In addition to ruching a skirt as we did above, you can ruch the hem or side of a top or a dress. In this demonstration, we are going to ruch a top. It is a great technique to give it a little bit of texture and a little bit of oomph. Wherever you put it, your eye will be drawn right to that spot.

Supplies:

Dance Top
Thread to match dance skirt
Rhinestone strip, optional
Appliqué, optional
Thread to match appliqué, optional
Small scissors to clip threads

Directions:

Choosing Your Materials
The first thing you need to choose is the dance garment. We are using a sports bra in this demonstration.

Ruching a sports bra
The first step is to find the center point of the sports bra. The way to do that is to put the shoulder seams together, the straps together and the side seams together. This will create a fold down the center of the top. Mark that fold with Tailor’s chalk or a bar of soap. Double thread your needle. We prefer the long needle with the big eyes. It is best not to start at the bottom of the bra but to start just above the elastic. Start with the knot on the inside of the bra. With thread that matches the top just weave in and out along the chalked line gathering as you go. When you get to the top, stitch through to the inside and tie a knot. To make it extra strong, go back down the same line and catch the gathering stitches. When you get to the bottom, stitch inside again and tie a knot on the inside. We usually repeat this pattern two or three times to make sure it is strong. Because your bra will stretch, you cannot be too secure. The sports bra should look fantastic as it is or you could sew a rhinestone strip or an appliqué on top of the stitches if you want to give it a little bit extra strength and a little bit more oomph. If you want to use an appliqué, stitch the along the edges so they do not pop up.