A gathered tier or ruffle is a wide strip of fabric drawn up onto a shorter edge, then stitched to the panel or tier above. It hangs well when the fullness suits the fabric, the gathers are spread evenly, and every tier is pre-shrunk alike. Write the gather ratio, fabric, grain, edge finish and wash test into the tech pack.
How is a gathered tier made, and what does the gather ratio change?
A gathered tier is made by drawing a long fabric edge up until it matches a shorter edge, then sewing the two edges together. Wikipedia’s entry on gathering describes the basic method as parallel rows of running stitches sewn along one edge and then pulled up into small folds. It also lists other routes: by hand, by machine, automatically, with elastic, or through channels.
There are three common ways to gather a tier or ruffle:
- Gathering stitches. Two rows of long machine stitches are sewn in the seam allowance and the bobbin threads are pulled. Utah State University Extension uses two rows and winds the bobbin with heavy thread so the gathering stitch does not break. Cut Out + Keep gives the same warning: use strong thread, or it may break when pulled.
- Differential feed or a gathering foot. An overlock machine has two sets of feed dogs. WeAllSew (BERNINA) explains that raising the differential feed makes the front feed dog move more fabric than the back one, so the fabric bunches into gathers. Fashion-Incubator notes that the dial numbers are ratios, that a skirt can be gathered and joined to a shorter bodice in one pass, and that a pattern maker can draft the pattern to suit the machine setting.
- Elastic. Elastic gathers the fabric as it recovers. Elastic shirring and smocking are a separate subject, covered in our post on true smocking vs shirring.
The gather ratio is the length of the strip compared with the edge it is sewn to. A higher gather ratio gives more folds, more volume and more bulk in the seam. A lower gather ratio gives a flatter, quieter tier. Sources differ on the range. Utah State University Extension calls one and a half or two times the attached piece its ruffle fullness standard. Sew Essential suggests two to three times, closer to three for a fuller ruffle. Doina Alexei cuts a ruffle strip at three times the finished length. Because the right ratio depends on the fabric and the look, the buyer should state it, not leave it to the cutting room.
Which fabrics gather well for dress tiers: cotton voile, cotton poplin or cambric, viscose, or georgette?
Fabrics that gather well for dress tiers are light and fine enough to fold small, but the way each fabric folds decides how the tier stands. A course page on fabric behaviour in dressmaking says fluid drape falls in soft, narrow folds and is ideal for gathers, while stiff drape forms broader, angular folds. It adds that a crisp hand may stand away from the body. So a soft cloth makes a gathered tier that falls flat against the body, and a crisp cloth makes a gathered tier that stands out.
| Fabric | How the gathered tier or ruffle behaves | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton voile | Light and semi-sheer. Seam Secrets notes that voile yarns carry more twist than ordinary yarns and give the cloth a crisp look. Gathers stay fine and slightly lifted. | Sheerness in the tier; the same source warns that high heat can shrink voile, so it advises washing before cutting. |
| Cotton poplin or cotton cambric | Closely woven with a crisper hand, as Seam Secrets describes poplin. A gathered poplin tier holds volume and stands away from the body. See our cotton voile vs cotton cambric guide. | A tight-woven cloth makes a thicker seam when gathered fully; a lower gather ratio may sit better. |
| Viscose (rayon) | Soft and fluid. Swicofil rates viscose drape as very good against good for cotton. A gathered viscose tier falls close to the body rather than standing out. | The same source says viscose loses a great deal of strength when wet, so it stretches and shrinks more than cotton. |
| Georgette | Woven from highly twisted crepe yarns, so it is springy and fluid. A gathered georgette ruffle moves and falls; it does not hold a stiff shape. | Slippery and sheer; it needs a light edge finish so the ruffle edge does not drag. |
A crisp new fabric can also soften after washing if part of its crispness comes from a mill finish. Judge the tier on a washed sample, not on the fresh bulk fabric.
Why does the seam joining a gathered tier to a flat panel pucker, pull or show uneven gathers, and why can washing make it worse?
The seam joining a gathered tier to a flat panel puckers or shows uneven gathers when the fullness is not spread evenly before stitching, or when the flat panel is caught in folds under the gathered layer. The methods in sewing references point to the causes:
- Fullness not divided into sections. Doina Alexei divides the garment edge and the ruffle edge into the same number of equal sections, pins them together, and then spreads the gathers evenly while keeping the flat edge smooth. Without matching marks, one part of the tier ends up fuller than another.
- Stitching on the wrong side. Both Cut Out + Keep and Doina Alexei sew with the gathered side up, so the operator can see the folds and stop them from being pushed into tucks.
- Gathering threads left showing. Cut Out + Keep says to remove any gathering threads that show on the right side after the seam is stitched.
- Uneven feeding by machine. A commenter on Fashion-Incubator’s differential feed article notes that a slight pull on one layer changes the gather ratio, and that each machine varies a little.
- Bulky seam allowance. In the Style Arc Lila tiered skirt instructions, each tier seam is neatened on an overlocker and pressed upwards, so the lower tier hangs down from the join.
A tier seam can get worse after washing for three reasons. First, the tiers may shrink by different amounts. If the tiers are cut from different fabrics, or one tier is cut across the grain and the next along it, one tier can shrink more than the other and pull the join. Viscose is a clear risk: Swicofil notes that it stretches and shrinks more than cotton, so a viscose tier joined to a cotton panel can draw up unevenly. Second, wet viscose is weaker and stretches, so a long, heavy lower tier can drag on the join while the dress is wet. Third, the sewing thread and the fabric can shrink differently; that general seam pucker is explained in our post on why seams fail. Pre-shrinking every tier fabric and testing a washed sample shows these faults before bulk.
How does grain and edge finish change how a ruffle or frill hangs?
Grain changes how a ruffle or frill hangs because woven fabric stretches by a different amount in each direction. A guide to grainline and bias describes the lengthwise grain as the strongest and most stable, the crosswise grain as having slightly more give, and the true bias as having maximum stretch and fluid drape. The same guide warns that bias-cut pieces get longer and narrower as they hang, and that a grain edge sewn to a bias edge fights itself and ripples. Godets, another way to add flare at a hem, raise the same grain question: see how to cut and sew godets in dresses, skirts and kaftans.
- Straight-grain or cross-grain ruffle. Cutting along the grain gives a stable strip. Sew Essential notes that straight-grain strips give a less flouncy ruffle than bias strips. Utah State University Extension and Doina Alexei both lay their ruffle strips out on the crosswise grain.
- Bias ruffle. A bias ruffle is softer and moves more, but it can grow in length as it hangs. Mixing bias and straight-grain edges in one seam invites ripples.
The edge finish also changes how a ruffle hangs. Sew Essential lists three edge finishes for a ruffle: an overlocked edge pressed up and stitched, a narrow double-turned hem, or a three-thread rolled hem on the overlocker. A wider or heavier hem adds weight at the ruffle edge and pulls the ruffle down. A narrow rolled hem is light, so the ruffle edge can lift and flutter. Sew Essential also describes a rolled hem with the differential feed lowered to make a ruffled, wavy edge. A buyer who wants a wavy edge should ask for it, and a buyer who wants a flat edge should say so.
What should the tech pack state for gathered tiers and ruffles?
The tech pack for a dress with gathered tiers and ruffles should state every choice that changes how the gather hangs and how it washes. Our general guide on how to create a tech pack covers the overall layout; for gathered tiers and ruffles, add these points:
- Gather ratio per tier. State the cut length of each tier compared with the edge it joins, written as a ratio, and the finished length of each tier seam.
- Gathering method. Gathering stitches, differential feed, or elastic. If elastic, name the elastic type.
- Fabric for each tier. Name the fabric and fibre for every tier. If tiers mix fabrics, ask for a shrinkage test on each fabric before cutting.
- Grain for each tier and ruffle. Lengthwise, crosswise or bias, marked on every pattern piece.
- Seam and seam finish. Which way the tier seam allowance is pressed, how it is neatened, and whether the join is topstitched.
- Gather distribution. Ask for matching notches on each tier and on the panel it joins, so the fullness is spread evenly.
- Edge finish. Narrow hem, overlocked edge or rolled hem; and whether the ruffle edge should be flat or wavy.
- Gathering threads. Gathering threads removed from the right side after stitching.
- Wash test. Approve the sample after washing to the care label, and check the tier seams for puckering, pulling and length change.
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