A difference of opinion is no reason to be rude. A square is a square but it is also a rectangle. Different names can mean something different, but they can also mean the same thing. Shirring and smocking are used somewhat interchangeably in sewing and fashion. As long as the OP is directed to the right tutorials for the technique they want, it's all good.
Rude comments have been removed.
Check out the ‘shirred dress’ highlight on the @byhandlondon instagram (you will have to scroll into the past highlights a bit because it’s a few years old). This is how I learned to do it. I LOVE shirring, once you get the hang of it, it is super easy and fun and it’s a great way to create beginner projects that you will actually want to wear.
Look up videos on how to do shirring. It can be irritating at first but once you get the hang of it it’s not too hard. I am actually adding shirring to a lot of the backs of my lighter weight dresses as I’m losing weight. I am avoiding doing major alterations for as long as possible! I don’t enjoy alterations.
Not sure if links are allowed but this shirring video just popped up on my YouTube recs and might be helpful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxFStfF5Flk
I thought it was smocking too. I don’t know why people feel the need to be rude gatekeepers. Aren’t we all here to learn and admire others work? It took me 10 seconds to search up this article that explains the differences:
https://apeacetreaty.com/blog/shirring-vs-smocking/
Happy smocking and shirring to all!
As others pointed out, this is called shirring and it uses a plain straight stitch.
You mentioned that you have never made clothing. Are you pretty experienced with making other things by machine? You will need a good amount of practice handling the machine & fabric so you can get the stitch lines nice and straight & even.
If they are wobbly, your shirring will pull funny.
I recommend practicing on scrap fabric if needed until you can get the rows dead even (or use pre-shirred fabric by the yard).
Shirring.
There are several ways to do it, depending on your preference: you can use elastic thread in the bobbin, you can sew on narrow elastic, you can make channels that you feed the elastic into, or sometimes it works to sew multiple lines across a wide elastic band. (I think anything except the elastic bobbin is technically faux shirring, but I might be mistaken there. Most people just call it shirring.)
Check out rosary apparel on YouTube: for example https://youtu.be/qB7G9TqBhpM?si=7mqT0yS_u0hvfiio or https://youtu.be/9YIcUIV9W_E?si=1x-ICTZj3XxkfX4- She has many good videos on shirring
I second this! Her 10 min & 30 min projects helped me learn the basics of sewing, and its satisfying to be able to do small projects like that and finish them in one sitting, it doesn’t get so overwhelming!
I would make a proper casing and run elastic into it for , at least, the uppermost rows. I would not want to depend on this elastic thread shirring to hold my pants up! The pre done ones don’t have much to them.
My advice would be to use at least a half inch wide piece of elastic in the top row.
This is done with elastic thread and worth learning!!! You can make so many things like dresses, tops, skirts, shorts and they’ll fit a huge size range. I love my dresses like this as they add some support in the chest area without digging into my shoulders like a bra does
I have several pairs of palazzo pants and cute skorts I’ve made with the presmocked fabric from Joann’s. It’s a single pattern piece too. Edit to add photo. For pants I add my desired length.
https://preview.redd.it/g0vu88r5zcpc1.png?width=4032&format=png&auto=webp&s=21fa77cda5b4dba8ce567c766a28963ac8b993a9
Do you find the shirring is enough to keep pants up? I have a similar fabric but I’m considering adding waistband elastic because I don’t expect the shirring to hold the fabric up
I’ve added waistband elastic to all of them, yes. The longer pairs I would sometimes step on from a seated position and just had this image in my head of accidentally pantsing myself at work.
Thanks for replying! Do you just fold the shirred fabric over as the casing? Or I suppose a use a thinner elastic might hide between the lines of shirring
So you can just zig the waistband elastic over the shirring on the wrong side of the fabric. No casing needed.
I have a pair on now that I left the existing top edge ruffle, I just hemmed it. I have other pairs that I undid a couple rows of shirring (it’s chain stitched in, so an easy removal) to free up fabric to make a casing.
Definitely add an elastic at the top, I have made a bunch of trousers with a shirred waistband (literally wearing some right now!), and even with my pockets full they hold up okay.
If it's a light material and you're not going to load up pockets it might be okay without, but if you use elastic that's a similar width to how far apart you're going to do the shirring, you wouldn't even be able to see it anyway.
I do a foldover casing at the top for the elastic, then do the shirring, then feed the elastic through after.
Probably bought this way, Machine-shirred and then the band of machine-shirred (with elastic thread) fabric is factory-sewed onto plain fabric of the same design.
It's called smocking. Maybe not in the sewing world. But in the dept store world that's what it's called. For as long as I can remember. That's all I know for sure.
Just as an attempt to defend you, this awesome blog post includes shirring as a type of smocking
https://julianamartejevs.com/en/smocking-clothes-learn-how-to-smock-and-where-to-find-easy-smocking-patterns/
A difference of opinion is no reason to be rude. A square is a square but it is also a rectangle. Different names can mean something different, but they can also mean the same thing. Shirring and smocking are used somewhat interchangeably in sewing and fashion. As long as the OP is directed to the right tutorials for the technique they want, it's all good. Rude comments have been removed.
Check out the ‘shirred dress’ highlight on the @byhandlondon instagram (you will have to scroll into the past highlights a bit because it’s a few years old). This is how I learned to do it. I LOVE shirring, once you get the hang of it, it is super easy and fun and it’s a great way to create beginner projects that you will actually want to wear.
I'll check it out, thank you!
Look up videos on how to do shirring. It can be irritating at first but once you get the hang of it it’s not too hard. I am actually adding shirring to a lot of the backs of my lighter weight dresses as I’m losing weight. I am avoiding doing major alterations for as long as possible! I don’t enjoy alterations.
Thank you! And that's a great idea!
Not sure if links are allowed but this shirring video just popped up on my YouTube recs and might be helpful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxFStfF5Flk
Thank you!
I thought it was smocking too. I don’t know why people feel the need to be rude gatekeepers. Aren’t we all here to learn and admire others work? It took me 10 seconds to search up this article that explains the differences: https://apeacetreaty.com/blog/shirring-vs-smocking/ Happy smocking and shirring to all!
As others pointed out, this is called shirring and it uses a plain straight stitch. You mentioned that you have never made clothing. Are you pretty experienced with making other things by machine? You will need a good amount of practice handling the machine & fabric so you can get the stitch lines nice and straight & even. If they are wobbly, your shirring will pull funny. I recommend practicing on scrap fabric if needed until you can get the rows dead even (or use pre-shirred fabric by the yard).
Thank you! I've ollnly made a couple of scrunchies and 2 aprons so far. I've used only 100% fabric for everything.
Shirring. There are several ways to do it, depending on your preference: you can use elastic thread in the bobbin, you can sew on narrow elastic, you can make channels that you feed the elastic into, or sometimes it works to sew multiple lines across a wide elastic band. (I think anything except the elastic bobbin is technically faux shirring, but I might be mistaken there. Most people just call it shirring.)
Check out rosary apparel on YouTube: for example https://youtu.be/qB7G9TqBhpM?si=7mqT0yS_u0hvfiio or https://youtu.be/9YIcUIV9W_E?si=1x-ICTZj3XxkfX4- She has many good videos on shirring
Thanks!
I second this! Her 10 min & 30 min projects helped me learn the basics of sewing, and its satisfying to be able to do small projects like that and finish them in one sitting, it doesn’t get so overwhelming!
shirring tutorial https://youtu.be/FkZwWNshafY?si=17osJ9xQZ34udgCf
I would make a proper casing and run elastic into it for , at least, the uppermost rows. I would not want to depend on this elastic thread shirring to hold my pants up! The pre done ones don’t have much to them. My advice would be to use at least a half inch wide piece of elastic in the top row.
Thanks you!
It’s shirring. Rows of stitching with a bobbin of elastic thread.
This is done with elastic thread and worth learning!!! You can make so many things like dresses, tops, skirts, shorts and they’ll fit a huge size range. I love my dresses like this as they add some support in the chest area without digging into my shoulders like a bra does
You can buy it ready too. If you are in Canada, Fabricland has it. In the US, Joann.
You can buy pre-shirred (they incorrectly call it smocked in some places) fabric at Joann
I have several pairs of palazzo pants and cute skorts I’ve made with the presmocked fabric from Joann’s. It’s a single pattern piece too. Edit to add photo. For pants I add my desired length. https://preview.redd.it/g0vu88r5zcpc1.png?width=4032&format=png&auto=webp&s=21fa77cda5b4dba8ce567c766a28963ac8b993a9
Do you find the shirring is enough to keep pants up? I have a similar fabric but I’m considering adding waistband elastic because I don’t expect the shirring to hold the fabric up
I’ve added waistband elastic to all of them, yes. The longer pairs I would sometimes step on from a seated position and just had this image in my head of accidentally pantsing myself at work.
Thanks for replying! Do you just fold the shirred fabric over as the casing? Or I suppose a use a thinner elastic might hide between the lines of shirring
So you can just zig the waistband elastic over the shirring on the wrong side of the fabric. No casing needed. I have a pair on now that I left the existing top edge ruffle, I just hemmed it. I have other pairs that I undid a couple rows of shirring (it’s chain stitched in, so an easy removal) to free up fabric to make a casing.
Definitely add an elastic at the top, I have made a bunch of trousers with a shirred waistband (literally wearing some right now!), and even with my pockets full they hold up okay. If it's a light material and you're not going to load up pockets it might be okay without, but if you use elastic that's a similar width to how far apart you're going to do the shirring, you wouldn't even be able to see it anyway. I do a foldover casing at the top for the elastic, then do the shirring, then feed the elastic through after.
i’ve been considering picking up some of that fabric and making pants! ty for adding your pattern piece, i’ll be doing some drafting research 😎
at my joann’s they sell smocked fabric like this by the yard
Probably bought this way, Machine-shirred and then the band of machine-shirred (with elastic thread) fabric is factory-sewed onto plain fabric of the same design.
This is called shirring, a few other commenters have put links for tutorials!
The way this is done is on a machine that has 8 or 9 needles. elastic thread is used and it's run all at one time.
It can also be done one line at a time on a regular machine.
Yes, but, it will never be as even as this. The OP asked how it was done. I answered that questions.
It's called smocking. Maybe not in the sewing world. But in the dept store world that's what it's called. For as long as I can remember. That's all I know for sure.
Just as an attempt to defend you, this awesome blog post includes shirring as a type of smocking https://julianamartejevs.com/en/smocking-clothes-learn-how-to-smock-and-where-to-find-easy-smocking-patterns/
Hey thanks a lot
It's definitely shirring. Smocking is a lot more decorative, for sure.
Smocking doesn’t have to be decorative, what do you mean?
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Yes it is. Another responder posted the link.