Does anyone out there have difficulty with making gathers? This is one of the many ways in which, after literally four decades of sewing experience, I am still incompetent. I long ago gave up on the method recommended in all pattern instructions of a double row of long machine stitches because the thread always breaks. If it's just a short piece to be gathered, like a sleeve, I just make gathers with pins. For longer things like skirts and ruffles I do it with a running stitch by hand.
The little dress in the previous post turned out to be too short. Since I had quite a bit of the skirt fabric left over, the simple solution was to add a ruffle. The piece seems ridiculously long for a ruffle on a small child's dress so, feeling a bit lazy, I started trying to think of alternatives to hand gathering. I came up with what I thought was the brilliant idea to use hand quilting thread which is considerably stronger. So, feeling quite proud of myself I filled a bobbin and threaded the machine with quilting thread and did the stitching. I started carefully gathering but in a very little time the thread broke, as usual. It seems impossible that this happened. I was going slowly and carefully, not pulling hard at all and this seemingly very strong thread just broke! How is it that other people can do this but I cannot?
I'm gathering at this very moment! I've never used quilting thread-- I use a triple row of Gutermann mara 120 (poly), and always pull the bobbin thread. But yeah, gathering is a PITA...
ReplyDeleteFor me, the trick is to gather it in sections. Divide the piece into sections, sew your basting, then gather (very carefully) each section individually. I hardly ever get breakage that way. Some people use dental floss, though, so that's another trick you could try. I think you run a wide zigzag over it.
ReplyDeleteI second what Marcy wrote above: I use polyester thread to gather. Three rows can give you neater results than two, but that doesn't always matter. I also sometimes gather by sewing the widest zigzag my machine will allow over a strand of dental floss. Like this.
ReplyDeleteDental floss is a good idea. I never thought of that.
ReplyDelete