buying a gorgeous Hanan bra/skirt set from Bhuzzer MaraNajla and I need to either change out the elastic in the top of the skirt or loosen the elastic. I need just a little more give.
Granted I haven't payed for the costume yet so I can't do anything to it now, but I am intimidated by this costume. Silly huh? I just don't want to ruin it with my basic sewing skills.
I guess I am looking for any advice you all might have. Thanks so much!

You could always hire a local seamstress to change it. I wouldn't think it would cost too much.

If the elastic is in a casing, all the way around the top of the skirt, then replacing it will be easier than loosening it -- and won't really be difficult at all. You'll just cut a piece the right size for you and feed it through the casing, sew it closed and voila! (although I sometimes like to add a few bits of vertical stitching at intervals around the casing to keep the elastic from rolling or twisting.)

If the elastic is partway around, say just the back, then it's sometimes easier to loosen it. Cut it loose at one end and resew it where you need it.

If the skirt is *almost* tight enough to stay up without elastic, I get better no-muffin-top results (and more security holding up heavy beadwork) by taking a pair of nude boyshorts into the skirt. Holds it up, keeps it from twisting around, makes it a little more 'peek-proof' during tipping, etc.

Erin, bring it to me and I can show you what to do. I'm glad you bought it. I was tempted to.

I recently went to do the simple job of replacing elastic in a skirt only to find that the casing and elastic had been sewn first and all the beadwork went through the elastic. The costume was a very expensive Pharaonics one. Talk about design flaw. Regardless of fitting issues, elastic will eventually give out an need to be replaced, and can't in this costume.

Luckily, I was needing to tighten it, not loosen it, so I created a thread casing along the back half and added another piece of elastic inside of the old one.

Not trying to scare you, but sometimes simple jobs aren't

Originally Posted by shahla

Erin, bring it to me and I can show you what to do. I'm glad you bought it. I was tempted to.

I will bring it to you. Thanks!

Ssipes, what an awful design flaw. Stories like these are the ones that prevent me from doing more than tacking down a sequin or moving a hook. I hope you were able to find someone that the costume worked for.

Originally Posted by ssipes

I recently went to do the simple job of replacing elastic in a skirt only to find that the casing and elastic had been sewn first and all the beadwork went through the elastic.

I guess this can be a call to think about design before creating an item, too. So I can ask myself, how can I make this for usability now and so I can adjust things later?

Thanks for the reminder!

Originally Posted by ssipes

...the casing and elastic had been sewn first and all the beadwork went through the elastic. The costume was a very expensive Pharaonics one.

Yes, I've had a similar experience......although luckily it was a 2nd hand Pharaonics that I'd bought from a friend and only some of the threads from the beadwork had caught on the elastic. I did manage to extract the elastic eventually by cutting it (the elastic that is) very very carefully where the threads had caught, but it was an incredibly nerve-wracking task. Certainly not something I'd every want to attempt with a new costume.