August 12, 2010

Ruffle Tutorial

Don't forget to vote for the pattern you want most! 

I have been asked a couple times to show how I did the ruffle on the polka dot dress, and so I am going to show you! 
See how simple that is? 
Ask and it will be given you.

These first few steps are not pictured, but they don't need to be, 
I am rambling, I'll get to the point! 
Step 1: Cut a strip of fabric, mine was 2 1/4 inches wide by.... I'm not sure how long, but it needs to be super long! I ended up doing mine in sections, just because that is easier for me! 
Step 2: Baste in half. 
Step 3: Line up your needle with the basting stitch you did before, this is going to make everything strait, 
well as long as you sewed your basting stitch strait! 
Now starts the fun part, I use my machine as a guide. The end of the metal plate was were I folded the fabric. 
Which equals about an inch. 
I grabbed that place in the fabric and folded it all the way back to the needle. 
So it touched the needle. 

Slowly sew until you are through the folded part of the fabric, leave the needle in, then fold again. 
This is time consuming, and take some practice. 
I'm sure there are better ways out there, this is just what I did for this dress. 
I got to the point were I could do a couple of folds, or pleats at a time, but never more than 3. 
I
This is what it will look like then....
this! 
I'm sure using pins, and a ruler, this could go faster sewing, but to me, especially with a 2 year old next to me, if not on my lap, pins, are not good to have around all the time. 
Plus, the time it would take to get the pins all lined up and set in place you could be done, by just guesstimating. 

24 comments:

N N said...

nice :)
can you share more posts on how to sew blouse?

Unknown said...

What a great idea. I love it.

Gr8Life said...

What a darling dress!
Love the tutorial
Thanks
Cindy

barbara said...

Oh! Seems easy and fun to make, I'll definetely give it a try... Thanks for sharing

Shey said...

Thanks for the tutorial! I have never tried this (well I'm only a beginner hehe) but this looks easy (maybe?) =)

Anne said...

Wow! I would have thought you used a superfancy ruffler attachment to get those perfect pleated ruffles!! I linked to your tutorial over at Craft Gossip Sewing:
http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-perfect-pleated-ruffles-without-a-ruffle-foot/2010/08/14/

--Anne

chris said...

What a great tutorial. If you don't mind I'll be linking to my Sewing 101 series here:
http://http://pickupsomecreativity.blogspot.com/2010/07/sewing-101-great-posts-on-other-sites.html

Thank you!

Tricia said...

Thanks for posting ! This is totally simple, yet something I would have never thought of on my own! I agree, sewing wit a little one in your lap (mine is 10 months!) makes using pins a big no-no ; )

Scared Stitchless said...

I just found your blog through CraftGossip and I've fallen in love with your projects! Thanks for some wonderful inspiration and I hope to do some (successful) copying of your ideas. Fingers crossed!

Rachel@oneprettything.com said...

I think it's great! Nice and easy. Thanks so much for this, I'll be linking.

Francais Frit said...

Sometimes things are as easy as they seem but a nice pep talk with pictures helps so much.
thanks!

marysews said...

How very clever! I found this posted here: http://forums.delphiforums.com/sewingfriends/messages?msg=12891.1

Brandon said...

This is such a great post! Do you have a tutorial on the dress? I would love to make one for my soon to be 3 year old for her birthday in January.

Sorry posts hubby's name.

aldwedgi at hotmail dot com

Ginger said...

THANK YOU!!!! This is the easiest tutorial for pleating. And since I have a toddler too, I need something easy and not to complicated so I can stop and go as needed. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU OVER AND OVER.

Anonymous said...

The easiest way to do ruffles, is to turn your tension all the way up, and do a basting stitch. The machine will do the ruffling for you!! (:

planeteeyore said...

Thank you your tutorial was awesome. I was trying to fold and pin and it was a mess very uneven I just couldnt get it right. I tried it your way I had a perfect pleated ruffle in a mater of minutes. Thank you thank you thank you

Amarantha said...

I just knew there had to be a quick, easy, neat and tidy way of doing pleats without splashing out loads on a special foot, but I hadn't quite worked out what it was. This is perfect!

Thank you so much for doing this tutorial, I now have beautiful, even, pleats on a bellydance bra I've been covering! :-D

Anonymous said...

Seems simple enough as long as you go slow, at least until you get the hang of it.

Susan said...

Now why didn't I think of that??? Oh well, I'm certainly glad you did! And thank you for sharing.

Anonymous said...

so much easier than marking and pinning. If you turn the fabric under, i is easier to sew; not bumping against the edge of the new pleat. Also a fork is fun to try using, it makes even pleats as you put the fabric with the middle two tines on one side and turn the fork up to meet the previous pleat.

Carma's Capers said...

Thanks so much for sharing this tip - good for you! Gotta try it!
Enjoy that little one - they grow up too fast!

Diva said...

I just came across this and I find this is an amazing way to make these pleats. Thanks so much for sharing. Love,love, love.

katydids said...

Using a fork as wide as you want your pleat to fold the fabric works well also

Anonymous said...

Use the ruffiler ruffler it’s so much easer and faster

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