Waffle or Cross Shirring
Technique: Waffle or Cross Shirring
“The pockets of puffy, crumpled fabric that spring up between crisscrossing rows of gathered stitching characterize waffle or cross shirring.” (Wolff, p.31)
Materials: Cotton sateen, nylon
Spacing/Size: Spaced 1”
Gathering Methods: Parallel rows of machine stitching pulled to gather (longest stitch length), Only pull bobbin thread
Anchoring methods: The bobbin and top thread are tied in a knot on top and bottom of one side; Only tied on one side because the thread breaks under too much pressure on the opposite side
Notes and Reflections: Advantages, Disadvantages, Ideas, Evaluations
• Sample illustrates the repetition of the gathering lines to make shirring with a dark colored thread as the bobbin and light for top stitching
• Creates beautiful texture
• Gathers set inside the fabric to create a piece inside of shirring as opposed to entire cloth
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
• Requires patience to not break the bobbin thread used to gather
• Difficult to finish the edges gathering without breakage
• Needs a lighter weight fabric (the sateen is a little heavy for gathering/shirring)
Ideas for Exploration:
• Could experiment with stitch direction, pattern
• Method for Shibori
• MORE… this could be a large piece of fabric or many sections like this making up a larger piece
• Use lighter weight fabric