Sewing Tips for Gathering

Easy Sewing Tips for Gathering Lace Trim

Gathered lace trim is recognizable by its ruffled, scalloped appearance that is held together by a single, straight band.  It is very simple to stitch.          

• Easy sewing tips for gathering - Most hand-made and some machine-made lace edgings have a heavy thread running along the straight edge.  The thread can then be inserted into a needlepoint to pull up gathers.

•  A fully ruffled gathered lace trim can allow two and a half to three times the finished length. 

• When gathering the lace trim using a machine, set the machine for a long stitch and loosen the top tension a little.  This can be done as long as the lace trim does not have a heavy thread.  
• Wide lace edgings require two rows of stitching along the straight edge, and narrow lace edgings require a single row of stitching. 
• If a gathered lace trim is being applied to the surface of a fabric, such as around the edges of a pillow, it is best to baste the lace in a stiff position and work a very fine zigzag stitch along the lace’s edge.    

Gathered lace can be stitched onto many different accessories.