amitymamaThe Attachment Parenting Community

lisa_dragon · 06-21-2004, 10:19 AM

I am altering a leo from a size 10 down to a size 5. It was a free hand me down. All I need to do is shorten the length of the torso, so I plan to take out the leg elastic, cut it down, the reapply the leg elastic.

Do you stretch the elastic when you serge it on? this doesnt look like it was stretched, but the legs could stand some snugging up...

Also I saw Bethan mention woolly in the bobbin. I was thinking to do this when I do the twin needling, but how? Do you have to hand wind the bobbin/ What are the tensions like?

I know this is a huge amount of trouble, but Id almost rather go through it all than just start from scratch ~ I dont want to waste my fabric when I can experiment on the free.

Thanks!

I typed this out, and then my connection croaked (Grr DH decided to try cable modem installation without reading directions) I checked to see if it posted or not, but didnt see it,so I hope this isnt a repeat!

milkmaid · 06-21-2004, 10:56 AM

I can't answer on the wooly nylon because the one time I tried it, it was a disaster (grrr) but yes, you'll want to stretch the elastic when you do the legs. I've made two dance leos and did that on both of them. You can't really tell after it's made, but that way the legs don't bag.

Scarlet · 06-21-2004, 01:19 PM

What I do for panties (from what my friend says, its the same for leos) is measure the elastic around the leg. Make it snug because you don't want it to gape.

When you sew it on you want it barely stretched in front, but stretched in back... this gives it the right shape.

Woolly... you are meant to hand wind it but I was lazy. I didn't feed it through any of the thread path, I just wound it straight on using the bobbin winder and went very very slowly. I tried the double needle, but it was not liking the microfleece.... wasn't the bobbin, just was not piercing correctly.

Marina · 06-21-2004, 01:45 PM

oh man, I must be totally lazy because if all I had to do was shorten It, I'd cut it off about chest level, remove how much was needed and add something like a little contrasting band or some piping and just put it back together and not touch the legs!

After 5 years of gymnastics I did my share of making them. It's been a while though. The main things I remember is to stretch it more over the bum than toward the front of the leo. The front part you want almost no stretching at all, so it lays very flat.

When you stretch the elastic (and this goes for FOE on clothes as well) if you stretch the side closest to the fabric more than the outer portion (rather than just tugging the entire thing the same). This way it lays very close to the skin, and you don't get that funneling away from the body. Does this make any sense? Like if you had a piece of elastic laying flat on the table and you made a circle of it, with it still being flat on the table. The outside would be very stretched and the inside very little.

When you stitch on the elastic it also helps it lay better if you zig on the elastic, but let the zag just go barely off the elastic.

gosh, I'm *terrible* at explaining things! :P

jacNal'smom · 06-21-2004, 02:02 PM

oh man, I must be totally lazy because if all I had to do was shorten It, I'd cut it off about chest level, remove how much was needed and add something like a little contrasting band or some piping and just put it back together and not touch the legs!

That's exactly what I was thinking! Guess I'm lazy too...

bakinglass · 06-22-2004, 08:13 AM

I use wooly nylon in the loopers of my serger when I do swimsuits. Always stretch the elastic when you are applying it - without it being stretched, you end up with the "stand up" effect - but I also stretch the fabric I'm applying it to. It sounds like you will have a bit of extra fabric that you can practice on - you may want to test your application method first.

Also, if the previous suit has any wear on the elastic (i.e. warping), you may want to completely replace the elastic to extend the wear of the suit and to make your life easier in application.

I serge the elastic on like this - I leave the front at the same stretch rate as the fabric, but when I get to the back, I prefer to stretch the elastic alot more, so that the tushie part is snugged up under the tushie, and we don't have the wandering wedgies, if you know what I mean!

If I were you, I would zigzag on the elastic, using a triple zigzag so it has stretch, if you have that stitch, to affix it and to make your job easier with topstitching. In the days PS (pre-serger), I used wooly nylon in the bobbin to do a double needle and I offer a couple of suggestions - loosen your tension on your bobbin or else you will be frustrated by the tunneling you see emerge from the twin needle (mark the screw's current mark with a fine-tipped sharpie, so you can match it back up later); hand wind your wooly, or it will also cause the tunneling.

HTH!!!!!

Quote:

Originally posted by lisa_dragon
I am altering a leo from a size 10 down to a size 5. It was a free hand me down. All I need to do is shorten the length of the torso, so I plan to take out the leg elastic, cut it down, the reapply the leg elastic.

Do you stretch the elastic when you serge it on? this doesnt look like it was stretched, but the legs could stand some snugging up...

Also I saw Bethan mention woolly in the bobbin. I was thinking to do this when I do the twin needling, but how? Do you have to hand wind the bobbin/ What are the tensions like?

lisa_dragon · 06-22-2004, 09:24 AM

Thanks for all the help

I ... umm... ended up putting it to the side. M got distracted from wanting to wear it, and chose regular clothes instead, and I got frustrated, so its still not finished.

The reason I chose to do it the hard way, though, is she is my *sensory* child. She wont wear things if they tickle, itch, rub, or any other strange thing. A seam across the tummy would have sent her over the edge. She was fine with it the way it was, except for the length, so I was going to take the extra steps.

MosaicMama · 06-22-2004, 12:57 PM

I know what you mean Lisa about sensory issues. This thread has been so helpful! I just sewed another leotard last week and it came out fine, but now I want to make another so I can use all these tips