Is there a faster way to remove elastic stitching?

Question

Please, does anyone know a quicker or easier way?!
I would be greatly appreciative of any tips!
I have one of those old (80s era?) shirts with that horrible elastic band at the bottom seam that cinches up around your waste. Awful! But this one, instead of a white pre-fab band just sewn onto it, has six rows of stitches in gold elastic string to make it stretchy. Goes through all the layers and is very hard to remove because when you pull on it with a remover it knots up. I really want to wear it, I LOVE everything else about it, but jeez it's going to take me forever to go through all those rows! Thanks for any (serious) suggestions; I will be checking back to see if anyone is confused and needs more information about this question so they can help me!

Oh yeah, I do have a seam ripper but the elastic "thread" is wrapped in gold thread to make it gold and that gives it just enough friction with the fabric that it won't undo more than one stitch at at time. And if I go the other direction stitch-wise it pulls it into a knot before cutting it loose (it's that weird machine stitch that looks like crochet).
Am I up the proverbial creek?

Answer 1

I understand your question very well; thanks for being articulate in what you're asking.

Do you have a seam ripper (a.k.a. stitch picker, seam knife, pointy thinger to cut stitches, sharp thing with a funny point) in your arsenal? If so, slide the point under every third or fourth stitch and cleanly slice just the top thread. Do this on all the rows for about 6 inches or so. Turn your garment over and pull carefully on the back threads of the area you just did on the front. The back threads should come cleanly off. Turn the thing back over and go another 6" or so and repeat. Feel free to email me with any further questions that come up.

Answer 2

The gold elastic thread is on the outside, right?

Turn the garment inside out and stretch it over something big enough to really stretch it out, maybe a bed pillow, maybe two bed pillows, whatever it takes.

Now you're looking at the thread rather than the elastic. Use the seam ripper on the *thread*. It will take a while to clip every inch or so of each thread.

Then reach inside and try tugging on the elastic. That will loosen the thread. Maybe you will be able to alternate pick-thread and tug-elastic and get it all out this evening. It will only seem as though it's taking forever.

Answer 3

I had my knee completely replaced approximately 4 years in the past and additionally became demanding that removing of the staples might harm and that i had a scar 18" long. i became bowled over that i could not value maximum of them bumped off. With in line with threat 2 or 3, I felt a delicate pinch yet not something extra. Take a deep breath and loosen up. To make it less complicated, have the staples bumped off interior the morning hours once you're nonetheless slightly sleepy. I additionally could advise you do not drink something with caffeine for some days previously. I do the two between the above even while i bypass to the dentist and constantly sense gentle. loosen up. It became not a project for me and that's not for you.

Answer 4

If you unpick the right stitch on the underside, you may find the whole lot just unpulls... if it is done commercially, you may find it is all just one thread of elastic that forms the stitch. Unpull one, see if it unravels, if not try the next stitch.

Answer 5

it will be very tedious and take time. that is just the way it is . if the top is worth saving you will have to invest time and effort to redo it. good luck hope you finish and are pleased with your efforts.