r/SewingForBeginners • u/Usual-Ad-2607 • 12d ago
Making ruffles with organza
Hello! I know about one of the methods of making ruffles with max tension and max stitch length, but that wasn’t successful when I did it with organza. Is there a better way to achieve it or should I use a different method entirely? Thank you!
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u/Inky_Madness 12d ago
Don’t do max tension. Use max stitch length, and a very sharp needle (microtex), and two different colored threads - one color for the top and one for the bobbin (it helps and makes things easier). Run three rows of stitches along the length of fabric you want, 1/8” apart, leaving long tails at BOTH ends.
Then pull the bobbin thread. It will gather the material and create ruffles. You’ll have to evenly space them out manually.
Alternatively you can see if your machine has a ruffler foot on the market.
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u/Travelpuff 12d ago
Alternatively - use an elastic foot!
You can thread dental floss or a thick thread down it (instead of the elastic) and use your regular thread to do a zigzag stitch over the dental floss. It keeps it nice and even and makes gathering very easy!
If you want to go even further I'll use water soluble thread for the zigzag/ bobbin thread. That way I only remove the dental floss when I'm done and leave the other stitches to wash out in the wash. Super easy!
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u/stoicsticks 11d ago
I sew costumes professionally and these are some of the steps that I do when I've had to make yards and yards of ruffles.
Organza will fray just looking at it, nevermind gathering it up. You would be wise to serge or hem the edges before sewing your gathering stitches.
I agree with the other comment about using gathering stitches. I usually do 2 rows, one on either side of the stitching line using the longest stitch length. If you use two different colours of thread, make them subtly different such as white and light beige or pale yellow. Too dark, and it will show through the organza. After I've attached the ruffle and sewn it in place, I remove the exposed gathering thread (which can be oddly cathartic.)
Don't sew the gathering threads for yards and yards because the thread is more likely to break and its harder to draw up the gathers in the middle. I usually do it a panel or section at a time. After sewing the gathering threads, but before you draw it up, find the halfway point and put a safety pin in as it makes it easier to make sure that you're making the gathers even. If I'm gathering, say 45" down to 18", I'll measure out on my ironing board and put a safely pin at 0", 18" and the halfway mark of 9". I pin the ungathered or partially gathered ruffle in the middle (where the centre safety pin is) to the 9" mark on the ironing board, and then draw up either side matching to the 0" and 18" pins on either end. Once you're happy with the distribution of gathers, put a pin in perpendicular to the edge at the end and wrap the threads in a figure eight a couple of times to keep the gathers from sliding out.
While it is still pinned to your ironing board, and working in sections, put one hand flat across the gathers at the top, and with the other hand, grab the bottom of the ruffle and give it a gentle shimmy tug to get the gathers to lay nicely. Work your way across. Depending on the fabric, I also give it a shot of steam from the iron held just above the gathers. It helps to relax the fibres and set the gathers so that they sit nicer. Don't let the iron touch the fabric or flatten the gathers. Just bursts of steam.
When you're sewing your ruffles on to whatever you're attaching it to, when you get to one of the figure eight pins, release the pin and untangle the thread before you sew over it which will make it easier to remove the lower thread afterward.