Gathering
Creating fullness or pleats in the skirt section as marked on the pattern.
Where it is used
Gathering the Shoulders
p. 2- Gently pull the lower threads to gather the shoulder seam to match the length indicated on your paper pattern. Distribute the gathers evenly and tie off the thread ends.
Preparing Lower Front Gathers
p. 4- Sew two parallel gathering lines along the lower edge of the front pieces (3 mm and 7 mm from the edge) using a long stitch length (3.5-4 mm). Leave thread tails loose.
Gathering Lower Front Bodice
p. 4- Pull the lower threads to gather the lower edge of the front bodice to match the pattern specifications. Tie off the thread ends to secure.
11. Stitching Gathering Lines
p. 7- Stitch gathering lines across four sections at the hem of the skirt, following the patterns for the front and back panels.
12. Gathering Hem
p. 7- Gather the basting stitch at the hem to the measurement indicated on the skirt pattern.
13 & 14. Inverted Pleats
p. 8- Make inverted pleats along the lower edge of the skirt between the gathered sections, following the notches. Secure the pleat allowances with a 0.3 cm seam allowance.
Gathering the Ruffle
p. 11- Gather the gathering stitch along the ruffle to the size indicated on the pattern for the front and back ruffles.
1. Preparing the Front Panel: Step 1.7
p. 8- Gather the stitching to the size specified on the pattern for the lower section. Evenly distribute the ease across the entire gathering area.
Cuffs and waistbands
p. 11- Sew two parallel lines on the machine, first setting your stitch length to 5mm. Leave long thread tails at the ends—you'll use these to gather the fabric.
Related terms
← depends onWaist seam
requiresSewing machine
requiresThread
← depends onSleeve cap gathering
← depends onRuffle
requiresSewing machine
requiresStandard sewing machine
← depends onWaist seam
requiresStraight stitch machine
applied toThree-thread loopback fabric