Hi guys, I would like some help on putting elastic into legholes please. I made like the lower half of a bunny girl costume - to be briefs for my Zatanna costume. The fabric is a medium weight black satin. I adjusted the pattern to get them a good fit on me. Except my legholes are dissapointing. They gape open like shorts instead of keeping close around the leg. The fabric has no stretch to talk of (lycra would have been so much easier!)
So anyway, I tried to elasticate my legholes by threading knicker elastic into the hollow hems of the legholes and tying them tight. It sort of works except the fabric all puckers up around the legholes ..like a babys plastic pants! Not the look I was after..

So my next idea is to unpick the leghole hems and then sew the elastic around the edge of the fabric. I figured you have to stretch the elastic out as you sew it to the fabric in order to make the legholes pull in. So here is the question.. is there a formula or method to figure out how much the elastic has to be stretched out whilst you are sewing it into the hem? (I noticed that pros have a special machine for putting elastic into legholes and it seems to do it automatically.)

Anybody know how to elasticate legholes??

I'm not sure if there is a special formula. If there is I would love to know it But generally I will measure the elastic around my leg in unstretched form and then pin that around the fabric.I will often run a running stitch through the fabric I want to sew the elastic to so it's pulled into the correct place before I sew it to prevent it excessive bunchingin sections and nthing in other sections. then cut/break this cotton once it's done so that the elastic can take over.

My concern with sewing the elastic in stretched form is that with certain stitches it won't retract nicely. Even with a zigzag stitch I've found it hasn't retracted very much at all

Is there any way to pull the edges of the crotch area tighter. I know I have problems with leg holes and wibbly bottom fabric when I made my plugsuit. the length itself was fine it was just the legs that were weird. In the end I cut a small triangle out of either side of the crotch to pull the sides tighter but keep length the same and this worked for me. Though the fabric I used did have some give in it.

Also there is special elasticated thread you can buy on a roll. I've never used it but I guess you use it instead of cotton and sew with a machine. So that might be an option

Thanks for your help. I will give that a try. If it doesnt work you just inspired me with another idea, another way to pull it in tighter around the legs - reminded me that the playboy bunny costumes have a few corset type eyelets and cord ties at the leg side seams...I guess I could try to do something similar or put a slice of wide elastic at the side seams. Ok off to try these ideas.

Good luck Though the idea of corset eyelets and ribbon sounds very sexy I think it would be an awesome compromise