Gathers

[Nevada]

I hate gathers...I hate them..I hate them.. I hate them! :augh: Smoohing hair back into place..thank you..we now return you to your regularly scheduled program...

[Ysobelle]

How are you making them ans what are you doing with them? Maybe we can offer a few tips? It might save a few hairs.

['Nise]

do you have lots of pins. The best system for gathers that I have seen is basting the area to be gathered and then pinning the two peices together leaving the area to be gathered loose. Pull the basting thread tight untill the two areas are the sames size. Then you can spread it out between the pins as you like it. Use LOTS of pins to connect the pieces. When you sewing it on machine, just take it very slow. If you are hand sewing my suggesting is to make as small of stitches as you can manage and to double stitch each seam.

Good luck on that gathers are intreresting, but honestly they very rarely turn our wrong.

Love
'Nise

[Ysobelle]

You know what works like a charm for me? Instead of a basting stitch, I pop a piece of carpet thread under the sewing machine foot, and then do a wide zig-zag over it. Then I just gather the fabric by sliding it along the heavy carpet thread. I used to use the basting stitch, but when you're gathering something big and/or heavy, if that thread breaks, you're screwed.

Leave long ends on the carpet thread, though, and gather from both sides, so that whatever you're gathering doesn't shoot off one end. If it does, though, you can thread the carpet thread back under the zigzag stitch with a wide-eyed needle.

[Nevada]

Thanks ladies....I had just gotten the halfway through the back of a shirt when the thread broke and had to start over...then I was talking to my Rogue while pinning the section to the yoke and when I finished and held it up I realized I had pinned it to the wrong side hahahahaha...told the Rogue to go play on the computer and let me work....

[Mermaid]

Here's another idea for gathers on heavy fabric---Walmart (I love that place!) has gathering cord for curtains for about 50 cents a yard. Stitch the tape down on either side, pull the center cord to adjust--you're done!
I had to make a "Belle" (as in Beauty and the Beast) costume for work--not only did it work great, I could leave the cord in to adjust the dress up or down for various Belle's of different heights!

Mermaid