Shirring: a beginner's guide
Rows of stitching with elastic in the bobbin.
- Shirring is rows of stitching with shirring elastic in the bobbin.
- The elastic gathers the fabric, usually to about half its width.
- It gives texture and a stretchy, adjustable fit.
- In garments it decorates sleeves, bodices and yokes.
- Always test on a scrap first.
Watch
How to Sew Shirring | Janome X Tilly and the Buttons (5:00)
By Tilly and the Buttons · Open on YouTube
Chosen from its title and channel: a 5-minute video from Tilly and the Buttons on the same topic as this guide. Embedded from YouTube with credit; we don't host it. It only loads when you press play.
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Sources
All checked November 1, 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.