Category: Tutorials

So, you’ve got your skirt pieces ready to attach to the bodice.  First, you’ll sew two parallel rows of long (gathering) stitches around the top of the skirt.

Now, mark the center front and center back on your skirt and your bodice, and pin the two together, right sides facing, with your skirt piece facing out (so you have easy access to those bobbin threads and you can see the gathers while you’re working) Four pins total – front center, back center, side, and side.  Now, start pulling your bobbin threads.  Work on one section at a time.  Press your gathers and shoot them with some steam while you’re working.  You’ll see how this helps you to gather the fabric without it folding down and without the gathers overlapping.  

Now, pin the gathered skirt to the bodice.  The more pins that you use, the more even your gathers will stay when you sew the pieces together.  Add more steam as needed to make sure that all the gathers are lined up nicely.  Then, you’re ready to stitch the bodice to the skirt.  Line up your needle so that you can stitch directly in the center of your two rows of gathering stitches.  You’ll see how the two rows of stitches hold everything in place.  Go slow and make sure that your gathers stay even and then your raw edges stay aligned. 

When you have stitched all the way around, pull out all the pins, then remove both sets of gathering stitches.

Serge around the raw edge if you wish.

Now, press your dress open (press the seam up toward the bodice) and admire your perfectly gathered skirt!  I like to finish the dress off by top stitching around the base of the bodice (not shown).

Use this gathering technique for perfect ruffles added to anything!  It’s not necessarily limited to attaching a gathered skirt to bodice. 

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But first, you need to know how to make bias tape.  You can buy it…. but that stuff isn’t so great, it tends to be crunchy, comes in a limited number of colors and designs, and can be difficult to find the exact width that you want.  There are a gazillion tutorials for cutting bias tape and debates between continuous and pieced.  I tend to do pieced bias tape since I don’t often need more than a yard or two.  So google, find the tutorial you love and cut your strips.

Now comes the fun part – pressing!!!!!!!!!!!  I just want you all to know that you can make bias tape without any special tools.  All you need is an iron and your fingers – just don’t touch the two, cause that hurts!

Lay out your strip on your ironing board.  Fold the edges in towards the center and press.  Keep your fingers running at least 2-3 inches in front of your iron and work along the length of tape.

By pressing the edges in towards the middle, you have created SINGLE FOLD bias tape.  Single fold bias tape  is perfect for hems or to cover an exposed seam at a collar.  It can also be used decoratively in a number of ways.

Now I probably use double fold tape the most.  To make double fold bias, take your single fold tape and fold it in half along the length and press well.

I love using double fold bias tape to encase seams, to bind facings, to hem skirts or sleeves where I want a pretty edge or a contrasting pop, to finish the top of a decorative pocket, and so on.

So what am I going to use this pretty bias tape I have just made on???  Well a new pattern of course.  I thought it appropriate to show off this pattern for the first time here at PR&P becasue this pattern was first created while I was sewing for season 6, but the timing never came together for me to draft it out for real until now.  The sleeves and neck are both bound in double fold bias tape for a delicious finish.

So get that iron out…. whip up some bias tape, and watch the professional finishing on your garments come to life.

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