How to Add Elastic Shirring to Your Sewing Projects | Sewing Details
Machine shirring involves sewing rows of stitching 1/2" apart while using elastic thread in the bobbin and all-purpose thread in the needle. The elastic thread evenly gathers the fabric between stitches, creating texture and elasticity. In this video, you'll learn how to add shirring to your next sewing project!
Shirring
00:00 - Intro
00:22 - What you'll learn
02:53 - How to shirr
11:06 - Tutorial recap
💬 Do you prefer shirring or smocking? Comment and let me know!
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Пікірлер: 45
Super amazing! Showing my age here - the shirring I was taught involves using a tiny width long length zig zag stitch while holding the elastic on the fabric. I had no idea modern sewing machines could have the elastic loaded onto the bobbin, so I'm still doing the old way 😂 Guess I better go check the manual for my machine. Thank you 😍
@daxxydog5777
Жыл бұрын
It’s probably easier that way! A cording foot would be helpful for that as well. I think these expensive machines intimidate people, but any old zig zag machine would work. I gave up on modern machines and my daily driver is an all metal 60s Singer 500a. She can’t be killed.
@krankywitch
Жыл бұрын
@@daxxydog5777 Old is often better - better constructed for sure. I have a 'new' Brother that is now 18 years old. I call it my new machine because my old one is my first - a 1986 Brother, solid metal, strong motor, and it was pretty exciting to get because it has a button-hole feature. Not automatic, but still easier than hand-binding buttonholes ☺A real step up from the treadle Singer I learned on. I keep the old one so that when my 'new' machine needs to be repaired, I can keep on sewing. The old one has never been away from home because it's never missed a stitch.
Thank you for this super helpful Video 👍😊
@SeamworkVideo
22 күн бұрын
You're so welcome!
Super helpful. I had no idea you could adjust bobbin tension.
Love this! Hey I'd like to see a corded button hole. Thank You.
Thank you for sharing. Love the magic of steam… I’d love to learn pad stitching collars or lapels to sew a tailored blazer or coat
@moneal99801
Жыл бұрын
Me too!
That video give me the confidence to try a blouse shiring pattern. Thank you.
@SeamworkVideo
Жыл бұрын
Awesome!
This was incredibly helpful!!! Thank you so much!
@SeamworkVideo
6 ай бұрын
You are so welcome!
Thank you for this! I’ve always wanted to try Shirring.
@SeamworkVideo
Жыл бұрын
You should! It's a really cool technique!
I'd been trying to shirr something and it just wasn't turning out. Didn't know I needed to steam it so I will go try that!
Excellent presentation
Thank you for sharing 🥰would love to see tips and tricks to sewing with pleather (faux leather) 😅
I'm excited to give this a go again! I've tried in the past with limited success. I didn't know about setting to a narrow zig zag, or about adjusting the bobbin tension! I'm excited to try those techniques to see if they make a difference! Thanks!
@SeamworkVideo
Жыл бұрын
Absolutely! Have fun with it!
Great tutorial. Thanks for sharing! ❤
@SeamworkVideo
Жыл бұрын
So glad you liked it!
So helpful! I bought a cute cotton dress, and it runs large. I can't wait to make it a little tighter in the back with shirring.
@SeamworkVideo
Жыл бұрын
Such a good plan!
Love the video! Would love to see a video on adding a zipper to a pocket…
You are amazing 👍🌻🍀🌺☘🌷🌱
@SeamworkVideo
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
This is a skill I've wanted to learn. Thank You! How many rows of shirring did you apply to the Carter dress? Seven, Eight?
@SeamworkVideo
Жыл бұрын
It has 7 rows. :)
My Bernina has a foot with a hole that you can feed the elastic thread thru, and then just you zigzag over the elastic thread. So no need to wind bobbin with elastic thread!
@SeamworkVideo
5 ай бұрын
Such a cool foot! That sounds really handy.
Will shirring draw a waistband up higher? Should I lengthen a bodice a bit if I’m going to shirr?
@SeamworkVideo
Жыл бұрын
Excellent question. Yes, adding any kind of definition at the waist will raise the hem slightly. You could lengthen it by an inch or two, then try it on after shirring to get the hem exactly where you want it.
How much extra width I should add to make a blouse size 14Canadian
@SeamworkVideo
Ай бұрын
Sizes vary from company to company so I can't answer that question for you. You'll want to start with about 10" of ease.
Cool! Would this work with the Seamwork Micah dress? Love a flowy summer dress pattern so much, but without any shaping at the waist it might give potato sack vibes on my body type 😅
@SeamworkVideo
Жыл бұрын
Yes, I think this technique would work great with Micah, especially with a lighter-weight fabric.
@hey_virginia
Жыл бұрын
@@SeamworkVideo Ooo yes with a lightweight fabric, good point. Thank you! I am pregnant and due this summer and looking for flowy flexible patterns, and then this video got me interested in trying out some shirring 😊 y'all are the best
What's you sewing machine brand and model
@SeamworkVideo
Ай бұрын
We use Bernina machines!
Smocking is not stretchy. It’s a tiny series of offset pleats, so not a good replacement for shirring.
@amandaglidewell8451
Жыл бұрын
The smocking I do is quite stretchy. Perhaps not as much a shirring, but smocking can ver easily replace shirring if it’s done correctly. It also depends on the stitch that is used over the pleats. Several rows of cable stitches Do better than trellis stitches.
@SeamworkVideo
Жыл бұрын
The main purpose of smocking is to gather fabric so it can stretch. Wikipedia has some interesting background on it: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smocking
I’m scared to do this on my machine. I just bought a new one and being low income I can’t afford a replacement let alone maintenance. That’s why I’ve never tried it. Shirring isn’t in my machines manual, but smocking is. I see that your machine has auto tension, mine doesn’t so I would also have to change the presser foot tension and thread tension.
@SeamworkVideo
Жыл бұрын
You could give this a try without changing any tension settings and see if it works on your machine. That would be a low-stakes way to test it out.