Bathing Beauties (part 2)

I've been having fun sewing in a nice cool air conditioned house.   Took the girls to the community pool today for this photo shoot.   It was so hot I thought the girls and I would melt.   Bathing suits are addicting and I have gone a bit overboard.   I am quickly working my way through the 100+ yards of FOE (fold over elastic) and I am getting ready to order more.   Whew....who knew.   I had always hesitated in working with Lycra/spandex and foe.   I just shake my head wondering how I could have waited so long and the lesson learned....don't hesitate, just do it. 

Let me just get this out now.   I tend to be a perfectionist....no I am a perfectionist!  The foe did cause me some issues at first but I developed a few simple tricks that work for me (99.9% of you would not have/want to do this).

1)  With a fabric pen:   I draw a line along the center fold line of the FOE.   When I'm sewing it's hard for these eyes to see the center fold line and the line I draw makes it so easy.

2)  I stitch the elastic twice.   First time....pinning the fabric to the elastic with the edge of the fabric along my drawn line....then stitch it in place with a "stretch stitch".    Then of course I fold the elastic and stitch it in place using a 4.0 zigzag stitch.         I know it's a two step process.....but it works for me and a lot better than what I did on my first 1/2 dz.  suits......are you ready!   I hand basted the elastic on which was very time consuming and then had to remove my basting stitches once the elastic was attached.    So..."baby steps" are good.   Maybe someday I will be able to do it in one pass.