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Some commercial sewing patterns come with a pattern piece for the ruffle, and this makes it quite easy to add the ruffle to a hem because you have instructions and illustrations on the pattern instruction sheet. However, if you would like to add a ruffle to the hem of a dress or skirt you are sewing, it can be done quite easily.

Adding a ruffle to a hem might take a little experimentation before you get it perfected.

I would suggest using some old fabric or muslin to practice sewing the ruffle to the garment before cutting and sewing your fashion fabric. Because the ruffle needs to be gathered, it should be larger than the circumference of the skirt or dress. Many commercial sewing patterns often instruct you to cut two, or sometimes three, ruffle pieces, which are then sewn together to create the one ruffle piece to be added to the hem of a garment. Sometimes, these ruffles will be hemmed on one side, using the rolled hem stitch. Other ruffles are created by folding them, wrong sides together, matching the raw edges at the top of the ruffle. This method eliminates hemming, but it creates a bit more of a challenge for gathering.

Gathering the top edge of the ruffle is quite easy. Set the sewing machine stitch length to the longest stitch, usually about a five, and sew along the raw edge of the ruffle. Beginners may want to sew the gathering stitch at 5/8 inch and again at 1/2 inch, but seamstresses with more experience might prefer sewing at 3/8 inch and slightly under 3/8 inches for the second row of gathering stitches. Personally, I break the gathering stitches at the seams, leaving long thread tails at each end. Be sure to pull on the bobbin threads to gather the ruffle.

If gathering a ruffle that has been folded in half, there will be more fabric at the edge of the ruffle that needs to be gathered, which makes gathering a bit more challenging. Some seamstresses use dental floss or some thin yarn for this process. Place the dental floss or yarn near the top of the raw edge of the ruffle and sew a wide zig zag stitch over the dental floss or yarn. This type of ruffle is easily gathered by pulling on the dental floss or yarn, and when the ruffle is sewn to the hem, the dental floss can easily be pulled out of the garment.

Prior to gathering the ruffle, you must first decide how wide a ruffle you would like, making sure to add the hem if creating a ruffle that needs to be hemmed. (Rolled hems are usually about 5/8 inches.) If you are creating a ruffle

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