Ahh, another person who learned to sew by making doll clothes! I had a wonderful grandmother who taught me to handsew Barbie clothes somewhere between 6-7 years old. She was always doing some kind of handwork, and I followed in her footsteps for many years.
I still gather by hand on small items or on very special items (baptism gowns for example). I use two rows of long machine stitches on "regular" items. I do agree that the two rows keep the gathers from twisting and make it easier to have a lovely result.
Pam