Adding ruffles to the back of a skirt

Hi,
I am a beginner sewer and want to have a go at Kata B.'s 'Easy Skirt Out of a Tshirt' tutorial (http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/easy-skirt-out-of-a-t-shirt).

I want to add two small ruffles to the back on the bum (side seam to side seam) but I can only find tutorials on how to add ruffles to a hem line or how to make them into a layered skirt.

Any help on how to sew them in nicely would be appreciated! Happy

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2 replies since 27th May 2010 • Last reply 27th May 2010

Reply #1:

Hi Holly
It depends on whether you want the rufflles curved at the bottom or straight. The basic shape for a curved one is on my gathered bustle. A straight one would be a rectangle.

You would need the fabric to be about one and a half times the width of the back of your skirt. The depth would depend on how long you want each frill.

If you want the ruffles to really stand out you could make the underneath one long and add a shorter one on top. Gather each one seperately then sew together were the stitching is. Best way to fit them in is under the waistband.

The other way is to make to gathered pieces the same depth, place one just above your hip and the other under the waist band. I usually make the gathered pieces overlap about 3 or 4 inches.

Example...if your hip level is 5 inches from your waist the first frill would be about 8 inch deep. This would mean that the second frill would also be 8 inch deep and would be sewn 5 inch down from waist making a 3 inch overlap.

You can adjust the depth and play around with how many layers depending on how long you want your finished skirt to be. It's best to work from the bottom upwards allowing for the overlapping.

It's best to find where the centre back is on your skirt and the centre back on your frill fabric before you make the gathers. Using your largest stitch sew to the centre of your frill fabric and cut the thread long, then sew the other half. Tie one of end of threads and pull them gently to make gathers. Move the gathers along as you go and tie off the ends when you reach the middle. Do the same from the other side to keep a balanced gather. It takes some time. Stitch across the gathers with normal sized stitch to keep in place.

Hope this makes sense Happy



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Reply #2:

Thank you very much! I'll give this a go in the next few days & let you know how it turns out Happy
Thanks again.

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