This is probably a really stupid question, but ...
... Is there any way to successfully use elastic with a non-stretchy material, aside from exposed elastic? It's confusing because it seems like no way would the law of physics allow for it, but searching for the query brings up websites where people vaguely act like there is a way, and I found a tutorial for sewing an elastic into a waistband and the pictures of the material sure didn't look stretchy to me. I need to make a shirt for a plushie, but I have to be able to get it over his head (or over his feet, if I choose to make a zipper for it instead). I already have the elastic, so I'm wondering if there's any possible way to make this work before I resort to taking the elastic back. I wanted a stretchy material for the shirt, but I could only find the approximate design I needed in a non-stretchy material. Sigh.