Ruffles are gathered or circular-cut strips of fabric that are used as decorative trims. They are a popular feature on garments for young girls as well as for women.
Ruffles fall into two general categories: those that are gathered and those that are cut in a circular fashion to form a rippled edge. Gathered ruffles are formed from rectangular pieces of fabric that gather and drape best when cut across the width of the fabric or on the true bias grainline of the fabric. For best results, cut the ruffle to equal two to three times the length of the edge to which it will be attached, use the greater proportion of fullness for lightweight and sheer fabrics.
As its name implies, a circular ruffle is cut either as a half circle or a full circle, so that unlike a gathered ruffle, one edge of the circular ruffle fits smoothly to its joining edge, while the fuller outer edge forms the soft ripples. The degree of fullness in the ruffle is determined by the relative size and depth of the circle; the greater and deeper the cut of the circular piece, the fuller the ruffle. To achieve the desired fullness or length for either type of ruffle, seam the necessary number of pieces together.
The depth of a gathered ruffle is determined by its placement on the garment or by the particular fashion look you are trying to achieve. The proportion of fullness for the ruffle is based on the weight of the fabric and the ease in which it can be gathered.
When making a ruffle pattern from a garment pattern, you may want to pin the small ruffle patterns together at their end seamlines to eliminate some of the joining seams; just make sure the combined ruffle piece fits within the width of the fabric before cutting; replace any omitted seam with a notch for matching the ruffle to the garment seam when sewing them together.
Submitted by: Loretta Crowder
© 2011, Loretta. All rights reserved.
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