Making Ruffles From Sheer Fabric 
Submitted by Jennifer on 2006-03-31 and viewed 14191 times.
Total Word Count: 678 Learn how to easily make ruffles from sheer fabric. Plus discover how you can apply sheer ruffles to enhance your home decor!
Making ruffles from sheer fabric is the perfect skill to add to your home sewing portfolio. Ruffles are a lot of fun and can be added to just about anything in your home.
Sewing ruffles with sheer fabric can open your mind to even more exciting possibilities.
First, let me explain how to make ruffles from sheer fabric... and then I'll give you some great ideas on where to apply them in your sewing projects.
Making Ruffles From Sheer Fabric
You will need:
- Sheer fabric (read the instructions below to help you figure out how much you will need)
- Translucent shirring tape (you'll need the fabric cut length)
1. You'll need to decide how wide you want your ruffle to be. If it's for an edge of a curtain, maybe it's 3". If it's for the edge of a dust ruffle, maybe it's only 1 1/2". So decide this first. We'll refer to this measurement as the final width.
2. Then you'll need to know how long you want your ruffle to be. Lets say you want to trim the inside edge of a curtain with a sheer ruffle... you would want your ruffle to be the full length of that curtain edge. We'll refer to this measurement as the final length.
3. You will need to cut your sheer fabric into the following measurements. Cut as many strips as you need to achieve these measurements.
Cut width = (2 x final width) + 2"
Cut length = (3 x final length)
If you want lighter (not so tight) ruffles, you can make your cut length 2 x final length.
4. Sew your strips together with a 1/4" seam and press the seam open
5. Fold the side edges (short edges) in 1/2" and press. Fold them in again 1/2" and press. Pin if needed to hold the fold in place.
6. Fold the strip in half lengthwise wrong sides together and press. Your width should now be your final width plus 1"
7. Lay 1" wide translucent shirring tape along the raw edge of the folded strip. Pin in place.
8. Sew the tape in place with a stitching line along the top edge and another along the bottom edge.
9. Pull the cords on the shirring tape until you reach the final length measurement.
Now you have your sheer ruffle!
So what do you do with it?
Well if you're sewing it to a curtain, lay the ruffle right side down onto the right side of the curtain... aligning the raw edge of the ruffle with the edge of the curtain. Sew a 1" seam so that the shirring tape is hidden behind the seam.
You could do the same thing and apply the sheer ruffle to the bottom edge of a roman shade.
What else can you do with a sheer ruffle?
1. Add it to a pillow design. When you have your 2 square fabrics laying right sides together... lay the ruffle in between the 2 layers aligning the raw edges. Sew a 1" seam to hide the shirring tape... and now you have a light, sheer ruffle around a pillow!
2. Sew the ruffle across the middle of your pillow fabric
3. Sew it to the top edge of your curtains
4. Sew it to the bottom edge of your fabric tiebacks
5. Sewing a roman shade for a girl's room or nursery? Try gluing a 1" shirred sheer fabric at every row of rings on the face fabric. It will add a soft ruffley texture... not to mention an beautiful and unexpected accent.
6. Glue a sheer ruffle to the bottom edge of a lamp shade
7. Sew a sheer ruffle to the bottom edge of a shirred dust ruffle or bedskirt
I bet you can think of a few more ideas!
Now you know how to make a ruffle from sheer fabric... and hopefully have some great ideas to use it in your next sewing project!
You can find your translucent shirring tape at http://www.draperysewingsupplies.com
Happy Sewing!
Jennifer Thoden
Article Source: http://www.simplesewingprojects.com
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