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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[@krankywitch]

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]

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]

@@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.

[@elzinawhite3199]

Excellent presentation

[@moneal99801]

Super helpful. I had no idea you could adjust bobbin tension.

[@kuztwo]

Great tutorial. Thanks for sharing! ❤

[@SeamworkVideo]

So glad you liked it!

[@RachelCowan-pm9xo]

This was incredibly helpful!!! Thank you so much!

[@SeamworkVideo]

You are so welcome!

[@jennishoesmith5286]

Thank you for this! I’ve always wanted to try Shirring.

[@SeamworkVideo]

You should! It's a really cool technique!

[@judyhansen6237]

Thank you for sharing 🥰would love to see tips and tricks to sewing with pleather (faux leather) 😅

[@clothingalterations]

You are amazing 👍🌻🍀🌺☘🌷🌱

[@SeamworkVideo]

Thank you!

[@citygirlfarm]

Love this! Hey I'd like to see a corded button hole. Thank You.

[@nadialetourneau4490]

That video give me the confidence to try a blouse shiring pattern. Thank you.

[@SeamworkVideo]

Awesome!

[@starlite156]

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!

[@elkeoris2128]

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]

Me too!

[@enksmom]

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]

Absolutely! Have fun with it!

[@stephaniewilbur9748]

Love the video! Would love to see a video on adding a zipper to a pocket…

[@KelcyPassportbyDesign]

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]

Such a good plan!

[@prontogolf]

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]

It has 7 rows. :)

[@lovemesomeslippers]

Will shirring draw a waistband up higher? Should I lengthen a bodice a bit if I’m going to shirr?

[@SeamworkVideo]

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.

[@hey_virginia]

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]

Yes, I think this technique would work great with Micah, especially with a lighter-weight fabric.

[@hey_virginia]

@@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

[@maryenos91]

Thank you for this video I have a JUKI HZL-F300 and the bobbins are plastic and no holes on the outside of the bobbins as your. So can I just wind the elastic around. Also,I was wondering if you gals ever did anything on ":how to do slanted pockets". I purchased a pants pattern thinking "Oh I can do this," and it drove me crazy because I had to adjust the rise on the crotch making things out of kilter....haha... Oh well. It is NEW LOOK pattern #N6691 EASY...and no is was not easy.

[@SeamworkVideo]

You'll have to experiment with your bobbin and see what works for you! As for slanted pockets, check out this article: www.seamwork.com/articles/pattern-hackers-21

[@user-mt9yk8rp4g]

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]

Such a cool foot! That sounds really handy.

[@alomakushi176]

How much extra width I should add to make a blouse size 14Canadian

[@SeamworkVideo]

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.

[@nisrenmusa]

What's you sewing machine brand and model

[@SeamworkVideo]

We use Bernina machines!

[@moneal99801]

Smocking is not stretchy. It’s a tiny series of offset pleats, so not a good replacement for shirring.

[@amandaglidewell8451]

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]

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

[@SparkyOne549]

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]

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.