How To Make Ruffles...The Easy Way..a tutorial

Here is my Ruffler foot. I recieved this as a gift from my cousin Diane. She had sent me her husbands uniform to make her a laptop bag and in exchange she bought me a few things on my Amazon Wishlist. I big puffy heart LOVE my ruffler foot!! And everytime I use it I think of her...Thanks Diane!!

My Ruffler Foot

Laptop Bag Made From Army Uniform

Back has a large pocket for papers and folders

Tools:

• sewing machine
• thread
• fabric
• Ruffle Foot

Step 1

Cut your fabric to your determined width (plus any seam allowance or hem allowance).

Cut your fabric to determined length. Now this will depend on how full you want your ruffle to be. I usually use 3 to 4 times the width of my project. If your project is 12 inches, you will need at least 36 inches of fabric. I always err on the side of caution and cut extra.


Step 2

Attach your Ruffle Foot to your machine according to mfg. instructions. Your Ruffle Foot will allow you to adjust the depth of your ruffle...from gathers to pleats. It will also allow you to adjust the fullness of the gathers or pleats. This is something you'll have to play with. One setting will not give you the same results for all types of fabric.

Adjusting Lever sets the foot for gathers or pleats or a straight stitch

Adjusting Indicator regulates the fullness

Step 3

Slide your fabric in to the separator guide and between the ruffling blade and separator blade....sit back and let the foot do all the work. It may take a few tries to get the hang of it. But it is an easy foot to use.  

Using the Ruffler Foot

  Doesn't that look much neater than the HARD way? And it isn't necessary to use as may pins either! I does pleats too! You just have to make sure you iron the pleats in to make them look polished.

Pleats on a table runner using the ruffler foot.

If you have a ruffle foot, then why would you ever use the manual method? That's a good question! There are some applications where the Hard Way is actually the better way. If you have a limited amount of fabric, using the manual method will allow you to adjust the fullness and in turn allow you to make your ruffle longer or shorter. 

xoxo
Krista