The Ruching Secret That Turns Cross Stitch Into a Showpiece

Belgium Remembers 1944-1945, Tweede Wereldoorlog België, 75 Jaar Bevrijding Expert · 2026-10-07

### A Vintage Finish That Looks Like You Spent Hours (But Didn't) There's something about a ruched edge that makes people lean in for a closer look. It's soft, textured, and just a little old-fashioned in the best way. Denise showed off this exact finish during a FlossTube livestream, and once you see how simple it is, you'll want to try it on every pillow you make. Whether you've got a stack of stitched pieces waiting to become pillows or you just want to add a little flair to a plain cushion, this technique delivers. Let's walk through it. ### What You'll Need for the Ruching Gather these supplies before you start. Most are easy to find at any sewing shop. - Any non-wire ribbon (satin, grosgrain, or vintage seam binding all work) - Clover Black Gold Size 10 Sharp Needles - Clear premium invisible polyester thread - Lady Dot Creates ribbon (if you want a specific look) - Stash 'n Stores from It's Sew Emma (handy for keeping things tidy) ### Pillow Finishing Supplies If you're starting from scratch, you'll also need these to build the pillow itself. - Blue Notes Number Two by October House Fiber Arts - Pellon Shape Flex Woven Fuse by the yard (20" wide) - 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 - Stuffing tool by Benzie Design - Black Fineliner Frixion Erasable Marker - Ultimate Pressing Cloth ### Denise's Ruching Technique, Step by Step Once your pillow is sewn and stuffed, you're ready to add the ruching. Denise demonstrated this around the 1:10:00 mark in her video, and here's how it goes. 1. Thread your needle and secure it to the center bottom seam of the pillow with 2–3 knots. Trim the tail. 2. Cut a straight edge on your ribbon, but don't cut it to length yet. Fold the raw end over twice toward the pillow to hide it. 3. Anchor the folded edge with 1–2 tacking stitches. 4. Starting at the edge closest to you, make two running stitches away from you at a 45-degree angle (/), then two back toward you at a 45-degree angle (\). Finish with two straight stitches along the center (–). It looks like a triangle with a tail. 5. Pull the stitches snug to gather the ribbon, then tack it down with one stitch. 6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 around the perimeter. At corners, make the ruching extra tight and add a few extra tacks. 7. With about ½"–1" left before your starting point, switch to only the 45-degree stitches for the final gathers. 8. Trim the ribbon, fold the end over twice, nestle it along the starting fold, tack it down, and secure with 2–3 knots. 9. Bury or trim the thread to finish. > "The magic is in the tension," Denise says. "Pull snug, but not so tight that the ribbon puckers." ### Why This Finish Works So Well Ruching adds dimension without bulk. It hides raw edges, softens corners, and gives any cross stitch pillow a boutique look. Plus, it's forgiving—if a gather isn't perfect, you can tuck it in place. ### Share Your Finish We'd love to see your ruched pillows. Tag Fat Quarter Shop on Facebook or Instagram, or join Kimberly's Stitch Squad Facebook Group. Happy stitching!