Looking For Help With Boning From Some Garment Sewers
 

I took a break from quilting today so that I could work on my daughter's costume for dance class. The pattern instructed to insert boning into a casing in the hem. However, the boning was in a tight roll in the package, so when I inserted it into the casing, it tried to go back to that tight roll. How do I reform it so that it will make her hem go out like a bell?

I worked with boning for a nursing cover, so it was only about a 10" piece, but I just pulled it out a few times and worked it in the opposite direction a little to loosen it up. Not sure if that would work for your project though.

I think your method of loosing it up would depend on what material it is constructed from and you didn't say. Is it typical nylon boning or cloth covered wire, or what?

How about horsehair braid? I've never used it, but I'm thinking it might work.

can you hang the boning? Put the piece over a hanger and weight the two ends with maybe a clip clothes pin and something attached to hold it down...
I have only worked with smaller pieces of it...so have no real experince with longer lengths.

Whoops, should have clarified. The only kind of boning that Joann's had was this cloth covered plastic boning. It instructed to remove the casing that the boning was in and then insert it. This is my first time working with boning, so I didn't even know there ws other types of boning. I just bought whatever Joann's had.

This MAY help, depending upon how strong/thick the plastic is. Try aiming a hair dryer at it, to soften the plastic. At the same time, "stretch" it so that the original curve relaxes. Hold it "open" until it cools. You don't want to take out all of the curve, so just do it a bit at a time.

I agree with Nessie, you will need to heat the plastic to relax the curve. A pain in the neck but doable.

Well, I don't have a traditional blow dryer, but I do have an embossing dryer. It's temperatures are much higher than a normal blow dryer, though. I'll try holding it further away and then try to form it. Thanks for the help!

Remove the boning from the casing and soak it in a bowl of boiling or very hot water for a few minutes. This should soften it enough for you to straighten it.