How to Smock Fabric with Elastic Thread - {It's Always Autumn}
In today'southward mail: Learn how simple it is to brand your own smocked textile using elastic thread (aka shirred fabric).
Information technology's (almost) jump, which is my favorite time to make (and purchase) new dresses. Equally I've been browsing online I've noticed that dresses and jumpsuits with smocking/shirring along the bodice are super popular this flavor. You might be asking: what the heck is smocking or shirring? Well, both terms refer to fabric that's been sewn with multiple horizontal lines of stitching with elastic thread to create tight, stretchy gathers. Smocking, aka shirring, allows an item of clothing to fit close to the body for a flattering look but also be super comfortable because there's plenty of give. Additionally, the fabric below the smocking naturally billows out, which makes for a really cute dress.
Sometimes you can purchase pre-smocked fabric, only it's been hard to discover for the past few years, and y'all're pretty limited when it comes to colors and prints. The good news is that information technology'due south actually easy to use elastic thread to smock your own fabric! Tomorrow I'll be sharing a tutorial for this cute smocked chambray dress I made for my girl, so I figured I'd put together a quick tutorial on using elastic thread.
Smocking vs Shirring
What we are doing here today is technically chosen shirring. Withal, the look it creates is very similar to smocking, which is an embroidery technique that's been around a long long time. Simply maybe don't google "what is smocking" cuz apparently it also refers to something that has zero to exercise with sewing… Anyway, shirring is probably the more accurate word to use here, simply retailers generally choose smocking or smocked instead. And since that's the word more people are likely familiar with, that'southward the i I'll use in this post.
Tips for Success
Before we get to the instructions for smocking with elastic thread, there are a few important things to note:
- Smocking with elastic thread works best on lightweight woven fabrics, such equally lightweight cottons, lightweight chambrays, rayon challis, etc. The lighter weight the fabric, the more gathered it will stop up. Heavier weight fabrics will not gather well using rubberband thread.
- A piece of lightweight fabric will cease upward roughly half the width after shirring than it was before (maybe a piddling wider).
- As with any sewing project, it'southward a good idea to wash and dry your fabric before you begin. Launder and dry it even so yous plan to wash and dry the finished garment.
Supplies:
To smock fabric with elastic thread, you will need:
- Lightweight fabric
- Rubberband thread
- Normal thread that matches your material (become a new spool considering you'll use quite a bit)
- Sewing auto
How to Smock Fabric with rubberband thread
Information technology's easy to use elastic thread to create your own smocked fabric (aka shirring).
- Elastic Thread
- Lightweight fabric
- Standard thread that matches your fabric
-
You volition use rubberband thread in the bobbin of your sewing car, just you cannot air current information technology on your machine. Handwind the elastic thread effectually a bobbin. Do not stretch the elastic thread equally you wind, and move back and forth across the bobbin equally you wind the thread on. Don't worry almost making it look perfect, just continue winding elastic thread effectually the bobbin until information technology is nearly full.
-
Place normal thread that matches your textile in the meridian of your machine and thread the needle. Identify the elastic thread bobbin in your car.
-
Prep the acme of your fabric by making sure information technology is cut straight across. Then sew your first line virtually iii/viii of an inch away from the edge of your material. Backstitch at the beginning and end of your line. You should run into the textile begin to gather up right away.
-
Stitch some other row nigh iii/8 inch away from the kickoff row. The fabric will be gathered up, and so stretch it out flat as you run up.
-
Continue sewing rows of fabric until you have equally much smocked area equally you would like.
-
Information technology'due south easiest to switch to a new bobbin in betwixt rows. However, if you run out of rubberband thread mid row that's ok. Only mitt wind a new bobbin and and then commencement by backstitching over the terminal few stitches you sewed. When you are done sewing, tie the two tails of elastic thread together (on the wrong side of the fabric) and trim any extra thread.
-
When you are finished, use your iron to shoot steam at the smocked area, which will cause it to assemble upwards even more than. You lot'll be able to see matching thread on the forepart of your smocked slice, and rows of the white rubberband thread on the back of your piece.
Reader Interactions
Source: https://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/smock-fabric-with-elastic-thread-shirring.html
0 Response to "How to Smock Fabric with Elastic Thread - {It's Always Autumn}"
Post a Comment