How to Sew a Ruffled Hem the Easy Way

Making a ruffle (aka gathering) is a basic sewing technique that you can use a million different ways once you know how to do it.

There are a lot of ways to ruffle or gather. In this tutorial, I create the ruffle as I sew, instead of gathering the fabric ahead of time. It takes some practice to be able to create even gathers, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a quick way to do it.

Difficulty:


Step 1

I want to add a ruffled hem to the bottom of a dress. The first thing I need to do is determine how much fabric I need for my ruffle.

How much fabric I need for the ruffle depends on 1. the width of the bottom of the dress and 2. how full I want the ruffle.

Laying flat, the bottom is 20″ wide, which means it’s 40″ wide total.


Step 1


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How to Make a Steampunk Victorian Jabot or Neckerchief

by Zeloco

I’ve always been a fan of the Victorian fashions and, surprisingly, not only the feminine part if it (of course I love the feminine dresses and corsets (who doesn’t?!), but I’ve always dressed in an androgynous way). So, naturally, I NEEDED a jabot.

I can’t say I’m a pro in crafts or sewing,. I usually work in a trial-and-error way and I have no official training in this, so don’t be scared of reading professional terminology – there’s none. I find this particular method working best for me, feel free to alter it in any way to suit your needs/style/etc.

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How to Hide Serger Thread Tails

You can’t backstitch with a serger, so you might be left wondering what to do with that little thread tail.

There are several ways of dealing with it, I recommend looking at your manual and seeing what option you like best. My favorite way is to take a big fat needle (a yarn needle or very large upholstery needle will work, the less pointy the end, the better), thread the thread tail through it, and then slide it up into the seam.

Click the step-by-step photos below for larger images!

How to Resize a T-shirt That’s Too Big (the quick and dirty way)

This is a pretty straight-forward reconstruction. If you’re looking for something to get your diy feet wet with, try this one.

Here’s a simple way to make that too-big Misfits tee you stole from your boyfriend into one that fits.

This works best with a t-shirt that is only slightly larger than you’d like. For a hugemongous shirt, this method will work better.

Difficulty:

 

Step 1

First, take your big shirt and turn it inside out.

Step 1

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How to Fake a Coverstitch with a Twin Needle

Take a look at the hem of most t-shirts and you’ll see what’s called a coverstitch or coverhem. Most people assume that this is done by a serger. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

Some higher end sergers will indeed convert to a coverstitch machine. Or you can buy a stand alone coverstitch machine. I have the Brother 2340cv shown to the left, and it’s pretty kickass. I kept putting it off, thinking it was silly to have  machine that does one little thing, but it really is useful if you sew a lot.

Unless your bursting at the seams with cash, though, I don’t think I would say such an investment was necessary.  There happens to be a $5 Cheater McPeter way of doing it, which I employed for several years when I was without a coverstitch machine. Behold, the Twin Needle!!

It looks like two needles on one needle shaft, and that’s exactly what it is. You will insert the needle in your standard zig-zag sewing machine* like any other needle. You’ll also need to rig up a second spool of thread.

Once you’ve threaded both needles, you can sew as usual (though I like to take it slow). You might need some tension adjustment, as well. When you sew a regular straight stitch, the top of the stitching will be two parallel rows of straight stitching. However, the bottom (bobbin) thread will be a zig zag. It’s not quite as stretchy as a true coverstitch, but it looks almost identical.
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