Note: Stitched examples in the photos are done in contrasting thread for visibility.
While sewing these rows of basting stitches, do not backstitch and leave relatively long tails of threads at the beginning and end of the area you will be gathering.Make the first row of stitching, as close as possible to the seam line of your ruffle, but in the seam allowance.Make a second row close to the first row on the seam allowance.If at all possible, make a third row of stitching.Choose the upper thread or bobbin thread, gently tugging the threads to gather the fabric. Always tug one or the other but not a combination of both the upper and lower thread in order for the threads to move and gather the fabric.
Use a strong string that will not break when tugged on. Use a length of the string that is a bit longer than the area of fabric you plan to gather, so that a tail of the string will be at the beginning and end of the area being gathered. Use a wide stitch width setting on your sewing machine for your zigzag stitch. Lay a string or heavy thread on your fabric, centered under your presser foot, on the seam allowance just inside the seam line, so that both sides of the zigzag stitch will not show in the seam line. Zigzag over the centered string, being careful not to catch the string in the stitches. Tug on the string to achieve your gathers. Make sure you don’t pull the opposite end through into your zigzag stitches.
While many ruffler presser feet come with vague instructions, there are still many ways to achieve the results you want. Most rufflers have two different parts on them that are adjustable and should be pointed to in the directions. By adjusting the stitch length on your sewing machine, you can control the adjustments further. Using a ruffler permanently sews the gathers in place as the sewing machine moves the fabric. Using this method would not be for following a pattern where you are matching dots or pattern markings and then adjusting the ruffle. It is a fantastic method for things like attaching a ruffle to a curtain panel. Using a ruffler presser foot for the first time should definitely be practiced on scraps of fabric before you sew with the ruffler on the actual project. Always test the setting on a scrap of fabric that is the same as what you have allowed for gathering the fabric. If you have allowed 2.5 times the fabric for a ruffle, cut a 12.5" scrap and make adjustments for the scrap to gather up to a 5" piece. Older sewing machines may have a ruffler attachment that is more than a simple presser foot. The manufacturer or sewing machine company of that attachment should supply direction for using that attachment.
