This post builds on my previous posts showing how to sew basting stitches and how to gather fabric with basting stitches. Now I am going to share my favorite method of gathering skirts and ruffles so your final results look stunning. The reason that gathering skirts and skirts ruffles can be particularly challenging is that they are sewn in the round instead of in a straight line, which can make it more difficult to get your gathers evenly distributed. Also depending o

If you ask five different sewists how they gather fabric, there's a decent chance you might get five different answers. Some people swear by two rows of basting stitches, some swear by three. Others gather on a serger, and some people zigzag stitch over fishing line, and that is just scratching the surface!  I am going to share with you my preferred method for gathering fabric, which can be used for gathering skirts, ruffles, or in any other instance you might need to gather

Basting stitches come up a lot in sewing and sewing patterns, but there isn’t always a lot of explanation as to what they are or how to sew them. But have no fear, below I explain what they are, what they are used for, and how to make them by machine, and how to make them by hand. What are basting stitches, and what are they are used for: Basting stitches are simply long, loose stitches that are (usually) intended to be removed later. They are most often used to hold two or m

Cutting on the double fold is a technique used to cut circle skirts and handkerchief skirts.  It allows us to cut these skirts very quickly and symmetrically, as we are essentially folding the fabric into quarters and cutting all four quarters of the skirt at once (it works because circle skirts form a perfect circle, and handkerchief skirts form a perfect square). Once you get the hang of it, it’s a fun and easy way to cut your skirts, but making sure you are folding it corr