1/30/18 PERFECT GATHERS
I want to tell you how I make perfectly spaced gathers. It is not difficult to gather short distances. But what if you have a dress with gathered tiers like this French country dress featured on the site? The gathered edge is not THAT much longer than the shorter piece to join to. So there ends up being a flat space or too much fabric in some area. My way may take a bit longer at the front end BUT at least you don’t have to keep doing it over and over again ’til the gathers “work”. And after all, we would rather it look great in the end than how quickly we can complete our art. Here is the elastic method of gathering that I use:
- Cut a length of elastic about 2 inches shorter than the short edge you will be joining to. I keep a little bag of used elastic for this purpose since it will be removed after. Elastic can be used several times if you mark with a different color for each project so you don’t get confused.
- Fold the elastic strip in half and mark the center. To determine the halfway mark between the center and each end, fold between those 2 marks and mark that center. Repeat folding between marks until you have equal distance marks of manageable distance apart.
- Now take the LONG edge you want to gather and fold to mark the center of it. Fold and mark the fabric the same way you did with the elastic so that you end up with the same number of marks as the elastic strip. The spacing will be farther apart, however.
- Pin the center mark of the elastic to the center mark of the fabric. Match and pin all of the marks. There will be slack in the fabric.
- Using a long stitch on your machine (because you will be removing the stitches later and longer is easier to remove) Stretch and sew the elastic to the fabric removing the pins as you go. Set this aside.
- Now fold and mark the center of the short edge you want to join. Mark equal distances like you did with the elastic and the long piece until you have the same number of marks.
- WRST match and pin the marks on the short piece edge to the marks on the elastic.
- Stretch (if you must) and sew the gathered edge to the short edge being careful NOT TO CATCH THE ELASTIC IN THE STITCHING. The elastic should be in the seam allowance. Adjust fabric so it pleats evenly as you go.
- Remove the elastic and press the gathers. Perfect.
