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How to Sew Ruffles and Pleats - Beginner Tutorial

Updated: Oct 30, 2023


Ruffles, pleats, lace, buttons and scissors

Ruffles and pleats are one of the basic techniques you will need if you are learning to sew. They occur in a variety of projects from clothes to household objects, as they are extremely popular to add shape or decoration. Both techniques are very easy as there are only a few simple steps to complete them, and once you know how to make either, you can adapt them in any way you like.


An example of how you could use ruffles or pleats is my sewing tutorial on how to sew an apron which has a ruffled edge.



Ruffles, pleats, lace, buttons and scissors

 

How to Sew Ruffles:


What You Need:

  • A piece of fabric double the length you require (e.g. if you need 6 inches, cut a 12 inch piece of material).

  • Sewing machine


Method:

  • On your sewing machine, set your stitch length to the longest you have - mine only goes up to four.

Sewing machine stitch length counter

  • On the edge of your fabric sew two parallel lines along the longest edge. Do not backstitch at either end of your line of sewing, and leave enough string at each end to be able to pull.

Sewing machine

Rows of sewing on fabric

  • On one end of your sewing, take the top layers of string from both rows (as each row of sewing will have two strands each) and gently pull them. The reason you have two rows of sewing is just in case, as your pulling the string, one snaps.

Ruffles on fabric

  • Carry on pulling the string and spreading the ruffles that will form evenly across the material.

Ruffles

  • Once you reach your desired length and amount, knot each end of the string, and you are done!

Ruffles



 

How to Sew Pleats:


What You Need:

  • A piece of fabric double the length you require.

  • A sewing machine

  • A ruler

  • Tailors chalk or pen


Method:


  • On your fabric make a mark 3" and 1" alternately. (These measurements are just for example, you can change the measurement according to the size of your pleat).

Fabric

  • Fold 2 of your marks right sides together.

Folding fabric

  • Fold the excess fabric on the left back over to face the front and pin in place.

Folding fabric

  • Continue doing this at every mark.

Pleats pinned on fabric

  • Sew along the edge of the fabric going over the top of the pleats.

Sewing machine

  • Give all of your pleats an iron and you are done!

Pleats


 

For additional help, watch this video:






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