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Free and Inspirational Do-It-Yourself Crafting/Sewing Tutorials

Sewing Tip: Shirring/Smocking with Elastic Thread

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Shirring is an old technique, I know.  (Shirring and smocking aren’t actually originally done with elastic…..but it sure makes things easier.  And faster.)  Sometimes I assume everyone knows how to do it.  But then I get another email asking how to shir (or smock) fabric.  So it reminds me I shouldn’t assume…………..because it is still one of the top questions I’m asked.

 

And if you’ve never given this a try, serisously stop eveything right now and try it.  It will knock your socks off.  It really does work and is really fun.  And you don’t need any special attachments or special needles.  Nope, just elastic thread (and that only costs a couple dollars).

 

I use this technique a lot.  And then I give it a rest.  And then I bring it back and use it some more.  I never tire of it for long.

 

Ahhhhh, shirring……quick and easy.  It will make you happy in 2 seconds.

 

 

The elastic thread is sewn into the back of the seams, and lets the fabric stretch but then pulls back in.

 

 

You may remember seeing me use it here:

 

 

And here:

 

 

And here:

 

 

 

I know, I use it a lot for skirt waist bands.  It’s because it’s so darn comfortable.  (Haven’t tried it?  You better.  It’s the coziest way to go.  Especially while pregnant.  Ahhhhh.)

 

I even include the technique in 2 of my patterns:  The Maddy Dress here and the Lily Skirt here.

 

 

 

It’s stretchy, really comfy, seriously easy, and a great texture to add to clothing.

You need to ad this to your sewing repertoire, if you haven’t already.

 

 

 

Ready for some shirring?

 

First of all, all machines are different.  I have used this technique on probably 15 different machines, and it has worked on all of them.  But I know some machines are different, so keep that in mind.  (But if you lived next door, I wouldn’t mind coming over to figure yours out.)  There are several troubleshooting tips down below, so be sure to check those out.

 

Take note:  Lighter fabrics work best for this technique.  The elastic is not strong enough to gather in corduroy or bottom weight fabrics.  It’s just too thick and heavy.  I have had most success with regular cotton (quilters cotton or fashion cotton).

 

And the best part about this technique, is that all you need to buy, is some elastic thread.  I bought mine at Joann’s over by the elastic section, not the thread section.  But you can also fine elastic thread HERE.

 

 

See how it’s pretty thin (not as thin as regular thread….but still thin) and has a nice stretch to it?

 

 

You will use regular thread at the top of your machine (for the top thread of your seam)…….and use the elastic thread in your bobbin.  But instead of winding the bobbin on your machine, you will wind your elastic by hand.  Don’t worry, it goes fast.  (This is where some machines differ.  I have read that some machines need their elastic thread wound really tight.  I will explain some different techniques below.  Remember though, this is what has worked best for me.)  Stick the end of the elastic through one of the holes, starting from the inside of the bobbin (this just keeps the tail out of the way).

 

 

Then start winding.

 

But while winding, don’t keep it too loose or let it get all jumbled and messy.

 

But don’t pull it too tight either (unless your machine requires that…..see troubleshooting below).

 

Just pull it every so slightly as you wind the bobbin.  Seriously, don’t pull it very much at all.

 

And then drop it into your machine (like I did with my old drop-in Singer machine) or wind it into your bobbin case………

 

……..and then put it into the machine.  Pull it up through the bottom, just like a normal bobbin.

 

And now for settings.  All machines are different but I always put my stitch length to the very longest that it will go (basting stitch).  I know some machines don’t need to go the very longest stitch length, so you may need to play around with it.  The top stitch below is my standard stitch length, the bottom stitch is my longest stitch length.  By increasing the stitch length, it allows a bigger chunk of elastic for each stitch below, giving the fabric more stretch and pull when it’s done.

 

Begin sewing like you would normally, and you will begin to see the fabric beginning to pull from behind.  (And yes, you can back-stitch, just like normal.  Or, you can tie each end of by hand for each row, if it’s bunching too much while back-stitching.)

 

After you finish one seam, it won’t pull very tight.  And depending on your fabric, it will shir differently.  If your fabric is a bit thicker, it won’t shir much at all for this single seam.  But don’t worry.

 

Begin sewing your next line, but be sure and find a landmark on your machine to match up your previous seam.  This will help keep your lines straight.  I generally use the right edge of my presser foot as a guide.  But it I want more narrow shirred lines, I use the left side of that part that sticks out on the right.  (If you need to draw lines on your fabric while it’s flat……that may help you keep your lines even until you get more comfortable.)  But seriously, don’t fret if your lines are a bit uneven.  After it’s all gathered in, it’s hardly noticeable.  No stress.

 

And while sewing, make sure the fabric is flat going under your needle.  The easiest way for me to do this is to grab the fabric behind the needle with my left hand and the fabric in front of the needle with my right hand and pull in opposite directions, keeping the fabric flat as you sew.  (I only had one hand to use for the picture.)

 

Don’t let the fabric go under the needle all ruffled.  It needs to be flat……otherwise the shirring will not work.

 

After several rows, it will pull in more and more.

 

And if you want the shirring to pull in nice and tight, use steam and your iron and press down lightly over the shirred section.  Don’t iron and pull like you would normally while ironing.  Just press the iron down lightly over the shirred section, lift up and place on a new section.  The moisture and the heat will shrivel up the elastic from below and will pull in the fabric nicely.  If your steam isn’t working very well (or if you don’t have steam on your iron) use a water bottle to get the fabric moist and make sure your iron is nice and hot.  (Or you can throw your finished shirring in the washer and then the dryer……that will shrink it up too.)  It will amaze you how much this will help pull in your fabric.  Go on, try it!

 

 

This shirring below hasn’t been steamed/ironed……it pulls in much more than that.  But if you don’t want it too tight, just leave it how it is.  (By the way, the yellow and orange fabric are very lightweight cottons, so they shirred really easily.)

 

 

And that’s it.  Start shirring everything you own.

**You can even use it if you need to gather in some fabric and don’t want to do the standard basting-stitch-and-pull method.

 

 

Troubleshooting: Is your smocking not working?

 

  • Make sure that your bobbin is not too full of the elastic thread.
  • Try re-threading your whole machine.
  • Make sure your elastic thread isn’t too tight or too loose on the bobbin.
  • Make sure you didn’t mess with the tension (or any other settings) of your machine while adjusting your stitch length.  This can mess up the stitch and cause you problems with the smocking.
  • Try putting regular thread back into the bobbin and sew on some scrap fabric.  Make sure that it is sewing normally with regular thread.  This way, you can see if all of the settings are correct.
  • Pull the fabric flat in both directions with both hands, away from the needle in opposite directions, as you sew.
  • Make sure your stitch length is set to the largest stitch length.  (Or at least a larger one than you generally use.)
  • Take a look to see if you are sewing through multiple layers of fabric.  Sewing through multiple layers will make it too hard for the elastic to pull the fabric together.
  • Make sure to use cotton or other lightweight fabric.  Thicker fabric is harder to gather.
  • If you left your tension alone and it still isn’t working, try adjusting the tension a bit and see how your smocking reacts.

 

Are you using a Brother brand sewing machine??

And do you have a drop-in bobbin?

Your machine may not have a bobbin tension adjustment……

…….and if so, the smocking may not work using the instructions above.

Here are some helpful tips you may want to try with your machine:

 

  • Wind your elastic thread onto the bobbin with your feeder so that it’s pretty tight……and be sure to slide it under the tension lever in the auto feeder.
  • Ensure that the elastic thread is going through the “tension” spring in the bobbin holder……..because it’s easy to miss.
  • Adjust your stitch length……you may not want the largest setting.  Try it out a few times with different settings and see how your smocking reacts.

 

 

Hope that helps!

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Comments

    • Thank you so much for all the trouble you have gone to, to explain how to sew with shirring elastic. I used to make my daughters the most beautiful clothes using shirring elastic but that was years ago although I hadn’t forgotton but it wasn’t working well so I looked it up on the internet to see if I could get a little help to refresh my mind. Yes it is so beautiful and always looks cute on kids. Thanks for the tips.

    • Amazing tips!! Thanks so much, been spending hours trying to get this right and all it needed was a light press!! Fab :)

    • I finally found out why I couldn’t get the elastic to work on my machine–thanks so much! I had to get out my old machine without the drop in bobbin in make the ruffled baby rompers that I am trying to make for the 4th. Is working quite well although I am still not getting it quite as stretchy as the purshased one.

  2. Thanks for sharing the extra tips about sewing with a Brother Machine! I have a CP7500 and tried and tried to do smocking, but with no success. I”ll have to try these tips! :)

    • I have a brother as well, and usually the only way shirring WILL work is if you tighten one of the screws on the bobbin case. I ended up buying a second bobbin case, so that I can always have one tightened, and not have to worry about loosening it back enough so it doesn’t snap the normal thread. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvXzoFzvVFQ This should help ALOT!

      • I have a brother runway model LB6800 and I have tried a lot of different ways but the fabric stays just as flat as it started, how do you make the bobbin case tighter

        • I have a brother xr1300, I was enthused by the tutorial, tried and flat…then I looked up smocking in the manual, they were referring to plain bobbin thread however I took their directions; to make desired amount of straight stitch lines, then pull the bobbing thread to make gather; and used it with the elastic thread. Worked okay. My garment does have some give and it did the gather. Good enough for me. Gave the same effect without messing with the bobbin case tension.

  3. How do you control how much it gathers? For example: if I’m shirring a skirt and I want the finished width around the waist to be 29″, how do I know what width of fabric to start out with to get it to fit when I’m done?

    • I double my fabric. So if you need a 29in waist then cut a 58inch piece. Also I. Normally have a front and back piece and then once shirred I sew up the sides. So for a 29inch waist I would cut 2 pieces of fabric at 29inches by however long you want it. Shir as many rows as you want. Also a tip fold over the top piece of fabric and sew with regular thread to have a finished edge. Do this to bottom as well. Then shir, sew up sides, and walla your done. Hope this helps

  4. Here’s a little tip: at the end of your shirring, if all the lines don’t seem even, just spray some water on them and watch the magic! They all gather as if alive and you get the perfect and regular shir you wanted!
    Thanks for your amazing posts!

  5. Great tips for shirring! I used to sell a lot of shirred dresses and loved how easy they are to make.

    I wanted to add that you actually do not want to back stitch if you are working on a heavier fabric (like a knit especially) because sometimes you need to be able to pull on the bottom thread (which in this case is elastic) to move it as you would in gathering. I really also found that for the long term “life span” of the elastic, regardless of fabric weight, it’s best not to back stitch either. I’m no professional by any means, but the dresses where I finished off all the ends by hand, the elastic has lasted much longer.

    And another way to get the fabric to really bunch up, is just to run it through the wash. I’ve worked with plenty of fabrics and it didn’t seem like the shirring was taking, only to wash it and it come out perfect (do a tester strip if you’re unsure though, as a loose tension would also be the culprit of shirring not working)

    • If I am making a little dress with smocking at the top how is the best way to hem or finish the edge?

    • I am a sewing beginner. Would you mind explaining what you mean by finishing off the ends ‘by hand’? I would like to try this technique. It looks like fun! Thank you!

      • Instead of backstictiching on machine, putt the ends of each finished seam out and manually tie a knot. That’s finishing it by hand.

  8. I love this! I really didn’t think you could do this on a typical sewing machine with regular needles etc… Thanks for this how to..

  11. I’ve shirred a few things for my daughter but could never get anything to work for me. How much bigger do you make clothes for an adult before you shirre them? Thanks for any help!

  13. Thanks SO much for this. I have really been wanting to try this technique but wasn’t sure how tight to wind the bobbin and your tutorial is perfectly detailed and totally makes sense to me. I really think I can do this now! Thanks!

  15. Thanks so much for the comprehensive tutorial. It’s something I haven’t tried yet, but now I definitely want to! Great job, as always.

  16. Oh, Ash, I’ve been attempting and failing at this for way too long. I hope this works!

  18. Oh my. I cannot wait to do this. I have about a bajillion ideas that need this, but I thought it was going to be way to difficult. Thank you so much!!

  19. I have been using the technique with sarongs that I turn into dresses for just one two years now and it works really well!

    I wish this was out when I was trying to learn as I had to use multiple sites from a Google search to teach myself how to shir! Very well done!

  20. Okay, this post is awesome. I hope that one day when I try this I can figure out what all the settings and tension things are on my machine (a brother with a drop in bobbin). :-)

    • I have a brother with a drop in bobbin and all I do is wind my elastic on my bobbin like normal thread, drop it in like normal thread and have at it. I don’t need to worry about tensions or anything. Give it a try!

      • You say that you wind it like normal thread. Do you mean you do it by hand or you use the mechanical bobbin winder? I followed other tutorials that said to wrap the thread loosely around the bobbin by hand, but I keep getting a mess of strings in my bobbin area the instant I try to start sewing. So frustrating!

        • for a brother machine or a babylock machine you need to use the bobbin winder. It needs to be very tight for it work. Beside that you don’t change any setting at all on the machine. So it like normal after that.

  22. Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!! I’ve been wanting to do this for ages, but it just seemed so hard! Doesn’t seem so bad now!!! Onward to the next project yay!

  23. Yeah! I was getting ready to do this in my next project. With your help I’m more excited than nervous. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. This blog inspires me so much…. I’m spending a lot of time at fabric stores these days:)

  24. Thanks for the tutorial! We are having our baby on Monday and I wanted to do this with the top of her blessing dress. I haven’t done it before so this will be nice to already have some hints. :) BTW – you snuck into my dream last night… We were out camping (or just being wilderness women??) while our hubbys were off somewhere. :)

  29. OMG!! I’ve been wanting to try this but was thinking that my little machine wouldn’t be able to handle working with the elastic! Kinda like trying the double needle and having an epic fail! lol I think you may have remedied both of those things with this post though, because me, being so new to sewing and having little guidance, never thought to pull the bobbin thread up from under my machine and just wondered why it wasn’t catching! lol NOW hopefully it will work right and not give me so many headaches….my poor little machine has endured many undeserved curses because of my own silly ding bat self! lol

  30. This was perfect timing! I made some pillowcase dresses for my girls today, but thought they were too tent-like. Tried the shirring and loved it!!! I did it around their waist and it adds a cute form. Thanks for a great tutorial, as always.

  34. I love using elastic thread. I don’t have little girls :( and my little boys don’t really like clothes with shirring, so I have used elastic thread to make an awesome ruffled scarf for myself.

    P.S. were you aware that the Cameo giveaway post is not working? The link just takes us to a blank white page. So sad…I would love to enter (and win)!

  35. I have a brother and got so frustrated last time, BUT, looking back, I only sewed one line and wasn’t very impressed, so I think I gave up too soon. Thanks for this and I will try again! I think Brother’s may need an extra “shirring” bobbin, but I may attempt to try it to see if some of these tips do work! :)

  36. This is the best shirring tutorial I have ever read and believe me, I have read A LOT about this! Thaks a lot for all your tutorials :D

  39. Hi Ashley,
    I was afraid to try elastic thread because I am a novice sewer but I tried it and it sewed just fine. I was well pleased. However, I put in my regular threaded bobbin in order to finish other parts of sewing and now I get bunched up thread underneath the fabric. It didn’t happen before I used elastic thread. did my bobbin tension change on it’s own? Is that possible? Now how can I sew again without getting the thick jumbled up threading underneath the fabric now? Thank you.

  40. I remember this post. I love to shir. It is so easy, but effective. I have just started doing some shirred sarings again for my sister in laws. So good for our climate! I have even re-shirred the same item to make a shorter dress/shirt because the elastic has finally failed after two years of constant use!

  41. I used to shir all the time on my older Singer. But since that one died and I bought a computerized BabyLock I haven’t been able to get it to work. It took a lot of the fun out of sewing to no longer be able to shir. :( I’ll have to try winding the bobbin tight next time I sit down to figure it out again. Thanks for the tip!

    • Hi !

      I’ve the same problem as you !!

      I’m using a Baby Lock Crafter’s choice. I tried to charge my bobbin like it was shown.

      My problem is : if I pull out the elastric thread, then, there is no tension at all on the elastic thread, and so, my smocking is not working.

      If I don’t pull out the elastic thread, the elastic thread sticks in the race, so the thread breaks, and there is no tension at all on the thread.

      Somebody showed me how to smock with the elastic thread out of the race. I don’t really like it (because I’m not really constant. Need to practice, I guess !!).

      So… :( Mayby I should film it and show it to you !! HA, HA.)

      I saw a lot of people using your technique. I don’t know why I can’t use it !

      Thank you !

  42. I have a Vicking machine and have tried all of the above and STILL cannot get the shirr to gather. Any tips?? I have adjusted my tension to higher levels and tried normal tension, tried zigzag and straight. HELP!

  43. I just tried shirring for the first time and it doesn’t seem to be working out. I have a brother machine that is computerized. The bobbin is a drop. I hand wound it (it looked just fine to me…didn’t pull too tightly etc) When I sewed the line there was absolutely NO bunching/gathering. Same with the second. I turned it over and the elastic is all wiggly, not a straight stitch like I would expect. I read all through my machine handbook and there’s nothing on sewing with elastic thread, just smocking. Any thoughts? I tried various lengths of stitches. The tension is set at 4. Should I lesson or increase the tension? Stumped :/

    Julie

  44. I have had a Brother Project Runway sewing machine for about a year and half. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!! But what I didn’t love was that couldn’t shir with it. I was sooo frustrated!!! I didn’t want to mess with the tension because me and tension settings do not get along.. sooo I tried your suggestion and wound the elastic tightly around my bobbin. Then I pulled the bobbin up like I used to in my old machine and tried it out.. Guess what.. It works!!! I have to adjust my stitch length now to make it a bit tighter but I am sooo happy it WORKS! Thank you, thank you, Thank you!!!

  45. WOW this looks much easier than I thought. I can’t wait to try it tonight. I will be attempting this for the very fist time. Your instructions are awesome and the pictures VERY helpful. I am a novice seamstress…didn’t start sewing seriously until my late 40s. I have been trying to figure out how this was done so thank you for this very informative posting. I am excited about trying this…if successful…. it will help me a lot with the outfits I make for my granddaughter’s pageant attire.

  47. UGGHH! I don’t know what I am doing wrong :( I have a Brother with a drop in bobbin and I’ve tried winding it on the top of the machine just like normal thread then I drop the bobbin in and I can’t get the thread out to start. Then I’ve tried winding it by hand(both tight and “normal” and then the elastic is too loose when I sew. I am so frustrated. I have tried so many different ways I am about to give up. :( Any suggestions?

  48. Thank you so much for this tutorial! My daughter gave me a dress to fix that she had recently bought – the shirred bodice was too loose and she wanted it to fit better since it’s strapless. Id never worked with elastic thread before and was intimidated, though I’d been sewing for many years. With your help, sewing with the elastic thread was easypeasy. It worked just like you said. I used my old Bernina 1530 rather than my Brother because of the preferable bobbin style. I wound the bobbin by hand using a chopstick to hold it so it could spin and not get the thread all in a twist. Note to self: Ripping out shirring is no fun. After 9 hrs (seriously) of removing the old, it took maybe a half hr to re-shirr it. It is a thin gauze fabric. I used stitch length “4” and made no tension changes. Bodice measured 20″ diameter unshirred; 10″ diameter when I was done (13″ to start). Someone suggested sewing each row and then traveling down to the next to row without breaking the threads. Genious! Much fewer loose ends to deal with and looks just fine.

    • I was so glad to see somebody else with a Bernina post. I have an 830. It has been a workhorse for my mother and then passed to me for making little girl clothes. I can’t wait to try this! Pillow cases are on sale right now at Wal-Mart and I was afraid a dress would look too unfinished. How does this technique work with knit? The T-shirt twin sheets were on sale also. (You can buy the pieces of bedding separate) I would love to make comfy but pretty skirt for myself.

      • So, it worked really well with the bedsheet fabric. I think because it’s thinner than regular cotton. The pillow case dress turned out great! The width was a little more than twice the size of dd chest. (about an inch) and it took 14 rows of shirring to make it as snug as I like. I found out the hard way that back stitching is a bad idea! It doesn’t hold very well. Especially if you don’t leave at least an inch and a half or even a two inch tail on both ends. Making a knot with your elastic tails when you are doing this in the round is the only way to go. Besides, it’s on the wrong side that nobody sees. But, after shirring, I added some one inch grograin ribbon for straps and it looked better than store bought! For those who are discouraged by not getting anything, you won’t for just one or two rows. Also, the tip of hitting it with a shot of steam was like magic! I wound my bobbin with the winder on my machine (1980’s 830 Bernina) and instead of putting it on the tension thingy for bobbins I held it with my finger to control the tension and that seemed to work. Thanks for the post!

      • Did you try it with a knit fabric? I was wondering how it would work with t-shirt knit. I’ve enjoyed this technique so well, I made a dress and a top for my granddaughters, and just finished a dress for my sister’s granddaughter. Maybe I’ll try it on an old t-shirt to see how it goes.

  51. Thanks so much for the tip about the tension spring on the bobbin of the Brother. I was really getting quite frustrated that I couldn’t make the shirred dresses for my granddaughter that I had made (on my old sewing machine) for her mother thirty years ago..

  52. I have sewn quite a lot, but have never been taught how to do this. Will definitely have to give it a try. Doesn’t look as difficult as I thought it would be. Thanks for sharing!

  54. Great tutorial! I didn’t realize shirring is that easy. Now I can go fix some of my dresses as well create some of my own.

  56. I finished my first skirt and when I went to steam the elastic it didn’t gather as much as I thought it would. I even tried washing & drying it & it is still huge on me. My biggest stitch length is 4, is that maybe not long enough for this project? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks! I have a Necchi 534FB

  57. Thank you so much for this turtorial. I never tried it NO GIRLS. I donate to shelter etc. I muswt try this, you make it look fun & easy. Hope to get a few out there, The Moms at shelter cry over a plain dress WOW they shed a river on a shirred dress? LOL

  58. Hello, maybe you can help! I love the way the shirring looks but i cant seem to get the tension figured out to save my life! I have a viking husqvarna 400 computer and ive tried tshirt material and cotton. Ive tried different stich lengths and different tensions but am not making progress! Any help would be great! Thanks, Tessa

  59. still trying last night…grrrr…and failed…..i need to read more this info so that i really understand.still bad in understanding english…

  60. Wow! What a neat idea. I have always loved the texture that shirring creates. This would make a sweet little pillow, a bit of work, but I think it would be nifty-do.

  62. I have looked for the thin elastic thread at walmart, hobby lobby, and michael’s and I still can’t find it. I would have to make quite a drive for the nearest Jo-Ann’s. Help!

  63. Thanks so much for sharing this! I am definitely gonna have to try this! How would you measure this for a maternity skirt?

  64. oh my. I always always thought it was way out of my league and never even looked into it. Thanks for enlightenment!

  65. I <3 <3 <3 you and your blog! Thank you so much for the fabulous tutorials! You are officially the BEST :)

  66. i could actually kiss you right now! so helpful! thank girl!! God bless

  67. Can’t wait to try shirring/smocking! They make for the most comfortable skirts and the cutest little girl dresses…

  68. Thank you so much! I’ve been trying to do this technique, and haven’t had any success until your tutorial. I don’t have my mom with me anymore to help with these things, so you really saved my skirt! Thanks again.

  69. I love this! I’ve made a few dresses and even a couple for neighbors already. I bought two spools, and I still have tons left. I can’t believe how inexpensive these projects are turning into! This was by far the cheapest and easiest tool I’ve used in my arsenal. On average, it’s costing me up to .10 cents a shirt/dress. I thank you for making this web site! I’m making it, and loving every minute of it! Thank you!

  70. Don’t you have to adjust the bobbin tension before you put it back into the sewing machine?

  71. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m enjoying your sense of humor, too! The directions are quite explicit.The trouble-shooting tips are really helpful.

    Yes, I can DO this and here I go…

    Emi

  72. This tutorial rocks! I just up-cycled this awful denim jumper style dress into a really cute, slightly imperfect and super comfy skirt. Many thanks to you!

  73. I love your blog. I think you really cool to share their ideas.
    Sorry for my english. I am Brazilian from Sao Paulo and I love sewing and craft. Your tips are very helpful.

  76. Thanks SOOOOO much for this post! I’ve made a beautiful dress for my cousin just now, and plan on using this technique for a bunch of dresses for my 9 month old!!

  77. Thank you, thank you! I was at a loss as to how to fit my shirred piece into the other piece because it was HUGE…no where in the original instructions did the pattern maker tell you to steam the shirring! You are a life saver!

  78. Hi there,

    I do have a brother machine, and my strongest issue is that I can’t get this to work, mainly (I think) because in this particular model, the machine automatically pulls the bobbin thread. While it works great [almost] every time, it doesn’t want to grab the bobbin elastic thread for this.

    Do you have any suggestions that I could use?
    Thanks in advance, I really, really like your website!

  79. Thanks so much, can’t wait to try it then make the baby sun suit I have a pattern for

  80. Wow, Ashley! This is fabulous. Thank you for sharing your talents with us. My shirt thanks you, too…if not for this post, it would have been destined for the Goodwill. :)

  81. Thank you for posting this! I thought smocking was going to be ridiculously hard, since my mom (who worked as a seamstress years ago) told me that she had never done it and couldn’t help me figure it out, but you were right when you said it was instant happiness.

    And I seriously did drop everything I was doing and try it right after reading this, by the way. I made a simple sheer peach and orange paisley border print kimono and smocked the waist on it instead of making a casing for an elastic waistband, and I love it!

    So, thanks again! I couldn’t have done it without you. :)

  82. Im a seft taught senior , low self esteem. Tutorial on shirring is great and im anxious to try. No family/friends to sew for I donate to shelters, church’es, meals on mwheel etc. Thank you for sharing.

    • I belong to a group Threads of Love that sews for sick and preemie babies in local hospitals.
      I am sure there would be a group in your area. there is also a group called New borns in need

  83. Thank you for a very informative tutorial!

    I just thought I’d add that I have a bernette 66 with a drop-in bobbin, and I also needed to wind my thread tighter – I did it by hand, just pulling it as I went!

    Can’t wait to shirr EVERYTHING! :D

  84. Hi Ashley,
    I really love all your wonderful ideas …
    I just got a Bernina 550 , can’t wait to start shirring cos my previous Brother machine gave me a hard time :(
    Anyway, would like to check with u if the needle tension needs to be loosen? Or do I just adjust the stitch length to the longest?
    Thank you!

    Amelia

  85. Another great tutorial. I am still learing to sew and with that comes intimidation on making the first cut, stitch, etc. Your tutorials are so detailed yet so easy to understand! I can’t wait to see what’s next!

    Thank you!!!!

  86. Hi Ashley

    I am thinking of purchasing a machine and would like to know what is the best sewing machine for shirring and also to sew cotton Knit? I was looking at the Elna machines, but still not sure. Please advise and what machne do you use?

    Thanks

  87. If I am making a dress do I cut the pattern out then use this technique? If so how on earth do I figure out how much more I need!

  88. Hi, I’m always a lover of your tutorials and have tried so many of your projects for my 2 year girl..I was trying to shirr the chest of my girl’s dress almost for a day and ended up too messy all the times.Tried with so many options and finally threading the bobbin too tight with the elastic thread worked for me.I tried it as my last option since none of the tutorials said so..Just wanted to suggest if you can add this point to the tutorial,it would be a great help for the beginner level sewers like me.Offcourse it is in the comments section,but people like me are so lazy to read all the 130+ comments.. :)

  89. Ohhh, thank you! Have had a rainbow patchwork twirly dress for my nearly-four year old sitting to one side for several months now because I’m so scared of messing up the shirring – this is SUCH a clear, simple-to-follow tute that I’m going to try it tomorrow!

  90. hi there! i run a craft project in Uganda and i’m working with local tailors to make “Western” designs using local fabrics. but this technique we struggle with, do you have any tips for doing it on old manual singer treadle machines? this is what we use here as we don’t have much power.
    Thanks!
    Kirsty

  91. MANY THANKS for your most comprehensive instructions [i have found] re smocking/shirring. Makes sense and even though i havn’t attempted to fix my daughter’s blouses as yet, with a Brother!, now feeling confident I can, thanks to these clear instructions.

    Blessings :-D

  92. Thanks for this tutorial. After fiddling with a few minor glitches I was able to sew some really great smocking! I tried it on a Brother machine and used a SideWinder to wind the bobbin. Thx!

  93. I’ve only read a few of your posts…………and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the conversations you are having with your readers, the details you include and like me…..talk “till the cows come home” lol. Its so nice to “meet” you.
    I can’t wait to learn from all your posts and be able to share what I glean from your wealth of talent. Thanks for sharing.
    :)

  94. I cannot for the life get it to work. I have a singer, I’ve done everything you said to do and it won’t gather. Could it be because my material is so stretchy? It’s a lightweight knit. Suggestions? Thank you!

  95. This is awesome! I have always avoided this look like the plague because I figured it entailed some real tricky hand sewing or something & I’m just barely climbing up the fence between a beginner and an advanced beginner seamstress. Well, now I know. I plan to try this ASAP. Very excited. :)

  96. I finally just got my machine to work with the elastic thread but it isn’t pulling my fabric very tight, should I wind my bobbin tighter? Adjust a different setting? Still new to sewing….
    Thank you for your wonderful insight!

  97. I’m so glad I found your tutorial! I just bought elastic thread and was playing around with it. I’m going to make the doll panties to start with. Been having trouble with every pattern I try. Wish me luck! Oh, and by the way…we have the same thumbs!!!!
    Susan

  98. Thank you so much for this. Seriously! You explained so well and made it so clear, its foolproof.

    Best wishes,

  99. These instructions were fantastic, managed to do it with no problems at all, so much easier than I thought it was going to be. Thanks very much for posting.