GATHER ROUND! AMY SCARR SHARES FIVE NEW METHODS FOR THIS TECHNIQUE
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The process of gathering fabric to join to another piece is used in dressmaking to create volume and eye-catching designs. Your attempts could be as simple as gathering skirt panels to fit into a dress bodice. Or they could be as ambitious as creating attractive ruffles that attach to a hem, cuff, and collar. In couture or avant-garde clothing, gathering can be over the top and very dramatic.
Throughout this process, the goal is to create evenly distributed gathers. You will also need to adjust your gathers until they are the perfect length for the corresponding garment piece. With all of Simplicity’s patterns, the necessary amount of fabric for gathering has already been built into the pattern. This will save you from doing any tricky math. However, I regularly speak to sewists who want to create tiered gathered skirts and don’t know what approach to use. The rule of thumb is the length of the panel that is going to be gathered should be two or three times the length of the panel that you attach it to. You should also remember that the lighter your fabric weight is, the more gathers it can handle.
Read on to discover five new methods for gathering. I’ll also take you through which technique to use depending on your fabric type.
Machine gathering
The most common method of gathering involves sewing two or three rows of parallel tacking stitches across your fabric. You will need to set your stitch length to its maximum and make sure that you aren’t back stitching at the ends. Instead, you should leave long thread tails that you can use to draw the fabric. If you are gathering along an edge, sew one row of stitching 1cm from the raw edge, and the next 1cm (or the width of your presser foot). Three threads will give you better control for even distribution, but most people find two rows sufficient. Two rows will also be quicker, and you won’t have to use as much thread. This should work for most stable fabrics. Throughout the process, you will need to hold the bobbin threads as you push the material to create gathers. This is important as the lower threads are slightly looser than the top due to the way in which the machine creates each stitch. Some people like to t
