Table of Contents
What is Shirring and Why Use It?
Shirring resurged last spring and summer, and it’s not going anywhere. You’ll see it across entire bodices, just at back panels for easy on/off, or at sleeve wrists for soft balloon effects. The look is airy and forgiving; the fit flexes with you throughout the day.
Mechanically, shirring works because you put elastic thread in the bobbin while keeping regular polyester thread on top. As you sew straight rows, that elastic—hidden inside the garment—draws the fabric in to create evenly gathered texture. If you’re new to the materials, black and white shirring elastic are the easiest to find.
Pro tip
- Finish the top edge of your garment before you start shirring. It’s much harder to finish neatly once everything is gathered.
Quick check
- On a scrap, stitch a few rows. Does the fabric begin to draw in after a couple of lines? If not, adjust how you wound the elastic bobbin and test again.
Preparing Your Sewing Machine for Shirring
You’ll set up your machine almost as usual—with a few specific tweaks.
Hand-Winding Your Elastic Bobbin
Hand-wind shirring elastic onto an empty bobbin. Apply just enough tension that the elastic lies flat against the previous wrap—don’t pull so tightly that you stretch it out before you even start sewing. If your winding is too loose or too tight, unwind and redo.
How much bobbin will you need? As a guide from the video, one bobbin covered about six rows across 55-inch-wide fabric. A full 11-inch shirred bodice used around eight bobbins to achieve roughly 38 rows (the creator needed a second spool of elastic thread).
From the comments
- Several sewists with certain machines (e.g., some Brother or Bernette models) reported better gathers when hand-winding the elastic a little tighter than expected. Your mileage may vary—test first.
Watch out
- It’s risky to change bobbin case tension screws; multiple viewers noted they prefer adjusting winding tension instead, so the machine’s standard tension remains undisturbed.
Loading Your Bobbin: Drop-in vs. Front-loading Machines
For a drop-in (top-loading) machine, open the bobbin cover, drop the elastic-wound bobbin in, and guide the thread through the same path you’d use for regular thread. Bring the bobbin thread up with a standard needle down/up motion.
For a front-loader, place the bobbin in the bobbin case with the tail going down to the left—“P for perfect”—thread the case slot, insert the case, and bring up the bobbin thread as usual. Always check your manual if in doubt.
Quick check
- After loading, gently pull the bobbin tail. You should feel consistent resistance through the case path.
Optimal Machine Settings for Success
Start with a longer straight stitch—3.5 or 4. The presenter has not needed to adjust machine tension (top or bobbin) on various new and vintage machines; begin with standard tension and a longer stitch, then test. Finish your top edge before shirring, and backstitch 2–3 times at the start of your first row to prevent the elastic pulling free later.
From the comments
- Needle type/size wasn’t specified in the video; one reply suggests a size 80 universal for many rayons, or 70 for lighter fabrics. Always test first.
Step-by-Step Shirring Technique
Let’s sew rows that stay secure and look consistent.
Preparing Your Fabric Edge
If your garment has a top edge (like a bodice or skirt), finish it first—overlock/serge or your preferred clean finish—so you’re not wrangling gathers while trying to finish later.
Starting Your First Row: The Backstitch is Key
At your first row’s starting point, backstitch 2–3 times to anchor the elastic. Stitch forward along your marked line or use the presser foot as your guide. If you prefer, chalk guidelines for your first few rows until your spacing feels natural.
Watch out
- If you skip that initial backstitch, the elastic can pull out with wear.
Seamlessly Sewing Multiple Rows: The Pivot Method
Instead of cutting threads and backstitching at every row, try the pivot method demonstrated in the video: 1) Sew the first row as normal. 2) Continue a little way into the seam allowance. 3) With the needle down, pivot the fabric 90°. 4) Sew a few stitches along the seam allowance. 5) Pivot again 90° and start the next row, aligning your presser foot with the previous row to keep spacing consistent.
This creates a continuous path of stitching that avoids lots of stops/starts, and it tucks thread changes into the seam allowance for a neat interior.
From the comments
- Sew on the right side of the fabric so the elastic (in the bobbin) winds up on the inside.
Quick check
- After 3–4 rows, give the fabric a light steam press to encourage the elastic to “ping” into gathers. If it’s not drawing in, revisit your bobbin winding tension and test again. magnetic embroidery frames
Teresa's Top 5 Tips for Shirring Success
These five essentials will save you time and stress.
Tip 1: Always Test on Scraps
Before touching your garment, stitch a few rows on a scrap of the actual fabric. Confirm your stitch length (3.5–4) and that your bobbin is wound with the right “just taut enough” tension.
Tip 2: Secure Strapless Garments with an Elastic Channel
If your piece relies on shirring to hold it up (strapless bodices or pull-on skirts), add a separate elastic channel at the top for 1/4", 1/2", or 3/4" elastic. This gives stay-up reliability all day. A helpful comment suggests adding the channel before shirring and inserting the elastic after you’re done shirring so you can fine-tune the length to your body.
Watch out
- Shirring elastic is stretchy but not designed to be the sole support on strapless garments. That hidden channel makes the difference.
Tip 3: Master Bobbin Run-Outs Mid-Row
Running out of elastic mid-row happens. Overlap the new stitches over the previous line for 1–2 inches to secure the junction. This prevents the elastic from creeping loose over time.
Tip 4: Use French Seams to Enclose Ends
French seams enclose the ends of the elastic twice, reducing the chance of elastic peeking or working loose at sides. One helpful comment outlines sewing wrong sides together first at a narrower allowance, then pressing and sewing right sides together to reach the full allowance, enclosing everything neatly.
Tip 5: Don’t Be a Perfectionist
The back may look “wibbly wobbly,” but once gathered, the front looks beautiful. Aim for consistent spacing and secure rows—tiny wobbles won’t show on the finished piece.
From the comments
- Elastic thread brand suggestions included Hemline (commonly cited at ~0.75 mm) and the note that Gutermann offers shirring elastic in multiple colors—useful for interiors where color-matching matters.
Advanced Security and Mindset for Shirring
Even after you’ve nailed the basics, a few extras help your results last longer.
- Plan yardage smartly: The creator’s rule of thumb in comments for many projects is to cut the piece about 1.5 times the body width you want to fit, knowing shirring can shrink to about half and then stretch comfortably. Always test and try on.
- Continuous route: The pivot method places transitions in the seam allowance, so the front stays clean and you avoid repeated backstitching.
- Resilience at sides: French seams or well-secured side seams matter because these areas get the most stress from on/off and movement.
Pro tip
- If your machine struggles to pick up the elastic when bringing it up through the plate, leave a longer tail and try again. Some commenters also found easing the top tension down a touch (test first) can help the pick-up.
From the comments—troubleshooting snapshot
- “It’s not gathering.” Try winding the elastic with a bit more tension on the bobbin; sew a few more rows; steam.
- “Elastic shows on top.” Lower top tension slightly before touching the bobbin case; test.
- “Elastic breaks after a short line.” Rewind with steadier tension; check for snags in the bobbin path; test a longer stitch length.
Note on tools you might already own
- If you also do machine embroidery, you may already be familiar with supportive accessories like magnetic embroidery hoop systems or a hoop master station to speed hooping—handy in that world, even if they’re not needed for shirring. magnetic embroidery hoops can help stabilize unwieldy fabric stacks for embroidery projects, similarly to how careful handling helps when you pivot continuous shirring rows. machine embroidery hoops can also inspire spacing discipline—just like parallel shirring lines across a bodice. If you’re diversifying your sewing setup, a versatile embroidery hoop machine or add-on accessories can streamline how you alternate between embroidery and garment projects. And when you see terms like mighty hoop, that’s embroidery-shop lingo for strong magnetic frames—useful context if you split your time between shirring and decorative stitching. magnetic hoops
Conclusion and Next Steps
Shirring is one of those techniques that feels like magic the first time it gathers under your needle. Set your stitch length to 3.5–4, hand-wind the elastic so it nests neatly on the bobbin, load it correctly (drop-in or front-load, as your manual shows), and secure your first row with a backstitch. For speed and neatness, use the pivot method into the seam allowance. Add a top elastic channel for strapless pieces, rely on French seams to lock down those elastic ends, and embrace minor wobbles—because the gathered front is incredibly forgiving.
Before you dive in, test on a scrap of your actual fabric to fine-tune the winding tension and stitch length. If your bobbin runs out mid-row, overlap an inch or two and keep going. And if you try something new—longer bodices, sleeve cuffs, or a back panel that replaces zips—share what you learn. The best tweaks often come from the community.
From the comments
- Sewing side: Work on the right side so the elastic remains inside the garment.
- Brand notes: Hemline shirring elastic worked well for the creator; regular top thread can be any all-purpose polyester matched to the fabric color.
- Yardage planning: For many bodies, starting around 1.5× the target width is a practical baseline—then test and adjust.
You’re ready. Test, stitch, pivot, steam—and watch your fabric bloom into soft gathers you’ll want to sew again and again.