Fold over elastic (FOE) is one of my favorite finishes. It’s fast, simple, and results in a gorgeous finish. I love using FOE to finish the raw edges on delicate and sheer fabrics – things like tulle and lace. It really is a beautiful way to finish a beautiful fabric.

a row of three garments, on the left a sequin tulle dress, middle a brown bodysuit, right a grey sports bra, all finished with fold over elastic

I also really love using it on knits. Things like sports bras/tops, swim tops, tank tops, and bodysuits. You can even use the FOE to create spaghetti straps!

a brown body suit finished with black FOE, a roll of fold over elastic, and a pair of sewing scissors

Alright, now let me show you how to use FOE. It’s really simple to apply… but I definitely recommend practicing a bit because it may take a bit of practice to get the feel for handling the elastic and fabric all at once.

Down below you’ll find the video tutorial as well as a written tutorial if you scroll past the video.

But first, what you’ll need!

What you need

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Video

 

Written Tutorial

So I like to apply my fold over elastic straight off the roll, or the “cut” if you’re using cut yardage. So I’m going to be applying elastic to the armhole of a basic sports bra top as an example.

First, you’ll want to set your machine to a zigzag or stretch stitch. You also may want to change to a stretch or ballpoint needle – sometimes a universal needle will give me trouble with skipped stitches.

Next, grab the end of your FOE and pick a spot on the back of the garment opening to start (I like to have the elastic overlap in the back just so it’s not super obvious). Place the fabric on top of the FOE, covering half of the elastic. You’ll want the WRONG side (so the matte, not shiny, side) of the elastic facing up towards your fabric.

Next, simply fold the other edge of the elastic up and over the fabric, encasing the raw edge inside.

Holding the end of the elastic in place where it is encasing the fabric, put it under your sewing machine foot and put the presser foot down.

Now start sewing with a zigzag stitch straight down the center of the elastic, doing a small backstitch at the beginning.

Now just continue sewing the elastic onto the raw edge of the fabric all the way around the opening. The key is to take it slow and continue stopping and readjusting elastic/fabric as you go. You want to make sure that everything is in place before it goes under the presser foot! When in doubt, stop and make sure the elastic is fully encasing the edge of the fabric before continuing.

Once you’ve sewn the elastic all the way around and get back to where you started, continue on folding the elastic around the edge about an inch past the first edge of the elastic (so overlap the elastic about an inch). Then do another backstitch and trim your thread tails. Then you can cut away the elastic close to your stitching.

And done! I find that the ends of the fold over elastic don’t tend to fray much at all, so I like this easy overlap method of applying it.

I hope you found this tutorial helpful! If you want more sewing and DIY tips, tricks, and tutorials, I would love to have you subscribe to my email newsletter. 🙂