Shirring Foot

A Shirring Presser Foot also known as a gathering foot is a specialized foot with a heavy metal piece on the front which helps the fabric gather as it is sewn. The shirring foot is used to achieve fullness, soft ruffles and textured effects in garments. It is also ideal for adding stretchy texture to necklines, waistbands etc. where elasticity is necessary.

Using shirring foot one can gather a single layer of fabric or join gathered fabric to a flat second layer simultaneously. This foot works best for soft light weight fabrics. The foot comes with a slot in the front which is open on the left and closed on the right. The bottom of the foot comes in contact with fabric to lock in folds as you stitch. For elasticated shirring, an elastic thread is used in the bobbin and a regular top thread.

To Use It: The gathering foot comes with its own shank so it's necessary to remove the machine's presser foot holder and then attach the gathering foot with the help of a screwdriver. To gather a single fabric set the machine to straight stitch and longest stitch length (around 5) and increase the upper thread tension (to 6 or 7) to control the tightness of gathers. Move the needle to left position with the widest seam allowance. Place the fabric to be gathered under the presser foot and start sewing at moderate speed.

To gather a fabric and attach it to a second flat fabric, first place the fabric to be gathered under the presser foot, lower the foot to hold it in place then insert the second fabric inside the slot to the left side of the foot. Lower the needle into the fabric and then start sewing