I am a ruffle-a-holic. They fill my heart with joy. So, naturally, when I discovered ruffle fabric I swooned. BIG TIME. Swoon, swoon, swoon.
I will be honest with you: this fabric is a bit tricky. It’s lovely, but it is also slippery and thin, so you have to cut carefully by hand, and you need to be careful not to catch any of the ruffles while pinning or sewing, because you don’t want them to face the wrong direction. However, that is a HECK of a lot easier than making your own ruffles!!
I had a bit of a difficult time finding this fabric in -store. You can definitely buy it online, or I also found some at Hobby Lobby. (I couldn’t find any at JoAnn Fabrics, believe it or not. The workers didn’t even seem to know what I was talking about…..) As always, be sure to use your coupon at Hobby Lobby! You can get them online or with their app.
I don’t have an exact pattern or measurements for you on how to make this ruffle tunic. I just used one of her sweaters as a “pattern” and winged it. Pick a top for your little lady (OR YOURSELF!) that you like the size and length of and go for it. I will show you how I did it here. You will need to buy fabric based on the size of top that you are making. If you are making it for an older girl or yourself then you will obviously need to buy more fabric than I did.
One last note: this white fabric is pretty see-through under the ruffles. It’s annoying, but that’s just how it is. I threw a white onesie on underneath hers since she was going to be wearing a sweater anyway. I suppose you could line it or just go with the sheer look if you wanted it to be used as a tank top tunic.
Ok, let’s take a closer look. This is SUPER simple, people. SUPER simple.
Gather your supplies. You will need ruffle fabric (for my 9 month old I only bought 1/2 yard, and I had plenty left over), a good pair of scissors, pins, and a sewing machine. You will also need a top that you are going to use as your “pattern,” such as the sweater shown in my pictures.
Fold your fabric in half, as well as the top that you are going to use as your “pattern” for your ruffle tunic, as shown above. Cut around it.
While cutting, curve in a bit for the armpits and the neck.
Looks pretty good, huh? Now let’s check out the edges to be sure it looks “clean.”
Yikes. Crazy bottom edge. I warned you: this fabric is difficult to cut! Fold up the last FULL ruffle and carefully and slowly cut along the edge below it so your top has a “clean” bottom, as shown in the “after” photo below.
For some reason I do not have pictures of the final steps. I apologize! I could have sworn that I took some during the process, but now I can’t find them, so I will just explain them with text.
The picture shown above is the shoulder/neckline. As you see, it is pretty “clean.” It doesn’t really fray, and since I knew that I was going to use it as an undershirt I chose not to turn under the edges and hem them. (Although I did the same thing on the Halloween dress shown below . . . . I guess I’m just lazy.) 😉
Lay the fabric right sides together. ***DOUBLE CHECK TO BE SURE THAT ALL OF THE RUFFLES ARE LAYING FLAT AND GOING IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION!!!!**** Now pin the sides of the tunic and the shoulders.
Carefully and slowly sew the sides and the shoulder straps together, using a small seam and being sure to backstitch at the start and finish of each side.
Now simply turn your ruffle tunic right-side out and VOILA! You are done! Cutest!
Like her headband? It’s my Shabby Heart Tutorial.
This is a dress version that I made using these same techniques around Halloween. I just used black ruffle fabric, a fabulously fat orange silky ribbon, and a dress as a “pattern.” Obviously, I angled out the shoulder strap to make a mock sleeve. Like this headband? It’s my Glamorous Silk Flower Tutorial. This picture just makes me happy. She needs to STOP GROWING UP!
Not sure what the sewing terms in this tutorial mean? I know this isn’t my most detailed tutorial, thanks to my mysteriously missing pictures, but this Sewing Dictionary from my cousin Amber at Crazy Little Projects ought to help out a bit.
Amber Price says
I think I might do that for myself. My hobby lobby has that fabric in all kinds of colors! Oh and thanks for the shout out. 🙂
katie says
THis is so cute!!! I need some of the fabric–I want to make one for me! 🙂
Chelsea M says
I am so excited to make this for me!! I found a shirt like it at kohls it was $36. $24 on sale way to much money! Thank you!!!
sarah says
You are welcome!!
Angelina-JoJo and Eloise says
This is so Cute!!! I have this fabric in Pink. I still have yet to use it but I’ll have to think about throwing one of these together. 🙂
xoxo
sarah says
Thanks!!! You should totally make it!
sarah jane says
Totally cute idea. I love the ruffle fabric, too. I found lining it with some basic broadcloth fabric helps with the slipperiness of the fabric as well as keeps it less see through. If you happen to make some more. Thanks for the awesome idea!
sarah says
Oooh, great idea! I always just layer it over something. Your idea is better. Thanks!
Corina Olson says
Hey Sarah! We don’t know each other that well, but I’m Logan’s cousin and we’ve been looking at ruffle tutorials to do dresses for a wedding. Wow! Funny who you run into on the web:)
Sarah Westover McKenna says
What a small world!!! 🙂
Sarah Westover McKenna says
For the sleeve I honestly just cut at an angle b/c I didn’t want to sew a sleeve. I took a dress I liked and laid it out and cut at the same angle for the body, up to the sleeve area and then angled out for a cap sleeve. It was VERY imperfect, but the ruffles hid that. Are you in UT? Paulette can sew a sleeve in her sleep.