How to gather fabric with a sewing machine

Are you looking for ways to use your sewing machine to gather your fabric? Moreover, are you having a hard time while doing so? Don’t worry; I have just made everything super easy and quick for you!

Gathering fabric means bringing together your fabric in such a way that your fabric creates a slight ruffle in itself. This process of gathering fabric is mostly used in skirts, long dresses, puffy sleeves, and many other designs. You can easily learn how to gather your fabric and then master your skills in gathering the fabric in no time! So I’m going to provide you with some easy upper ways that you can gather your fabric using a sewing machine. So let’s start.

Materials you need 

How to gather fabric with a sewing machine 

Sew a straight line 

Firstly, put on your safety glove as you know it is better safe than sorry. Then you are going to take the fabric that you have taken out for gathering and get to work. Make sure that your sewing machine is set to stitch in a straight line stitch, and then turn the length of a stitch-up to 4 since you will need larger stitches.

Then what you have to do is sew a straight line at ¼ of an inch seam in the fabric. You can use the edge of your machine’s presser foot and sew all the way around.

Thread cutting 

Once you have made a straight stitch, take your fabric out and keep it connected with the long threads. Cut the thread from the middle just so that you still have a long thread hanging from your fabric’s end and from your machine’s end.

Sewing seam 

From the seam that you have previously sewn, sew another seam of the same ¼ inch size and put down your fabric and just like you have done before, sew all the way around your fabric once again. Once you are done, cut the threads of the newer seam just like I taught you before.

Tying knots

After you have successfully gone through all the above steps, you are finally ready to gather your fabric! Firstly, what you have to do is to separate the top thread from your bobbin thread and then tie one set, which is on the top, and pull it down to the fabric. Once you have done this to the first end, please do it again to the second and the opposite end.

Gather the fabric

Yes, it’s finally time! You have made it this far, and this step now is just a piece of cake! What you have to do to gather your fabric works your way from the left and then from the right side of your fabric all the way to the middle; stop when all the fabric is gathered in the middle. If you want me to say it in simpler words, all you have to do is pull the threads on the sides of the fabrics in an upward motion, and all the fabric will automatically move towards the middle of the fabric, creating gathers for you!

Even the gathers 

Once the gathers are successfully in shape, just put them down and use your hands to even them out, you can move and play around with your gathers until you are satisfied with their result, and once you are, you are going to tie tiny knots at the ends of the gathers, knot your threads in such a way so that they won’t come undone.

Add a waistband 

Put your gathered fabric aside and start making a waistband for it now. This will be the final step for your gathered fabric; all you have to do is to take an extra fabric and pin the gathered fabric on it in a straight line. Then sew a 5/8 of an inch allowance and as you keep coming up with the gathers, keep straightening them out before you sew the waistband over them. Keep rechecking your gathered fabric and keep laying it out neatly while you are sewing it to avoid any roughness afterward, and yes, you are done!