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how to sew sewing
March 8, 2021

How to Smock Fabric with Elastic Thread {aka shirring}

In today’s post: Learn how simple it is to make your own smocked fabric using elastic thread (aka shirred fabric).

It’s (nearly) spring, which is my favorite time to make (and buy) new dresses. As I’ve been browsing online I’ve noticed that dresses and jumpsuits with smocking/shirring along the bodice are super popular this season. You might be asking: what the heck is smocking or shirring? Well, both terms refer to fabric that’s been sewn with multiple horizontal lines of stitching with elastic thread to create tight, stretchy gathers. Smocking, aka shirring, allows an item of clothing to fit close to the body for a flattering look but also be super comfortable because there’s plenty of give. Additionally, the fabric below the smocking naturally billows out, which makes for a really cute dress.

Blue chambray dress with smocked top on a wood hanger with title: How to smock fabric with elastic thread

Sometimes you can purchase pre-smocked fabric, but it’s been hard to find for the past few years, and you’re pretty limited when it comes to colors and prints. The good news is that it’s really easy to use elastic thread to smock your own fabric! Tomorrow I’ll be sharing a tutorial for this cute smocked chambray dress I made for my daughter, so I figured I’d put together a quick tutorial on using elastic thread.

Smocking vs Shirring

What we are doing here today is technically called shirring. However, the look it creates is very similar to smocking, which is an embroidery technique that’s been around a long long time. But maybe don’t google “what is smocking” cuz apparently it also refers to something that has nothing to do with sewing… Anyway, shirring is probably the more accurate word to use here, but retailers generally choose smocking or smocked instead. And since that’s the word more people are likely familiar with, that’s the one I’ll use in this post.

Closeup of the bodice and sleeve of a chambray dress with a smocked bodice

Tips for Success

Before we get to the instructions for smocking with elastic thread, there are a few important things to note:

  • Smocking with elastic thread works best on lightweight woven fabrics, such as lightweight cottons, lightweight chambrays, rayon challis, etc. The lighter weight the fabric, the more gathered it will end up. Heavier weight fabrics will not gather well using elastic thread.
  • A piece of lightweight fabric will end up roughly half the width after shirring than it was before (maybe a little wider).
  • As with any sewing project, it’s a good idea to wash and dry your fabric before you begin. Wash and dry it however you plan to wash and dry the finished garment.

Supplies:

Tencel chambray fabric, matching blue thread, elastic thread

To smock fabric with elastic thread, you will need:

  • Lightweight fabric
  • Elastic thread
  • Normal thread that matches your fabric (get a new spool because you’ll use quite a bit)
  • Sewing machine

How to Smock Fabric with elastic thread

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5 from 1 vote

How to Smock Fabric with Elastic Thread

It's easy to use elastic thread to create your own smocked fabric (aka shirring).

Ingredients

  • Elastic Thread
  • Lightweight fabric
  • Standard thread that matches your fabric

Instructions

  • You will use elastic thread in the bobbin of your sewing machine, but you cannot wind it on your machine. Handwind the elastic thread around a bobbin. Do not stretch the elastic thread as you wind, and move back and forth across the bobbin as you wind the thread on. Don't worry about making it look perfect, just continue winding elastic thread around the bobbin until it is nearly full.
    Hand winding elastic thread onto a bobbin
  • Place normal thread that matches your fabric in the top of your machine and thread the needle. Place the elastic thread bobbin in your machine.
    Sewing machine with blue thread in the needle and white elastic thread in the bobbin
  • Prep the top of your fabric by making sure it is cut straight across. Then sew your first line about 3/8 of an inch away from the edge of your fabric. Backstitch at the beginning and end of your line. You should see the fabric begin to gather up right away.
    Square of blue chambray fabric that's been gathered across the top with one line of elastic thread
  • Stitch another row about 3/8 inch away from the first row. The fabric will be gathered up, so stretch it out flat as you sew.
    Sewing with elastic thread on a sewing machine; fabric gathers from the thread, hand stretching fabric flat as it's being sewn
  • Continue sewing rows of fabric until you have as much smocked area as you would like.
    Piece of fabric smocked with elastic thread on a sewing machine
  • It's easiest to switch to a new bobbin in between rows. However, if you run out of elastic thread mid row that's ok. Just hand wind a new bobbin and then start by backstitching over the last few stitches you sewed. When you are done sewing, tie the two tails of elastic thread together (on the wrong side of the fabric) and trim any extra thread.
    Backside of fabric that's been smocked with elastic thread; any tails of elastic thread should be tied in a knot and trimmed
  • When you are finished, use your iron to shoot steam at the smocked area, which will cause it to gather up even more. You'll be able to see matching thread on the front of your smocked piece, and rows of the white elastic thread on the back of your piece.
    Square of chambray fabric that's been gathered on the top third using elastic thread; you can see blue matching thread from the front and rows of white elastic thread on the back

Blue chambray dress with smocked top on a hanger; title: how to smock fabric with elastic thread; chambray fabric, matching thread, and elastic thread

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Home » sewing » How to Smock Fabric with Elastic Thread {aka shirring}


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Comments

  1. Colleen says

    April 14, 2021 at 7:18 am

    5 stars
    I can’t wait to try this on a dress for my six year old granddaughter!!! Thank you for sharing the idea. I love the idea of making and adult sized dress for my daughter in law to match!!

    Reply
  2. Bonnie says

    March 8, 2021 at 9:01 am

    Soooo, the shape of the garment piece is cut after the smocking/shirring is completed? Do you have to stretch out the fabric or just place the pattern on top and cut? Thanks for these tips! I love the look of this but didn’t know how to create it.

    Reply
    • Autumn Baldwin says

      March 8, 2021 at 9:32 am

      Yes, I did the smocking first but I did not steam it after sewing in the elastic thread – so it’s not as gathered as it eventually will be. Then I cut out the shape without adding seam allowance (no need to stretch it at all). Once you sew it together and then steam it, it will end up a bit tighter, but not too tight. Good luck!

      Reply

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I'm Autumn, a mom of five who loves ice cream, Masterpiece Theatre, and clothes that hide the fact that I eat so much ice cream. When I was 18 I got a job at a craft store and told everyone (regularly) how much I hated crafts. Well, things change! Read More…

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