Gathers are quite easy to create and sew, but not all fabrics gather easily. Personally, I like to use 100% cotton fabric because it gathers quite nicely. Slippery fabrics such as georgette or chiffon also gather easily, but those fabrics might be more difficult for beginning sewers to handle.

My method for creating gathers is to set the sewing machine stitch length at 5 and sew 3/8 inches from the raw edge. The second row of gathering stitches is shown at slightly less then 3/8 inches. Beginning sewers might find that sewing at 1/2 inch and 3/8 inches is easier. These stitches will not show when the standard 5/8 seam allowance is sewn as the gathered part of the sewing project is sewn to a bodice or pillow. However, if some of the gathering stitches show on the garmet, it is very easy to pull them out because the stitch length is a long stitch length.

If I am gathering a ruffle, or skirt, I always start and stop the gathering stitches at the seams, meaning that I will stop sewing the gathering stitches when I come to a seam. I will resume sewing gathering stitches on the other side of the seam. It is harder to gather the area where the seams have been sewn and are pressed open because there is more bulk in that area.

When sewing gathering stitches, make sure to leave long thread tails at the beginning and end of the gathering stitches. These thread tails will be what is pulled in order to create the gathers on the sewing project. Most of the time, the sewing pattern will instruct you to gather the piece, such as a skirt or ruffle, to fit the bodice or pillow, and then sew the skirt to the bodice or the ruffle to the pillow. Pulling the bobbin threads will make it easier to create gathers. The bobbin threads are located on the part of the fabric that was next to sewing machine bed as the gathering stitches were sewn.

The above method of creating and sewing gathers works very well when working with 100% cotton fabric, but if sewing with denim or home dec fabrics, which are heavier fabrics, there is another method of creating and sewing gathers. Many seamstresses use dental floss and sew a wide zigzag stitch over the dental floss. The dental floss is then pulled to create the gathers. If the dental floss should be accidentally caught in the stitching, it's easy to cut the stitch so that the fabric will gather easily. I have also used a thin yarn and a smooth twine to create gathers using this method, but many seamstresses find dental

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