Gathering can be a bit fiddly, particularly if you are a bit of a perfectionist and like it to look just so.

Here's a couple of quick tips that will hopefully help to create perfect gathers.

I feel that both of these tips work best when you have quite a lot of fabric to gather, rather than a subtle gather.

Tip 1.

An extra row of gathering stitches outside the seam allowance.

Add an extra row of long stitches (length 4) outside the seam allowance.

For example if you're working with a 1.5cm seam allowance stitch at 2cm.

This extra row of stitching outside the seam allowance keeps your gathers nice and straight on the stitching line. The image below shows the extra row of stitching in black.

When the gathering in the photo above is attached to the garment your stitching line will be between the bottom light blue stitching line and the black stitching line.

Tip 2.

Use Dental Floss

Use dental floss and a zig zag stitch.

Zig zag stitch over the dental floss - make sure you don't catch the dental floss with the needle.

Secure one end of the dental floss when pulling up. Here I have wound it around a pin to secure it. Then pull the dental floss to gather the fabric. 

Secure the other end once gathers are completed. You can stitch over the dental floss to secure it in place.

Once attached to the garment you can remove the dental floss if you would prefer.

Tip 3. 

If you do a lot of gathering it might be worth investing in a ruffler foot - like this one! I’ll write more about this great device in another blog. Watch this space!

 Happy gathering!