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From: angelicbaby
Date: 01-15-2005, 02:11 PM (1 of 3)
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I am new here and I have looked everywhere for help but no one seems to be able to explain to me how to make ruffles. I have an odd colloered dress thet I want to add large loose ruffles to but I can't find the right color of those pre made ones so I thought I would make it out of the rest of the fabric. But, I don't know even how to start or how much fabric it takes or anything. I would really appreciate some help or instructions anything!
angelicbaby
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User: angelicbaby
Member since: 01-14-2005 Total posts: 3 |
From: paroper
Date: 01-16-2005, 01:36 AM (2 of 3)
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Well, first of all, let me explain that technically a ruffle is done with the aid of an attachment that causes little even pleats. Gathers, on the other hand are a little different and although they can be made with a gathering foot, most gathers made by the home seamstress are made by hand, just because of cost and convience. However, when I think of gathers, I think of long things being gathered (like skirts) and little flouncy "things" like the edges of curtains and little girls dress trims as being ruffled. To get a nice ruffle or gather, you must start with fabric in excess of your item's width 2 1/2-3 times. The longer the ruffle gather or ruffle, the more you should allow in you ruffle's length because the gather or ruffle seems less full as it gets longer. You will need to add an amount for the top of the gather, usually 5/8 inch for a sewn-in ruffle or gather but it can be as much as 3/4-1 inch if you are going to sew the gather onto the garment. You need to also allow for a narrow hem at the top and the bottom. This hem can be a rolled serged hem, it can be a rolled hem from your machine, or you can turn under 1/8 inch twice or 1/4 inch twice and sew a machine hem. (1/8 Inch is prettier, 1/4 inch is easier.) You can even add a decorative machine stitch to the bottom of the gather or ruffle. There are several ways to make a gather. There is the gathering foot which is usually looks like a folded square and has a hole for the needle. You adjust your gather's fullness by using the stitch regulator on your machine. This foot is quite reasonably priced. Using the foot you can either make a gather to be sewn on later or you can sew the gather to your garment in one "pass" You may run two rows of basting stitches. One is run at 3/8 inch, the other at 5/8 inch. If your pattern calls for less than 5/8, you should run a row of basting stitches on the seam line and then one half-way between the seam line and the edge of the garment for a sewn in ruffle or gather. If you are going to sew it on, you might want to use an air-erase marker at the seamline and run the first gather on that line. Then, you just pull one piece of thread gently and adjust the material on the thread as it puckers up. This is an old method of gathering and if you are doing a long gather, you can almost always count on your thread breaking before you get finished. A new, easier method is to take dental floss, fishing line, kite string or crochet cotton (not yarn) and zig zag across it, applying it at the 5/8 inch line on your gather. You do not need another row of stitching. You simply gather by pushing the fabric while holding the line and adjust your gathers. This is much easier than the above method. The machine ruffler is an expensive foot but it does a beautiful job! It makes little pleats which you adjust with your stitch regulator. Like the gathering foot you can apply the ruffle as you make it or you can make a long row of ruffles and then apply them to your garment. It takes a while to master but is well worth the effort. I've used these often to make square dance dresses and it handles the tiers of ruffles in nothing flat. pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: mommydionne
Date: 01-18-2005, 04:39 PM (3 of 3)
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another way to get nice ruffles is to make a circular ruffle, bear with me as I try to explain this.... measure how long you need the ruffle to be (ie around the collar where you are going to sew this on) and add seam allowances to that number, this is the circumference of your inner circle, figure out how wide you would like your ruffle to be and add seam allowances for both edges. circumference = pi x d (pi = 3.14) x diameter. Once you know your diameter you can draw your circle and then draw a second circle outside of that for your ruffle. Are you completely confused ?? it makes a soft ruffle that will have no gathers at the edge you sew to your garment but takes A LOT of fabric b/c of the shape. Jeanette
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User: mommydionne
Member since: 01-08-2004 Total posts: 838 
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