Tutorial - Gathering
Girls love gathers!
Gathering allow to give or control fullness. It is also a way to assembly flounces. You might use a hand needle or sewing machine.
You generally have two pieces to assemble ; one to be gathered (piece 1) assembled to one with no gathers (piece 2)
Divide the piece 2 into 4 equal parts and mark with pins. Do the same on the piece 1.
Stitch 2 lines of gathering threads at the top of the piece 1 (long stitch and low thread tension, without stopping stitch at the beginning and end of stitching). Place the top of the piece 1 aligned with the bottom of the piece 2, with right sides together, making the pins coincide. Pull on the gathering threads (the 2 underneath) until you obtain pieces of the same width. Distribute the gathers evenly.
Stitch all the way from the edge then overlock or overcast the edges together. The 2 pieces are assembled. As an option, remove the gathering threads with a seam ripper.
As an option, topstitch the yokes in straight stitch flush with the seam by sewing the inner seam allowances under the yoke to hold them with the topstitch.
