Sewing elastic bands onto ballet shoes, I just can't do it

[Schulte]

I have always been a bit hopeless with needle and thread. Now DD1 has started ballet classes so I have to deal with those elastic bands that come with ballet shoes. First of all - do you cut them to the right length or do you fold the unused bits under when you sew them on? How many stitches do you use on each side? Do you do two rows of stitches (top and bottom) or just one? And do you use double thread or just a single one? Thanks people!

Cut them to a bit longer than needed
fold ends over a little bit.
I used double thread and sewed all round and across the top with probably too many stitches!
angle the elastic very slightly forward rather than have it go straight up out of the shoe.

HTH it is a while since I've done them!

Thanks, that's sort of what I did with my own so will do the same for DD

I hate ballet elastic with a passion too.

The elastic has to be attached in exactly the correct place - a lot of shoes now come with 1 side already attached. When dd had her last exam her teacher checked all shoes and if they were not correct instructions were sent home to sort them!

Fold the back of the shoe down so it goes straight. At the bend point is the place the elastic goes. Ensure the elastic fits flat over the foot (actually means you have to sow end of elastic at an angle).

Im sure on dancegeardirect website there are proper instructions - better than mine.

I always go over the top with the number of stitches as I see the way the girls pull the shoes on and off. Hope this helps!

I have managed to find somewhere that sells them with the elastic already on. My life has been changed.

Ours do a six hundred mile round trip to my mother. She does them beautifully, posts them back in tissue paper and everything. All I have to do is measure the elastic and mark the spots.

I know that sounds appalling, but really, in our house, if you can't do it with Wonderweb or superglue it doesn't get done.

likewise.

After it took me an hour to sew a nametape onto DD's school fleece, I decided that all of that could be outsourced to her grandmother. I dread her coming home with Rainbows badges because they're so stiff they're a nightmare to sew on.