Ruffle Fabric Trim Tutorial

This ruffle fabric is very popular right now and I am seeing it made into women's skirts and baby and girls' apparel.  I purchased one yard a couple months ago with the plan to make it into a skirt or onesie/skirt combo for my little granddaughter, but there is plenty of fabric to use for other projects as well.  Being pricey, it is almost $20 per yard (for knit fabric, are you kidding me?), I wanted to put the extra yardage to good use.  So I used some as an accent to the hemline of my dress.

Let me start by noting that this is the same basic process as adding piping to a project.

Let's begin:

1.  First, lift up those ruffles and have a peak.  You will see that there is enough 'flat' fabric between each ruffle to allow you to cut off as many rows of ruffles as you would like.  For this dress, I chose to just use one row of ruffles.

It is simple to follow the lines already on the fabric as your cutting lines.  Remember, this fabric won't ravel because it is knit.  It does, however, have a tendency to curl under once it has been cut.  Just be patient, it will all come together rather nicely.

2. 

Your three best friends for cutting are the self-healing cutting mat, the rotary cutter, and the clear cutting ruler.  Line up the edge of the ruler on that pre-determined cutting line and simply run your rotary cutter over it.  This can be done with shears, but you will save your sanity by using the rotary cutter.

Ta da, you now have a nice row(s) of ruffled fabric with which to embellish your project.

3. 

Simplicity pattern 2215 has a pattern piece number 10 (lower band).**  After seaming the band together as directed in the pattern instructions, fold the band in half lengthwise with wrong sides together.  Lay the ruffle fabric (right side up) on top of the folded band with raw edges together and pin.  Yes, it is necessary to pin because of that roly poly edge of the knit fabric.

**If you are using a pattern that does not have a bottom band piece, make your own.  Cut it 3" wide (unless you are using more than one row of ruffles, then you will have to cut your band wider accordingly) and the length of the circumference of your hem (you may have to cut two lengths and piece them together), plus allowance for seaming it together to make it long enough to fit your garment.  Continue with the tutorial from the **

4. 



Okay, now you're going to sew a straight stitch a scant above that ruffle.  I used a roller foot for this step because the knit ruffles kept getting caught under my regular presser foot.



You now have a nice straight line of stitching just above those ruffles.  There is also enough seam allowance left to allow room to stitch this ruffled band piece onto the dress.

5.  The final step is to pin the band/ruffle piece right sides together and raw edges even with the bottom of the dress.  Sew it with the band piece on top so you can see the stitching line from the previous step.  That becomes the line you follow for your seam.  I used my serger for this step so as to have a nice finished edge.  Here's a picture of all those layers, serged together:

6.  Finally, press the seam up toward the garment and press the band and ruffle down.  This technique could also be used to add interest to a quilt or home dec project.  Have fun with it!