Jessica is one of my best friends. We met her and her Husband when Jes and I were pregnant with our first babies. Now she has 2 and I have three, ah, time flies and things change! She is really smart and really creative. She is always great to talk to and has a problem solving attitude. This project she's going to share is proof of that.
I wanted to make a dress for my little girl for my brother's wedding. I looked around and decided to try some vertical ruffles to get super fluffy dress..... and when I called to ask Sharon a question about them, she had never done them either. So per her request, here is a tutorial for anyone else who wants to try this. It was a lot of fun and more work than I thought, but I love the end result. Since I have completed this, I think they would look cute on a casual skirt, maybe along a v-neck blouse, or to add some pizzazz to some pockets on a skirt. The possibilities really are endless.
The Basics
Vertical ruffles (aka flounces) are created in a donut shape. By cutting your fabric this way you create ruffles without needing to gather the fabric. The inner circle of your donut is where your seam will be. The smaller the circumference of your inner part of the donut the more ruffley (is that a word?) your ruffle will be.
I think these ruffles are beautiful, but they do take more fabric than a traditional gathered ruffle because there is so much waste when cutting them out. However they are really simple and you do not have to worry about making sure your gathers are even like you do in a traditional ruffle.
Measurements/Pattern
Quick geometry lesson... Circumference = the distance of the outside of a circle. The formula for circumference is
Pie equals about 3.14. D = Diameter and it is the distance across the center of the circle going through the midpoint. R = Radius and it is one-half if the diameter out from the midpoint. Here is an illustration courtesy of wikipedia for you as a reminder.
Here is why you need the geometry lesson. If you do not want to piece together two or more ruffles to create length, then you can simply take your desired length of the ruffle and divide it by pie (3.14) to find the diameter of the inner circle of your donut that you need to create.
The skirt of the dress was 15 inches long that I was creating. So you take 15 / 3.14 = 4.77 or about 4.75 inches. This was the diameter I needed for my inner circle, so my ruffle would be the same length as the skirt.
To create a pattern you can do one of two things:
1. Look for a circle in your home that has the same diameter that you need. I used a bowl, but you could also use a CD, glass, plate....
2. If you can't find a circle, then find some cardboard. Divide your diameter in half so you have the radius of your circle. Cut a piece of string or yarn. Attach a pencil to the end of it. Then pin the string on the cardboard so you have exactly the radius coming from the pin to the pencil. Using my example above it would be 2 3/8 of an inch of string. The pin becomes the center of your circle. Keeping the line tight, simply draw a circle onto the cardboard.
Now you do the same thing for your outer circle. Note that the distance between your two circles will be how wide your ruffle is. This is a personal choice. Don't forget to take into account the seam allowance (about 5/8 of an inch). I used a 4 inch wide ruffle. If you are using cardboard for a pattern then I make sure you draw your outer circle before you cut your inner circle because you will want to use the same midpoint.
Here is what you are going for.
Cut Your Fabric
Use the patterns for your inner and outer circle or your single cardboard pattern. I was using organza so I folded my fabric so I could cut about 4 at a time using my rotary cutter. I cut the outer circle first and then cut the inner circle second. Then cut your circle apart so it will open up.
Cutting the outside edge first.
Cutting the inner circle second.
Cut it apart straight across so it will open up.
See how it ruffles just by straightening the inner circle?
Finish the Edges
You will somehow want to finish the edges of your ruffles by either hemming them, using a serger, or using fray check to ensure they don't fray. I used fray check on mine because I did not want to add bulk by hemming them. If you are piecing ruffles you would want to do that before you finish the edges.
Mark Your Fabric
Using a marking pencil that is appropriate for fabric, mark vertical lines where you want your ruffles to go. My skirt (before gathering it at the waist was about 64 inches). I wanted ruffles every 2 inches, so I had 32 ruffles. Use a straight edge to mark your lines.
After all my lines are drawn.
Pin! Pin! Pin!
Pin your ruffles to your fabric, using the lines as your guide. Start at the top and then pull your inner circle straight as you work your way down. I pinned about every inch or so. If doing a lot of ruffles like I was, you can probably pin about 5 at a time and still be able to sew them pretty easily.
Sew
Sew your ruffles using about a 1/4 to 3/8 inch seam allowance. Once you have attached the ruffle, fold the ruffle back over itself and sew it again. This will cover the raw edges so they don't show and fray.
Folding it over to cover the raw edge and sew again.
The finished ruffle.
Hem the Bottom?
If sewing a dress or a skirt, you could hem the bottom. I like the loose and free look at the bottom of the skirt so I didn't hem it. If doing them on a sleeve or a pocket then you may want a finished edge. Depending on the look will determine if you want to finish after you attach it or before.
My finished product.
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