Last term in my clothes making class I found out why my gathers never really worked. Although I may be the only one who didn’t realise how to do them properly I thought I would share with you what I learnt!
I am using a sleeve from my Mum’s maternity top to demonstrate.
The three stars show where the tailors tacks are. To create a gather, you need to sew two lines (not one as I had previously thought) of long stitches, without reverse stitching the start or finish of each line. This is known as basting (another thing that I thought only applies to turkey’s at Christmas for quite a long time 
).
These lines of stitching should be between the left and right tailors tacks. They should also be within the seam allowance (normally 1.5cm on commercial patterns).
To create the gathers, you take hold of the threads at one end of the stitching and gently pull them. You can spread the gathers evenly using your fingers or a pin. By sewing two lines of stitching, the gathers lie much flatter and therefore sit better when you join them with another piece of the garment, in this case the sleeve joining the sleeve hole (not sure that’s a technical term!).
I hope that’s helpful to anyone else who, like me, was only doing one line of gather stitches, and then finding it very difficult to make them look nice!
Great point to make Alison. I have also heard, and proved it myself, that three lines of stitches are even better as they give you more control over the gathers and make them neater. Problem is sometimes I just can’t be bothered on sleeves. But I will use three lines on a skirt or yoke.
Yay, you’re back!!! Three lines of stitches it is then!
I use three rows too. Gertie uses a cord and zig zag stitch, I haven’t had a chance to try it yet… but might next project! This link to Gertie’s blig has a link to this method.
http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/2009/08/make-this-skirt-part-two-of-gathered.html?m=1
I’ll definitely have to try the three rows next time!