Shirring

Start with elastic thread.

Hand wind, barely stretching, the elastic thread on to a bobbin.



Mark your lines where you want to add the rows of elastic. Sew either a straight stitch or a zigzag stitch (both work fine), along your marked (or in most cases for me eyeballed) rows. I like to use a 3 1/2 stitch length. Make sure you have the right side of the fabric facing up so that the elastic thread will be on the inside of what ever you are making or the on backside of the fabric.

The Back

The Front

The more rows you sew the more gathered your fabric will be. Leave tails of the elastic thread on the ends of your rows to tie off so it doesn't come undone.

It is so much fun to experiment and play with shirring!