Learn to sew a ruffle by hand or by machine. You can use a single needle machine, a serger, or a needle and thread to make a perfect ruffle for your project.
When it comes to ruffles for a project, it’s my favorite thing to do. I love making little girl dresses with a lot of ruffles.
However, making ruffles is not something that most people know how to do especially as a new sewer.
In this article, I hope to cover some basics on creating the perfect ruffle.
There are many techniques that we will cover and there isn’t one that is more superior than the other. It’s a matter of personal preference and skill level.
So let’s dive in.
Techniques
Using A Single Needle Machine – Using a single needle sewing machine to create a ruffle isn’t as hard as it sounds. In fact, there are many techniques within this technique that I want to go over.
I like to pinch and squeeze with a normal single needle and regular stitch length. It’s a technique that I created to prevent hours and hours of tedious work.
What I will do is start sewing and then push the fabric into the presser foot as I go along. It’s a free hand technique that is very helpful if you have a lot of ruffles to make and you don’t particularly care how the pleating is spaced.
When you use this free hand method sometimes your ruffles will get turned or twisted and you’ll have to fix that later but for all intents and purposes it’s a great way to make beautiful ruffles fast.
The other single needle method is basting a line of sewing on the edge of your ruffle. You can do one line of sewing or two lines of sewing or three lines of sewing. It’s up to you.
Bear in mind, when you use the basting method you don’t back stitch on either end, you leave it loose so that you can pull the top stitch as you gather the ruffle.
This is a long tedious process but if you want every ruffle hanging perfectly this is the way to go. You are in full control of what the ruffle looks like and that’s a good thing when you are sewing professionally or selling what you sew.
With that said, I would say there are better ways than baste stitching your ruffles if you use a ruffler foot. With ruffler feet, you attach it to your sewing machine. It really does make the job easier.
Using A Serger – My favorite preferred method for sewing a ruffle is using a ruffler foot attachment. The one I bought for my Baby Lock serger comes with a set of six feet.
My machine is the Baby Lock Imagine, and it’s amazing how well the ruffler foot gathers the ruffle. It cuts, serges, and over-locks the edge all in one speedy serge. I just love it!
This package of six accessories feet can be purchased on Amazon. Because it’s a set of 6, it costs more than a single foot, and Baby Lock attachments cost more generally anyway . That’s because the Baby Lock brand is high-end and it adds quality to your sewing.
If you buy the accessory feet package at a brick-and-mortar sewing machine shop you will be paying a hefty price because of markup. I paid $300 for my set. But you can find them way cheaper online. Specifically Amazon.
By the way, Crunchy Menopause is a review site that receives compensation from ShareASale, Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, eBay, and other affiliate networks whose products I review. That means if you purchase something through one of my affiliate links, I get a little bit of money.
Babylock [6 Foot Set] for Enlighten Over Lock Serger Machine
By Hand – Sewing by hand is not to be overlooked.
It’s the way home sewers have done it for generations before the sewing machine was invented.
Women would sit in front of a fire on a cold winter night sewing ruffles by hand.
Many times in front of a flickering flame hardly able to see the stitches.
I’ve made ruffles by hand and there’s a certain nostalgia about it.
Sewing by hand period, is a unique and gratifying process.
If you want to sew ruffles by hand, it’s the same process as basting with a single needle sewing machine.
You baste the line with a regular needle.
You tie one end, and then pull as you gather the fabric into a ruffle.
It’s very simple and easy to do.
Inserting Ruffles
Depending on what type of ruffle you are sewing, inserting ruffles can be challenging.
If you are sewing a ruffle in to a dress, pinning is the best method. I like to pin the pleated ruffle right sides together with the fabric.
If you are making a little girls dress for example, you can either make the bodice first, and then attach the ruffle all in one piece by pinning to the bodice, then sewing from front to back. I call this my 3D method because it’s a circular way to attach the ruffle.
You can also sew a ruffle on by using a 2D method. Lay the bodice flat and piece the ruffle on each section, then sew the entire dress together, ruffle and all.
For example, front bodice gets a front ruffle. Lay that flat and set aside. Then back bodice, add ruffle, then lay it flat.
Then sew front completed dress with back completed dress, ruffle and all.
A simple method for inserting the ruffle is by using the serger ruffler foot. It gathers as you sew, but also layers the ruffle with the top fabric. It’s unique and allows you to construct a dress in a lot less time.
Ruffler foot attachments are absolutely worth the money.
But you can hand baste a ruffle into a garment. A lot of people do because you can make sure the pleats are even with this method.
You can also baste a ruffle in by using a sewing machine, which is the common method.
But if you don’t have to, don’t. Buy a serger ruffler foot and save yourself a tone of time. I adore mine! You can construct so many ruffle projects quickly and accurately.
Check out the excellent price on Amazon.
Babylock [6 Foot Set] for Enlighten Over Lock Serger Machine
Conclusion
In conclusion, I just want to say there are many ways to sew a ruffle, but you can get the job done way easier with a serger ruffler foot, or a ruffler attachment for a single needle sewing machine.
Sewing a ruffle on a garment doesn’t have to be tedious and difficult. It can be made easy by using aides like special foot attachments.
It’s worth investing in products that help you sew faster and better.
