Chapter 22 - Gathers, Ruffles, Shirring

Gathers are made in soft fabrics where fullness must be taken up into a small space. They give necessary fullness and are also decorative. For heavier fabrics, pleats and tucks are used. Gathers and ruffles are best done on bias and crosswise threads.

Hand gathers: Use double thread and start with a knot. Make a row of small running stitches, pull them up to fit, and wind the thread around a pin till stitched. Two rows, ¼ inch apart, are better than one.

Machine gathers are done like hand gathers, but with longest machine stitch, seven to eight stitches per inch. Use slightly heavier bobbin thread, tie threads at one end, and pull bobbin thread at other end, to gather. Machine gathering foot will gather and stitch fullness.

Shirring is gathering done with three or more parallel lines of gathering. Elastic thread can be used in the bobbin for it shirrs as it stitches.

Stroking gathers: Use needle or pin across folds to straighten material under gathering, and to space gathers evenly. Be careful with sharp pin points on delicate materials.
 
Spacing gathers: Divide gathering space into several equal portions and do the same for material to which gathered part is to be attached. For example, in attaching a gathered skirt to a waistband, divide waistband into six equal parts, and mark with pin or chalk. Divide upper edge of skirt into six equal parts and mark. Run gathering lines in each section separately and attach band to skirt at the six marks with a pin. Pull up gathers in each section to fit waistband section. The gathering is thus evenly distributed. Straight edge is joined to gathered edge in a plain or lapped seam.

Gathering stay is a facing piece used under many rows of gathers to hold shirring in place. Cut out a piece wide enough for gathered portion, turn under raw edges, hem to wrong side.

Corded shirring: Stitch tucks wide enough to hold cord of desired size. Run in cord with bodkin or safety pin, and pull up cord to fit; when cord is pulled up, it gives shirred effect. Or, mark line for corded shirring on fabric, and fold fabric over cord on marking. Stitch with cording foot and pull up cord to size.

Tucked shirring: Baste tucks and gather through two thicknesses.

Ruffles are gathered strips of varying widths used as trimming. Fullness is most often about l½ times space into which ruffle is to be sewn. Cut out strips and seam short ends together to get piece of desired size. Finish lower edge of ruffle with narrow hand roll ed hems, picoting, lace, binding, etc. With a little practice, marvelous results can be achieved with a machine ruffle, which ruffles and stitches the ruffle to the garment at the same time.

Double ruffle: Both ends are finished and the ruffle is gathered through the- center, sometimes with ribbon stitched on over gathering.

Circular ruffle: Cut out ruffle in shape of a semi-circle. Hem longer edge or finish in desired way. Baste ruffle to garment, right sides together, with ruffle held straight. Clip edge of ruffle to prevent pulling. (A circular flounce is similar but usually has less fullness.) Sew with a plain seam or top stitch on the right side.

Applying ruffles:

1. Bias binding: Baste ruffle to garment, wrong side of ruffle to right side of garment, ruffle facing down. Baste binding on seam line, right sides of binding and ruffle together, stitch all three thicknesses at one time. Turn binding up over seam and hem to position. Used to accent joining.

Bias binding may also be applied in this manner. Ruffle and garment are joined, right sides together. Bias is basted over ruffle and all three thicknesses are stitched. Bias is turned to wrong side and hemmed flat to the garment. Good for underwear.

2. Felled seam: Sew ruffle to fabric, wrong sides together, with plain material ¼ inch beyond ruffle (1). Turn ruffle down, press seam down, turn in edge of garment over seam, baste and stitch (2). Used for curtains, children's petticoats, etc.

3. French seam: The seam is stitched on the right side, and the allowance is cut to ⅛ inch. Turn to wrong side and stitch again. Good for applying ruffles to curtains or to collars and cuffs that are not faced and are of single thickness.

4. Tuck. Stitch a tuck ¾ inch from the edge of the garment. Attach ruffle ¼ inch from edge, wrong side of ruffle to right side of garment, press seam down. Bring tuck over to cover stitching and stitch close to the fold. Good for lingerie.

5. Self-finish: Crease garment ¾ inch from edge, fold to right side. Attach ruffle ¼ inch above folded edge. Turn raw edge down, turn in edge ¼ inch and baste over stitching. Stitch or hand hem. Use for a faced collar, etc.

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