Shirring is made by sewing ordinary thread on the top of the fabric and elastic thread in the bobbin. Once the rows are sewn and the fabric is gently steamed, the elastic contracts into soft gathers. It is a useful way to shape a bodice, sleeve, waist, or cuff without adding a separate casing.
It can also be temperamental. The most common failures are simple ones: the elastic was wound too tightly, the stitch was too short, the fabric was not guided evenly, or the machine was never given a test piece. The following method is intended for a domestic sewing machine and lightweight woven fabric. Always check your machine manual if it gives special instructions for elastic thread or bobbin tension.
What you will need
- Lightweight woven fabric, washed and pressed
- Elastic thread made for sewing
- Regular sewing thread for the needle
- Sewing machine with a straight-stitch setting
- A fresh needle suitable for the fabric
- Hand needle and thread for securing loose ends
- Iron and a surface that can support the fabric flat
- Ruler, chalk, or a removable fabric marker
Shirring generally works best in a fabric with some natural softness and movement. Very heavy cloth may not gather well, while an extremely loose weave can be distorted by the elastic. Make a sample from the actual fabric before cutting or sewing the garment.
Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash.
Prepare the machine and fabric
1. Wind the elastic bobbin by hand
Wind the elastic thread slowly and evenly around an empty bobbin. Do not stretch the elastic as you wind it. It should lie on the bobbin with the relaxed, slightly soft appearance it has in your hand.
A hand-wound bobbin is important because a machine winder may pull the elastic tight. That tension is then carried into every stitch and can prevent the finished rows from drawing up properly. Do not pack the bobbin completely full; leave enough room for it to turn freely in the bobbin case.
If your bobbin has a small hole for starting the thread, use it to hold the end while winding, then release or trim that end before sewing. Follow the normal direction for placing the bobbin in your machine. Elastic thread is usually used only in the bobbin, with regular sewing thread through the needle.
2. Thread the needle with regular thread
Use thread that matches, or nearly matches, the right side of the fabric. Since the fabric is placed right side up while shirring, the regular thread will show on the surface and the elastic will sit on the wrong side.
Insert a fresh needle suited to the weight and weave of the fabric. A blunt or damaged needle can cause skipped stitches, while a needle that is too large may leave visible holes in a light cloth.
3. Choose a starting setting
Select a plain straight stitch and begin with a long stitch length. A setting near the longest straight stitch available on many machines is a useful starting point, though the exact number varies between machines. Increase the upper thread tension moderately if the elastic is not gathering the fabric, but do not assume that a high tension setting is always better.
The correct setting is the one that gives a secure, even row without harsh puckering, skipped stitches, or elastic that looks stretched to breaking. Record the settings that work on your sample before moving to the garment.
Mark the rows
Press the fabric before marking. Decide where the shirred section will begin, then mark the first row with chalk or a removable marker. Subsequent rows can be spaced with a ruler or guided from the edge of the presser foot, provided that edge gives you a consistent distance.
A spacing of roughly 1 to 1.5 centimetres is a practical place to begin. Closer rows produce a denser, more gathered panel; wider rows leave a more open texture. Keep the lines parallel. Small changes in spacing become noticeable when several rows are gathered together.
Cut the fabric with a little care around the intended shirred area. Shirring reduces the finished width, so a fabric panel that looks generous before sewing may become considerably narrower after the elastic has contracted. The amount depends on the cloth, elastic, stitch length, and number of rows. A sample is the only reliable way to judge it.
Sew the shirring
1. Place the fabric right side up
The elastic should form the underside of the finished work. Bring both the needle thread and bobbin thread toward the back, leaving tails long enough to handle comfortably. Lower the presser foot and align the needle with the first marked row.
2. Secure the beginning
Sew a few stitches, then backstitch over them if your machine handles the elastic cleanly. Some machines pull or tangle elastic when reversing. In that case, begin with a shorter stitch length for a few stitches, or leave thread and elastic tails to secure by hand later.
Do not begin directly at an unsupported raw edge if the pattern includes a seam allowance. Starting slightly within the allowance gives the ends somewhere to be enclosed and makes them easier to secure.
3. Sew the row without stretching the fabric
Guide the fabric gently along the marked line. Do not pull it toward you or stretch it sideways as you sew. Let the feed dogs move it at their own pace, using only light support from your hands.
The fabric may not gather much while the row is being sewn. This is normal. Each row works with the next, and the final contraction is more visible after light steam is applied. Keep the fabric as flat as possible before the presser foot, and pause if the edge begins to drift.
At the end of the row, secure the stitches in the same way as at the beginning, or leave tails for hand-finishing. Cut the threads and move to the next marked line. Avoid dragging the fabric sharply out from beneath the presser foot, as this can stretch the elastic and disturb the last stitches.
4. Continue with even spacing
Work from one side of the panel to the other, checking the row spacing often. If the fabric edge is not straight, use the marks rather than the edge as your guide. On a tubular piece, a free arm can make it easier to support the work, but it is still important not to stretch the fabric around the arm.
Photo by J Williams on Unsplash.
Steam the finished rows
When all rows are sewn, place the fabric flat with the elastic side facing up. Hold the iron above the fabric and apply gentle steam rather than pressing hard. Let the fabric cool before moving it.
Steam encourages the elastic to contract and often makes the gathers look more even. The amount needed depends on the fabric, so begin lightly. If the cloth is delicate, keep the iron from touching the elastic directly and use a pressing cloth where appropriate. Do not force the fabric into tighter gathers by pulling it while hot.
Once cool, stretch the panel gently by hand to check its recovery. The rows should expand without the elastic feeling as though it is under excessive strain. Secure the ends before trimming them. You can knot the elastic and regular thread together by hand, weave the tails into nearby stitches, or enclose them within a seam allowance. A small hand needle is useful where machine backstitching has disturbed the elastic.
Troubleshooting loose or uneven shirring
The fabric does not gather
First check the bobbin. If the elastic was wound under tension, replace it with a loosely hand-wound bobbin. Confirm that the bobbin is inserted in the correct direction and that the elastic is passing through the bobbin-case tension path as intended by the machine.
Next, sew another sample with a longer stitch length. If the rows still lie nearly flat, raise the upper tension a little and test again. Make only one change at a time so you can see what helped. Some fabrics simply need more rows before the gathering becomes apparent.
The gathers are tight, harsh, or uneven
The elastic may have been stretched while winding, or the upper tension may be too high. Try a fresh bobbin wound without pulling the thread and reduce the upper tension slightly. Check that you are not stretching the fabric as it passes under the foot.
Uneven row spacing can also make the gathering appear irregular even when the stitches themselves are sound. Mark the fabric more carefully, and use a consistent guide for every row.
The machine skips stitches or knots underneath
Replace the needle and rethread both the upper path and bobbin. Make sure the bobbin is seated correctly and that the elastic is not spilling over its edges. Clean lint from the bobbin area if needed, then test again on a scrap.
If backstitching creates a tangle, stop reversing over the elastic. Leave longer tails and secure the ends by hand or within a seam instead. A machine that sews the row smoothly forward is more useful than one that technically backstitches but damages the elastic.
One section is gathered and another is flat
Do not immediately unpick the whole panel. Mark the flat section and inspect its stitches from the wrong side. If the elastic is present but slack, steam the area gently and stretch it a little once cool. If that does not help, sew a new row directly over the old one or just beside it, using the setting that worked elsewhere.
For a short missed section, hand-sew through the existing line with elastic thread, following the original stitch path as closely as possible. Secure the ends on the wrong side. The repair may not be invisible, but it is often concealed within a seam, under an arm, or beneath a facing.
The elastic breaks
Stop and remove the broken end without pulling the gathers apart. Join the elastic by hand with several small overlapping stitches, then secure the join on the wrong side. If breaks continue, use a fresh length of elastic, lower the upper tension, and check that the needle is not striking or scraping the thread.
A quiet final check
Before assembling the garment, try the shirred panel against the body or over the intended layer. Check that it expands comfortably and that the rows sit where planned. Shirring should hold the fabric close without cutting in or placing constant strain on the elastic.
The most reliable method is patient rather than complicated: wind the bobbin without stretching the thread, test on the real fabric, sew long and steady rows, and use steam only after the stitching is complete. When a row goes wrong, correct the local problem first. Many uneven panels can be brought into order without being taken apart from the beginning.
Photo by Alexander Andrews on Unsplash.