How to calculate the elasticity of a fabric

Knowing how much elasticity of a fabric has is very important especially if we are going to make sportswear or swimwear. The elastic fabric has different properties than other fabrics. The main characteristic is that it adjusts to the body without using any clips.

In swimsuits, clothes must be tight so that nothing comes off and the body is molded. Because you have to reduce or enlarge the measurements of the pattern.

To do this we have to calculate the elasticity of fabric. It requires a small account. I recommend that you keep a piece of that fabric and put the elasticity and what needs to be reduced on a piece of paper attached to it. That way you won’t have to recalculate it.

Percentage of elasticity of a fabric

Before you start cutting the fabric you have to see where the highest percentage of elasticity is so you can put it where it will stretch the most. That is to say, if you are going to make bikinis you have to put the chest and the hip in the direction of that thread.

In a piece of 10cmx10cm we will calculate that percentage. We put the meter on the table. Take our piece of cloth and put it at the beginning of the meter. We hold and stretch the fabric as much as possible and see where it marks us. The minimum stretch of the elastic fabric is usually 12cm, the maximum should be 18cm or 20cm (the maximum and 100%).

To know the percentage we make a rule of three.

10cm is 100%

1cm is x%

Example:

If the fabric stretches to 12cm the bill would be like this.

2×100/10=20%

The fabric stretches by 20%. If instead of 12cm it is up to 18cm the percentage would be 80%.

Once this percentage has been calculated, we will see how we can deduct it from our patterns measurements.

Example: Our hip measurement is 96cm and the fabric has 20% elasticity. The bill would be this:

96-20%=76,80cm

That’s our hip measurement. That measure has to be divided by 4 depending on the pattern. Therefore, we would have a hip measurement of 19.20 cm instead of 24 cm. We should take off at 4.8 cm. But be careful. You have to reduce that measure to the whole pattern so that it’s scaled. If you can use the size that fits that new measurement.

You can use this rule for all garments that fit your body. It is not necessary to do so for garments such as T-shirts unless you want them to be tight like neoprene garments or sports shirts like sports bras.

And finally, stop by the store to see the new swimsuits where you can put this rule into practice. Or in this category.