sewing 101: Ruffles

 So I shared a post on gathering last week. Today I thought I would do ruffles. It’s not all that different from gathering, mainly since you gather to make most ruffles. Instead of just showing you how to make strip and sew a gathering line along the top, I thought I would show you how to make a cascading ruffle. Because it is cut in a circle it will ruffle without being gathered. However today I will show you gathering the inner circle. To create the cascade ruffle you will make an inner circle. The circumference of the circle is the length that the ruffle will be (un-gathered) You can always gather the inner circle and then you can make it any length, the ruffle will just be fuller. Then from the inner circle create an outer circle where the radius is the width of the ruffle you desire. Then when you cut it out cut out the inner circle so you have a donut.

 You will want to turn under the outside edge of the circle since that will be the outside edge of the ruffle. Then following the instructions from the gathering post, sew two basting stitches along the inside of the circle.

 Then pin the ruffle in a straight edge pin the edges and the middle.

 Then pull them to gather the ruffle. (again this could also be done without any gathering as the curve of the circle will give a ruffled edge, this is just more full)

 Then sew your ruffle in place.

 Then fold the ruffle over and sew another line in place this covers the raw edge.
(you should use matching thread and you can remove the basting stitch when you are done.

 Then when the ruffle lays down it looks as if it cascading down. The lighter the fabric the more fluffy cascading look.

 Another thing we will go over is applying ruffles to a garment. Handling a corner, and finishing a ruffle into an edge.

 Let’s say you come across a corner. You want to shape the ruffle to pivot at the corner. You don’t want to round the corner unless it is a curved corner. I pin and secure the corner in a point.

 Now for ending a ruffle you can do a few things. You can have the ruffle trail off on the edge so it tapers off. To do this you want the entire raw edge to curve off the edge of the garment.

 In this case I sandwiched the ruffle between the outer piece of the garment and the facing. Then stitch along the edge which would enclose the ruffle in the seam.

 Turn it right side out and you have a lovely tapered ruffle.

 And a perfect corner.

The other option you have is leave the edge of the ruffle out and finish the raw edge.

There you have some ruffle 101. Now you can go have fun and add ruffles of any kind to anything.