i just made a dress with shirring at the top - was a bit fiddly to get it right but it looks fab. I kept seeing a dress online that was over $300 that was basically a tube dress with shirring and puffy sleeves and I was determined to make one as that price was ridiculous. I used some thrifted fabric and it looks amazing.

Loved this tutorial! Unfortunately, 20cm was way too little for me so I've gifted this to my niece. Will try again adding at least 50cm for shirring!

So glad to see your demo for everyone to use! Years ago I made mother and daughter tube-top dresses, adding tie spaghetti straps to them. They were so easy using the shirring elastic in the bobbin and my daughter loved hers. I just cut the fabric (used 45” fabric for a 36” tube) so that the top and dress were all one piece, with only the back seam and hem to sew. Just measure from your bust to desired hem, adding enough length for hems. Try it on to place the straps as you wish and then machine stitch at the top shirring row. If you get distortion from adding the straps, you can reinforce the top row (below the flounce) with bias tape just across the front (between the two front straps) to eliminate it. Another big timesaver tip is that you do not have to tie off each row of shirring if you do not sew up the back seam first- when you sew it flat, you can simply start the next row of shirring stitches if you pull just a bit of slack thread at the row change! Then sew up the back seam, catching at least the first stitch of each row in your seam.

Lovely to see shirring being used again. I had a number of shirred tops, dresses and skirts in the 70s - Love it ♥ Janelle, your use of bedsheets for dressmaking also strikes a chord in me. As a poor art student, sheets were a terrific source of fabric for my art projects and clothes. I really enjoy your channel, thank you.

Super cute. My daughter tell me : I want one. Sorry If my english isn't correct. 😊

I live your tutorials. They are so easy to follow. You are a great teacher! More tutorials please.

I always love the prints and colors you use 💕 so lovely

So cute!! I am sure my cousin's little girl would love one of these tops.

Cute as ALWAYS. I love shirring.

Adorable. Going to make a cute matching skirt set with this tutorial when I have the chance. I picked up some great bed sheets recently! 👀😍

Thank you so much for this easy tutorial, now I'll finally be able to recreate one of my favourite dresses!

Thank you sooo much I watched so many shirring tutorials and this one was by far the most detailed yet easy to understand

Can’t wait to make this!!

Cute! I remember hating to wear these growing up. But it looks so nice.

Another lovely video! Your tutorials are always so clear and thorough! 🧡 I feel like this would make a cute bodice for a dress too! You could even add little straps or sleeves 😊 I definitely need to pick up some shirring elastic next time I'm near my local fabric store.

Omg yes, I didn't know I needed this

I love this tutorial Janelle! I'm going to try a dress using this tutorial for the bodice. Might add a few tie straps like on your hazel dress. So many fun options! Thank you for sharing and linking the fabric below - I really appreciate it. :) Trin x

Really cute the choice of the fabric for the tube top 🥰

I love all your videos, I've been wanting to make dresses for My Daughter it's just that I don't have a sewing machine. I'm still saving up to afford one. Thank you for sharing your skills on sewing ☺️💗

Thanks so much. Looks so easy just what I was looking for.

Love all your videos.

So cute!

Beautiful tops

I cannot wait to make one of these! I love this style because I don’t have to wear a bra lol.

Well teaches.... Thanks so much teacher... I just found a lovely teacher here... And know how to teaches student well that make them easily to understand ... Honestly... I went to many videos to get the right long of fabric to cut n an easy way to the right tube top to make out but could not find until I met you... 💕💕💕 .... And sorry for ma poor English... Love you from Cambodia 🇰🇭🇰🇭💕💕

Supee cute. 💕 I want one too for my niece.

Your tutorials never fail to inspire me. ^_^ I hope to see a tutorial on that pink sweater you once showed in a video. Happy sewing! Love from the Philippines. :))

Beautiful top it's amazing love ur vids💖

Súper cute 👏

I've just found your channel via youtube reccommendations. I had no idea shirring was so easy! My mind is blown! I have a few old items in which the shirring has already given way and I was putting repairing them off because I thought it must be so advanced... hehe... Needless to say, you've got yourself a new subscriber :)

Good job like always janelle! Btw I love your hair

looks nice

Hi Janelle! I love this shirred/smocked tops! I made a crochet one too I just posted the video yesterday, so I guess shirred tops are really a trend! :D I love how your are so cute and love the floral fabric! :D Hope you have a lovely week and stay safe! ;)

Thanks for sharing. I bought this tube top and now it is unraveling. I hope it is really easy to do . I will buy the elastic thread to fix it. I feel self conscious without the sleeves. Can you show me how to add sleeves or just a wide strap to it. New subscriber here.

Lovely

Waooo beautiful dress you made

Cute!!

Well, I’m trying this one. Just straight stitching, I think I can do that. Ordered some fabric and shirring elastic from Spotlight, I’m excited.

Why are you so talented??

I have a love hate relationship with shirring, there are time it looks adorable and lovely, and others where it ruins the clothing item...these are lovely. I may have also bought your Hazel dress pattern and once my fabric gets here it’s going to be the first piece I’ve ever made from scratch, so fingers crossed but I’m super excited to try it out 😊

I will try on my clothes 🙂

Wish you should make a skirt with using same method

Very nice

Wooooow 😍😍😍

WOW I really love this channel, such great videos!! :) Thanks a LOT! I'm a beginner and i've done my trial with shirring, it turned out nice but my machine kept squeaking, it sounded like some part kept rubbing another part, but everything was in place and threaded OK...Maybe someone ran into the same problem? I have a new computerized Singer machine.. Thanks for the videos!

Wow..... 👌

So cute ! Now i wonder what it would look like with the hazle dress pattern and tied straps ?

Hi 😍😍 i love your channel❤❤

❤

😍❤️👍🏻 .. first like after whaching vedio

I ran across this video tutorial when you referenced it in another video. I have a store bought jumper that the waist shirring is coming out on. I bought some of the elastic you used (I'm so glad you showed how to use it!). Do you think I will need to rip all existing lines of stitching out and re sew all the lines of shirring completely? Or do you know of any other way to fix it?

Can i ask what fabric did you use? Thank you love your videos from PH❤

I love this top. New to sewing myself and really looking forward to making my own clothes. If i wanted to add straps, you do before or after shirring? Thank you!!

Please make a video with the pattern of that pink jumper you did a while ago

😍😍💕💕

Wow, it blows my mind how simple it is! Just use elastic as a bottom thread, pure genius! One small question: how much elastic did you use for one top? I'd love to get an idea how the stretchiness and required circumference correlate. Thank you! (also, all hail to the pre-existing stitching in recycled fabric, I go out of my way to reuse those as much as possible, even in knits from thrifted tees :D)

How would you design a tube top for someone with a large bust (DD or bigger). The further out your chest goes, the shorter your top would be at the front, but still regular length at the back.

Yay I’m the first! Also are you doing custom dresses again? I love your channel!

♡♡♡♡

💌💌

Do I cut my fabric on the straight grain like any other clothing or do I cut my fabric on the cross grain???

how do you know that the knot you made for the shirring elastic wont untie?

Are you pulling on the top so you are sewing on flat fabric? Or just sewing on top of the gathering that is occurring

So you don’t need to back stitch at the beginning and end? Will you then need to tie the threads also, or just the elastic? Will it not fall apart if the threads are just cut? Thank you.

I wonder if anyone with more sewing experience than me has an idea of how to create little sleeves? Maybe a small cap sleeve or even just an off the shoulder sleeve? I think this top is so cute but I really hate the way tube tops look on me in the armpit area and prefer a little sleeve to cover that up

I don’t understand, how can cotton stretch like that when you sew it? I am new to sewing and can’t really get my head around how your fabric turned out like that!

Ohhh I really like to watch your vedios love from Pakistan I think you know me

I love u

Have you ever tried to make a dress with a sheered bust?

Hi I followed your instructions and it turned out waaaay too small for me. I was pulling the fabric straight as I was sewing, do you think that would've made it smaller?

Every time I shirr anything it ends up working more like gathering than shirring. The stitches end up sliding around on the elastic thread, anyone else have this problem and have any tips on how to solve it?

No way, I just bought shirring elastic to make a dress for my friend! Been thinking about making a tube top for myself as well, so this tutorial came at the right time 😂 do you have any tips for people with a bigger bust? I'm not sure if it would stay up on me

You are super cute

I love your tutorials, but the measurements are not right. It is not enough for shirring, I have a 35" bust, and adding 8" I get ad 43" square, which barely goes through my shoulder. If you are going to try this at home add more like 15", at least, so it can look good.

Another lovely video! Your tutorials are always so clear and thorough! 🧡 I feel like this would make a cute bodice for a dress too! You could even add little straps or sleeves 😊 I definitely need to pick up some shirring elastic next time I'm near my local fabric store.