Replacing elastic in
fitted nappies and diapers
Several times I have been asked about replacing elastic in fitted nappies where the fabric has been fine but the elastic has been totally worn out. I have also read a number of times about others experiencing similar problems. Here, therefore, is a tutorial to help you make such repairs yourself. In these photographs you will see a repair being effected on a Baby Beehinds Bamboo fitted nappy. It has two layers of bamboo and an internal layer of interlock. The elastic has been sewn onto the outer layer of bamboo and interlock, leaving the inner layer of bamboo free.
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Gather
together these items: swimwear elastic, ruler or tape measure,
pen, unpicker, elastic bodkin, scissors, pins and sewing machine.
This repair can be done with out a sewing machine, in which
case you will also need needle, thread and probably a thimble. Note that the quality of the elastic that you use will affect the durability of your repair. Use the best quality elastic that you can find. |
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Take the nappy with dead elastic and lay it on a table. |
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Measure the length from start of elastic to finish of elastic. This is easiest if the elastic is totally shot. |
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Calculate half of the length that you measured and use a pen to mark this on the elastic. Do NOT cut the elastic! |
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Use the unpicker (or a very sharp pair of scissors) to make a slit in the outer layer of fabric at each end of the dead elastic. Take care not to cut through the inside layer as well since that would weaken the nappy too much and could also make a rough bit which could aggravate the baby's skin. |
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Take care not to cut through the inside layer as well since that would weaken the nappy too much and could also make a rough bit which could aggravate the baby's skin. |
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Grip the elastic with the bodkin and thread it through the gap between the overlocked edge of the nappy and where the elastic had originally been sewn. |
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Pull elastic right through on the outside of the original elastic stitching. |
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Pin the elastic into the casing. |
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Sew the end of the elastic onto the nappy with short zigzag stitches or straight stitch. |
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Go back and forth several times to ensure that the elastic is firmly attached and effectively darning the hole that you had previously made. |
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Pull the elastic back through the casing until the pen mark comes into view. |
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Pin the elastic into the casing. Do NOT cut it! |
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Sew across onto the other end of the elastic and then sew back and forth across the elastic. I am a fan of "chaining on" - sewing on to the next piece rather than cutting the threads and then starting the next line of stitching. Chaining on saves thread, gives you something to help the fabric move away under the feed dogs, makes it faster and reduces the number of threads to tidy up afterwards! |
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After you have finished sewing the elastic in, remove the sewing from the machine. |
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Firmly pull the long end of the elastic and then cut close to the edge of the stitching. |
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This shows how I've used a straight stitch to go back and forth in a darning fashion to strengthen the cut section and to hold the new elastic in place. |
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All done and as good as new! Repeat for all dead elastic. |