Tips on Gathering

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If you happen to be fortunate enough to have a sewing machine with a shirring foot, by all means use it. If not, try this technique next time you need to do some gathering. It works beautifully every time. For the sake of clarity, I will explain this method for a skirt sewn to a bodice. However, this method works very well on anything that is gathered.

 

Step 1: Loosen your top tension to 0-1 on the dial.

Step 2: Adjust your stitch length to 14-16 stitches per inch (small stitches produce small gathers).

Step 3: Sew 2 rows of stitching 1/4" apart along the top seam line of the skirt, making certain that you backtack at one end to securely anchor the stitches.

Step 4: To gather, pull on the Bobbin threads until it fits the skirt fits the bodice. Tie the ends off securely.

Step 5: Adjust the gathers by hand to distribute them evenly around the skirt. Then to "fine tune" the gathers, drag a large needle or an awl across the stitches.

Step 6: Set your top tension back to the normal sewing tension for your machine.

Step 7: Sew the skirt to the bodice along the seam line. Finish the seam as usual. The result will be very fine gathers that are evenly spaced all the way around.

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