Still working on this darn dress...

[mrscornbread]

I have the top just about done. I was gonna put hook and eyes in the back, but now she is afraid her bra will show... (ARRGGGGGGGGGHHHH)

I started on the skirt last night. I got the bottom of the skirt all put together and then started on the ruffles. I havent gathered them yet.

DOES ANYONW HAVE ANY TIPS ON GATHERING VERY LONG PIECES? (I dont have a ruffle foot) I am considering hand gathering with some embroidery floss thinking it may be easier...Dee... CJ...Dolphin...anyone???

[dz_blonde_girl]

Would it be easier to use elastic to do the gathers? You know, cut the elastic to the finished length, stretch it out to the length of the fabric, pin it down and stitch it on ... I'm thinking this is really big, then it wouldn't move around on you and the gathers would stay even.

[mrscornbread]

It is SO big that I think the elastic would stretch out tho. I mean it is Huge, the dress is so full, like Scarlett O'Hara's dress...

what hafve I gotten myself into.

[PrairieRose]

Robin, I've used yarn to gather big heavy pieces before. You just zig zag over the yarn, leaving plenty of room, well what I meant to say is don't actually catch any of the yarn when you zig or zag....then the yarn pulls very easily and doesn't break. Good luck sounds like you're coming right along. If you have any questions on my explanation let me know.....

[SewCrafty]

No tips here Robin, I would probably do it the regular way with 2 lines of stitching but break it up into smaller pieces.

I'd be willing to try Lisa's way though, I have heard of using yarn just never tried it myself.

[PrairieRose]

Robin you have to sew the yarn to the dress at the starting point and then zig zag over it around the skirt or wherever else you want to gather. Then as you make the gathers the yarn is stable. And I might add, don't get too rough with it b/c it CAN still break it's just hardier than thread or embroidery floss.

[guest2]

No advice, but lots of prayers!!!!

[canadian gardener]

I've done Lisa's way and it works beautifully. It's the only easy way to manage huge hunks of material.

I can't remember if Lisa mentioned but I like to quarter the stuff to be ruffled or gathered, and put pins in to remind me where the fullness needs to be.

Helps when you are using this technique.

so pins in the centerfront and center back and both side seams both in the top part and the skirt part.

Do that pin bit AFTER the zig zaggging over the yarn or cord. Use a heavy enough cord to handle the wieght of the fabric.

Then after zig zag, pin at the 4 corners up and down so to speack and match them

Then pull in the gathers to fit.

Pin a bit more to make sure the gathers stay where they should.

When stitching It helps to face the gathhers on top, and use a long pin to "help" them under the presser foot so they stay neat, straight up and down in tidy gathers not all higgledy piggledy.

HTH