How to Make Elastic Shirring
Shirring adds style and adjustable fit to a garment or other sewn item. You can make elastic shirring with your home sewing machine to create soft, stretchy gathers on the bodice, sleeves or waistline of a blouse or dress. Add elastic shirring to a curtain, valance or pillow cover to create custom home decor items. Elastic shirred fabric is about half the width of the original piece, but is very stretchy. Shirr any light or medium weight fabric with elastic thread in your bobbin and regular thread on the top.
Things You'll Need
- Fabric
- Ruler or measuring tape
- Water soluble pen or quilter's chalk
- Elastic thread
- Thread to match fabric
- Scissors
- Sewing machine
Instructions
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1
Lay your fabric right side up on a flat surface. Mark two or more stitch lines for shirring on the right side of your fabric with a water soluble fabric pen or quilter's chalk. Space the lines about 1/2 inch apart.
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2
Wind the elastic thread around your bobbin by hand until the bobbin is full. Insert the bobbin into your sewing machine just as you would with regular thread, and bring the elastic thread up to the surface.
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3
Thread your sewing machine with regular thread to match your fabric.
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4
Place a scrap of fabric under the presser foot and stitch for several inches to test the stitches. Adjust your stitch length or tension, if needed.
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Place the marked fabric right side up under the presser foot 1/2 inch from the beginning of a marked line. Sew in reverse for 1/2 inch to lock the thread. Stitch along the marked line and sew in reverse for 1/2 inch at the end. Repeat on each marked line.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Pretty Child image by Mary Beth Granger from Fotolia.com
