The Ruching Trick That Turns Cross Stitch Into a Designer Pillow

Michael Johnson · 2026-10-07

There are so many creative ways to finish a cross stitch piece, and today we're breaking down a ruched finish that Denise shared in a recent FlossTube livestream. This vintage-inspired technique adds texture and charm to any cross stitch pillow. If you've got a stitched pattern ready to become a pillow, or you just want to give an existing pillow a little extra style, this method is for you. Below, you'll find the full supply list and a step-by-step breakdown of Denise's ruching technique. Bookmark this page so you can come back to it whenever you're ready to try this fun finish. ### What You'll Need Before you start, gather your supplies. For the ruching itself, you'll need: - Ribbon (any non-wire ribbon works) - Lady Dot Creates ribbon - Clover Black Gold Size 10 Sharp Needles - Clear Premium Invisible Polyester Thread Spool - Stash 'n Stores from It's Sew Emma For finishing the pillow, you'll need: - Blue Notes Number Two by October House Fiber Arts - Pellon Shape Flex Woven Fuse by the Yard 20" Wide Yardage - Pellon 20" x 36" Shape Flex Woven Fuse - Nantucket Summer by Camille Roskelley - Heat n Bond Ultrahold 17" x 1 Yard Pack - 1 lb White Core Wool Roving - Clover Black Gold Size 10 Sharp Needles - Stuffing Tool by Benzie Design - Black Fineliner Frixion Erasable Marker - Ultimate Pressing Cloth ### Denise's Ruching Technique After showing how to sew, stuff, and finish a pillow with a center back seam, Denise demonstrates how to add this darling detail (jump to 1:10:00 in the video). Once you've watched her demonstration, come back here for a step-by-step refresher. 1. Thread your needle and secure it to the center bottom seam of the pillow with 2–3 knots. Trim the thread tail. 2. Cut a straight edge on your ribbon, but don't cut it to length yet—you can trim it to fit at the end. Fold the raw end over twice toward the pillow to hide the raw edge. 3. Anchor the folded edge of the ribbon to the pillow with 1–2 tacking stitches. 4. Starting at the edge of the ribbon closest to you, make two running stitches away from you at a 45-degree angle (/), then two running stitches back toward you at a 45-degree angle (\). Finish with two running stitches straight along the center of the ribbon (–). The shape you're making looks like a triangle with a tail! 5. Pull your stitches snug to gather the ribbon, then tack it down with a single stitch to the pillow. 6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 as you work around the whole perimeter of the pillow. At the corners, make your ruching extra tight and add a few extra tacking stitches to keep the ribbon looking full. 7. When you have ½"–1" left before you reach your starting point, switch to only the 45-degree stitches (/ \) for your final gathers. 8. Trim the ribbon to fit, then fold the end over twice toward the pillow to hide the raw edge. Nestle it along the starting fold, tack it down, and secure the thread with 2–3 knots. 9. Bury or trim the thread to finish. > "This ruching technique adds such a lovely vintage touch—it's like giving your cross stitch a little hug." — Denise ### Stitch and Share With Us! We'd love to see your ruched finishes! Follow Fat Quarter Shop on Facebook and Instagram for updates, or join Kimberly's Stitch Squad Facebook Group, a supportive community of quilters and stitchers. Be sure to tag us when you post your work so we can see and share it. Happy stitching!