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	Expanded "Footprints" by Lyn Lackey Educator for Bernina of America Featured in CN Nov/Dec '04
This is an expanded version of the “FootPrints” article in CN Nov/Dec ‘04. We’ve included additional photos for the ruffler attachment and a section on the gathering foot. The ruffler attachment makes even tucks and is great for home dec, especially chintz and sized fabrics. A gathering foot is another option that is great for heirloom garment sewing using light to medium-weight fabrics.
Easy Ruffles and Gathers Incorporating ruffles and gathers into garments and home dec delights need not be time consuming or difficult. The two feet discussed here make these embellishments fast and simple. The Ruffler Attachment This is a foot that performs flawlessly as a tremendous time-saver when creating yards of gathered and pleated material.
Although this foot looks complicated, its innovative design actually makes it very easy to use. When attaching the foot to the machine, be sure the fork arm is placed around the needle screw. The up-and-down action of the needle bar causes the ruffler blade to move in and out, pinching small amounts of fabric and pushing them under the needle.
The separator blade holds fabric in position and keeps the ruffler blade from contacting the feed dogs. Use the adjusting lever at the upper front of the devise to set pleating frequency–a pleat with every stitch, every sixth stitch, or every twelfth stitch. It can also be set so that no pleats are made ("0").

Set the pleat depth with the adjusting screw (some older rufflers may have a gauge) at the front of ruffler. Turn screw clockwise for deeper pleats, counterclockwise for more shallow pleats.
The ruffler not only creates yards and yards of even, professional pleats and ruffles, quickly and easily, it can also gather and stitch to a flat piece of fabric in one simple operation. Attach ruffler from the right side of needle bar, placing the fork arm over needle screw. Set the adjusting lever at 1.
Ruffling a Single Layer Place fabric between the ruffler blade and the separating blade, then through the seam guide slot, keeping fabric against the right side of slot. Lower presser foot; stitch. Adjust stitch length and/or adjusting screw as desired–shorter for finer gathers, longer for looser gathers. Ruffling and Stitching to a Flat Layer Insert fabric to be gathered wrong side up between the blades as previously described. Place flat fabric under the attachment, right side up, and through the seam guide slot. Keep both fabric edges aligned with the right side of slot. Stitch, keeping a steady speed. The ruffler doesn’t bite...but it will gobble up fabric to produce beautiful pleats, ruffles, and gathers.
Gathering Foot Examine the relationship between the sole of the gathering foot and the bed of the sewing machine. The foot does not rest evenly on the feed dogs and this imbalance causes the fabric to feed unevenly under the foot, gathering as it is stitched.
The slot running the length of the foot allows a flat piece of fabric to be stitched to the gathered piece as it is being gathered. It keeps the flat piece from touching the feed dogs and prevents it from shirring.
If a foot is extra wide, it will cover the entire 9mm feed dog area of a machine with a wider stitch width capability–thus increasing the effectiveness of the foot on these machines. A wider width of foot also makes it easier to handle two pieces of fabric when gathering a strip of fabric onto a flat piece. The resulting seam allowance is slightly larger than ½", making it easier to finish with a sewn or serged technique. The amount of gathering produced is affected by fabric weight, stitch length, and needle tension. A longer stitch length pulls up more fabric with each stitch and is recommended when gathering heavier fabrics. Increasing tension of the sewing machine produces tighter gathers.
Tips for Gathering * Place fabric to be gathered under the foot so that fabric is completely on the feed dogs for even feed. Sew a row of stitching, keeping the raw edge of fabric aligned with the right edge of foot. The stitches automatically cause the fabric to gather. * To gather a double layer, first baste the two layers together, about " from the raw edges, then treat them as one layer. * When gathering knit fabrics, use a zigzag stitch for more give in the gathered edge (width=4mm-5mm; length=2.5mm-3mm). * To gather a piece of fabric while seaming it to a flat piece lay fabric to be gathered right side up under the gathering foot, raw edge aligned with the " seamline. Place flat fabric right side down in the presser foot slot, raw edge against the right side of slot. The far left needle position helps prevent fabric from slipping from the slot. Guide fabric to be gathered with the left hand and the flat piece with the right hand, taking care to keep both layers properly aligned. * For greater control when gathering, set the machine for or ½ motor speed, if this option is available.
	Conclusion A little practice with these feet are well worth the effort when perfectly placed gathers and ruffles are produced quickly and professionally. Check with a sewing machine dealer to obtain the correct foot for your machine.
Lyn loves all types of sewing but finds heirloom sewing and embellishment of fabrics to be her favorite. She is a full-time educator for Bernina of America. Visit Bernina online @ berninausa.com.

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