With the inclusion of ruffles, any piece of clothing is transformed into fabulous and elegant garment due to the elegant charm that the ruffles exude. Even if you’re a beginner at sewing and if you are not so keen in sewing then learning how to make attractive ruffle adds a whole new dimension to your sewing projects. Don’t know how and what to start if you want to achieve perfect ruffles? That’s why we’ve prepared a detailed guide for you that will provide lots of information about choosing a suitable fabric, tools and detailed descriptions of sewing techniques used to make beautiful ruffles. Let’s get started!
Understanding Ruffles
Ruffles are horizontals that are shaped like pleats , which are folds of material used at the edge . They can be incorporated into hems, sleeves, neckline or even those small details such as buttons, belts or handbags. Ruffles can be created in single layer, multiple layers, with slim thickness, or with a larger width, with the utilization of different materials to create a unique appearance.
Choosing the Right Fabric
Fabrics matter in your ruffles because they affect its flow and overall appearance; another important consideration is the size and number of the ruffles that you require. If you will be using delicate fabrics such as chiffon, organza, or cotton voile, the ruffles that you will be creating will be softer and more fluid compared to those ruffles that you will be making if you are using other fabrics such as linen, cotton, satin or even silk which are medium weight fabrics. This insinuates that exquisite and heavyweight fabrics should be prevented from making the ruffles since they will bulk up and possibly hang awkwardly.
How to make ruffle
Collecting enhances the outline of the material or garment in question and is beneficial when one is trying to produce ruffles. Here’s a simple guide to making ruffles:
Materials Needed:
- Fabric
- Measuring tape
- Scissors or rotary cutter
- Pins
- Sewing machine stitch
- Thread
- Iron
Steps to Create Ruffles
1. Choose Your Fabric choice
Choose a fabric that will complement the ruffles Trim the bottom edge and add frills. In addition to chiffon and organza and cotton voile which are light weight fabrics, others medium weight fabrics that would be suitable include; cotton and satin. Heavy materials should also be discouraged because they will make the construction of the ruffles bulky.
2. Measure and cut fabric strips
Determine Length: It gives a freedom to decide how full you wish the ruffles to be. A common ratio is 2:1, which means that the length of the ruffle fabric should be a double ruffle size of the area on which it will be sewn.
Determine Width: Choose the measurement for the ruffling, which also implies ruffle seam allowance. Increase this amount by 1 inch if you intend to explore seams so that you include ½ inch on each side.
Example: For instance, if you wish to achieve a ruffle 3 inches in width, you need to sew a fabric strip measuring 4 inches in width.
3. Finish the Edges (Optional)
For a polished look, hem the edges of your fabric strip:For a polished look, hem the edges of your fabric strip:
Narrow Hem: Relocate the fold to ¼ inch from the edge and iron it, folding it another ¼ inch to complete the Petersburg Edge finish and then stitch 1/16 from the edge.
Rolled Hem: The last stitch should be a rolled hem foot, usually available on the sewing ruffles machine as it provides a neat and tiny hem.
4. Gather the Fabric
You can gather fabric using one of the following methods:
Hand Gathering:
Mark the Fabric: The strip should then be split into many equal parts and these sections should be speculated using pins.
Sew Basting Stitches: Place the fabric strip on the cutting mat, and make sure the straight edge is parallel to the ruler; then, sew two horizontal rows of long basting stitches along one side of the strip, starting a few stitches in from the edge and finishing a few stitches before the other edge of the fabric strip, leaving the long thread tails at the beginning and end.
Gather the Fabric: Slide your fingers unto both the bobbin threads and then pull the fabric in order to gather it to have evenly spaced gathers.
Machine Gathering:
Set the Machine: The next step is to adjust your sewing project machine by inclining it to the longest stitch length available and also slightly loosening the tension.
Sew Basting Stitches: Next, gathering stitch two rows of running stitches in line with the folded edge.
Gather the Fabric: Take the bobbin threads between your fingers and pull on them to pleat the fabric , make sure that the pleats are equal in size.
Calculating Fabric for Ruffles
It is also important to note that to be able to decide on the fullness of your ruffles and the length, you have to act in the determination of the amount of fabric that you are going to require for your ruffles. Generally, the fullness ratio usually varies from one to two percent. 5:To determine the ratio of the sum of the length of the ruffle length to each skirt layer the ratio is given at 1 to 3:1 where the circle ruffle length is 1. The size should be at least five times the area to be closed up to, and in some cases up to three times the size of the area it will be joined to. For example, if you want a 2:So if one fullness ratio is 20 inches and ‘x’ is the area to be ruffled you will have to gather 40 inches of fabric for the ruffle.
Preparing the Fabric
Beginning before gathering, which may be on preparations, it is usual to cut strips of the fabric. The width depends on how thin or how thick you decide to make the strip for your ruffles. If one wants to make hems or finish the edges of the width then seam allowance pointing must be added. To make clean edges people use rotary cutter and cutting mat that makes straight stitch lines with ease.
Attaching the Ruffles
These are the attaching the ruffles
Pin the Ruffle seam’s raw edge
Mark the seamline at both the garment and the ruffle and align both gathered ruffle and garment edge right sides facing outwards and re-establish any necessary fullness.
Sew the ruffles
Stitch the ruffle to the garment securely with the standard needle position with the stitch length slightly lower than the basting stitch.
Finish the Edge
Trim off the excess fabric and silk and then take out the basting stitches if any while you can use the serger or zig zag stitch to close the raw edge as well .
Hemming and Finishing
In order to provide more finesse to your ruffles, the edges should be sew hemmed before the gathering. There are three basic ways to finish such hems: a narrow hem, roll hem, or serge edge, depending on the material’s characteristics and future application. If you want something more aesthetical, lace trim or bias tape should work nicely.
Creative Ruffle Variations
These are the creative ruffle variations
Layered Ruffles
There are normally wide vertical ruffles and thin horizontal ruffles used on garments, layering them in a sophisticated manner can increase the texture and detail of the end product. Try to blend soft and hard wearing fabrics and colour to achieve a different look.
Circular Ruffles
Flounces are circular ruffles made by cutting circular shapes out of the material to be used for this particular part of clothing. These ruffles are ribbon like and have a fluid movement, great for gathering to the bottom of skirts, or under sleeves.
Pleated Ruffles
Instead of gathering sew several pleats on the fabric tube ruffle strip because the process will be more orderly and formal. Among the pleats used in making ruffles, box pleats and knife pleats are preferred by many.
Tips for Perfect Ruffles
- Test on Scraps: Looking at the gathering technique and the stitch settings, it is always wise to test them out on a piece of fabric before the actual final piece.
- Even Gathers: It is very crucial that each set of gathers is equal, and it can be done by marking the fabric then adjusting the gathers for each section.
- Pressing: Finally arrange your tube finished ruffle by carefully ironing it in order to create the gathers and make it look crisp.
- Stabilizing: Because we have ruffles in this fabrication, one may need to add a stabilizer or interfacing to avoid a sagging appearance on the light fabrics.
Practice Makes Perfect
It also requires a fair amount of time and effort to learn how to make beautiful ruffles. There are so many materials out there and that the way ruffle’s seam are gathered can vary as well; try various kinds of fabric, various techniques, and various types of ruffles that suit you. However, over time and practice, you should be able to incorporate ruffles into your sewing projects in a style that can be considered breath taking.
Conclusion
Ruffles do not only enhance the beauty of garments but also they give that feminine and romantic touch, and together I will go through a simple procedure to create perfect ruffles. Step by step from selecting the material right up to the technique on gathering is important in creating the best ruffle. , then collecting all the corresponding materials, turn to this article, perform all instructions, and begin to enrich your sewing creations with a spare element of elegance from this point!
