I have been working on a few little crafts recently. Specifically ruffles. Long, long LONG strips of fabric for ruffles. So I was telling a friend how much I hate making ruffles. She said she had a great trick. So I gave it a try. It works like a charm. Here it is!
You use this kind of floss. It is a sturdy floss that will not unravel. She also said that you can also use dental floss.
So the trick is you sew down the edge securing it to the fabric. Next you switch to a loose zigzag. Be sure to not catch any fabric as you go. If you do, not that I ever have that problem, just pull the thread gently out of the floss and start at the place you left off. This does not have to look perfect. It will not be visible.
I forgot to take a picture of the next step. And really it is the most fun! You just pull the string through the zig zag casing. Gathering the fabric to the amount you desire. Next I pinned it down to the fabric for the pillowcase. 
Lastly, I turned it right side out and sewed down a decorative ric rack. A bright happy red!
