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ruching with elastic

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your elastic should be the length you'd like the finished product to be. the fabric you are going to ruche should be significantly longer than your desired finished length.

for this example, our desired length is 7", so we've cut a piece of elastic that is 7" long. the fabric has been cut to 12".

NOTE: make sure your elastic can stretch the entire length of the fabric you are ruching.

feeling a little lost? check out the sewing basics or post a question in the forum.

secure the end of the elastic to the edge of the fabric with some stitches.

set the machine to a zig-zag stitch. the longer you set the stitch, the more fabric will be gathered with each stitch.

sew straight down the piece of elastic, stretching on each end of the elastic as you sew.

when you get to the other edge of the fabric, secure the end of the elastic with stitches.

if you turn the fabric over, it should look like this now, all ruffly and excellent. pretty easy huh?

and guess what? now it should be just about 7 inches long!

you can stretch it out to its original length and see all of your pretty zig-zag stitches!

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