Ruffle Tutorial Part 2

This time I’m going to show you how to make a more traditional ruffle. The brilliant thing about detachable ruffles is that you can make more than one for each nappy!

1. Choose your fabrics:inky for the nappy, and pretty much anything you like for the ruffle!

2. Cut and snap your nappy pattern piece. Prepare a minky rectangle as in the previous tutorial. Add the extra 2 snaps as in the previous tutorial. Cut your strips of fabric. Again the length of your strips depends on how dramatic you want your ruffle to be. The width should be about 3 times the width of your rectangle. The strips I used here were 60 x 10cm (23 1/2” x 4”). If you are using a fabric which will fray then you need to either hem or overlock your strips.

3. Turn the stitch length on your sewing machine to the maximum (longest) and sew a straight line along one long edge of each strip. DO NOT go backwards and forwards at the beginning and end like you normally would. Leave a reasonably long thread at each end.

4. Gently pull on one of the threads. This will cause your strip to ruffle. Don’t pull too hard or your thread will snap and you will have to start again!

5. Pin Your ruffle to the lower edge of your rectangle. Sew, using the line of stitching you used to ruffle as a guide. Don’t forget to turn your stitch length back to normal!

6. Repeat using your remaining strips.

7. Sew up your nappy.

8. Hold your finished ruffle up to your finished nappy to discover where you need to attach your snaps. If you used my pattern and measurements this will be right at the edge of your rectangle.

9. Use a pin or dressmaker pen to mark the spot and attach two snaps.

10. You can finish here, or you can sew on a ribbon for extra prettiness and to cover up your raw edges.

Attach your ruffle and admire your handiwork!

The possibilities with ruffles really are endless. You can add ric rac, lace, all different kinds of fabric and ribbons. You can make ruffles using tulle which end up looking like tutus, which I just love!

I adore ruffle nappies, but having two boys haven’t had much opportunity to make them. I have however, made a different kind of ruffle nappy for Charlie.

Dragon ruffles!