taming the ruffler

A couple of weeks ago a friend and I went shopping and I tried on a skirt I instantly loved. Green corduroy with ruffles-- this one. Alas, it didn't fit me all that well, and I rarely pay full price for clothing, so I left it on the rack and kept the idea.

Last weekend I visited my local fabric store, which is a cave stuffed with rolls and remnants and bolts, too many and too precariously stacked to see them all. Variety ranges from slinky slimy poly knit with sequins to upholstery fabric. On one of the remnant tables I found a couple yards of fine wale green corduroy. Hmm! It came home with me.

The nice thing about having a favorite color is that when you bring something new home, the chances of finding coordinating fabrics in your stash are very good. In this case, I found some rayon in a very, *very* close shade of green.

Which left merely the implementation of the idea. In idle moments I leafed through my patterns, and found none exactly right; so Saturday I made one up from a straight skirt pattern. Six gores, facing, no problem. One thing I do love about current fashions is that you can get away with just a waist facing-- waistbands have never been my favorite part of assembly.

Now, about those ruffles.

Many years ago I bought a treadle sewing machine, and it came complete with every known attachment and manuals. It was then that I became fascinated by rufflers. In the old manuals, they show how to create elaborate constructions all in one step. They claim that you can do operations such as gathering a ruffle, stitching it to a backing and applying braid on top of the seam, with just one pass under the presser foot. I haven't gotten that ambitious, but I do love the way the ruffler creates even little pleats in fabric. It's very cool to watch it work. Looks like a little beast, but it's quite ingenious. One of those purely mechanical gismos that make me smile. Anyway, when I bought my electric sewing machine, also many years ago, I specifially asked the vendor for a ruffler. What better place to use it than on a skirt like this?

It took us a little while to get acquainted again. I don't believe I've ever done anything with the ruffler except test it out and register amazement. The adjustments were not obvious, and I extracted the ancient treadle manual from hiding to help me figure it all out. At last, though, we got:

Ruffles! Enough to trim the skirt. It's all done, awaiting only the handsewing and the trim. I'm playing with different placements. I love pinning the ruffle strips in various arrangements and renewing my amazement at the tiny even tucks. Imagine doing the double-rows-of-gathering-stitches on all that-- no thanks. Technology is good sometimes.

Comments

[Diana]

I'm so glad our shopping trip inspired this new project. Can't wait to see it when it's done!

[claudia]

Oh, do I love Anthropologie -- extremely creatively cut clothing. Bit pricey, though, and I've really got nowhere to wear those clothes. Good for you taking the idea and making it up for yourself!

[Ryan]

HI,

It is nice to see someone creating new items out of fabric. We have alot of fabrics with the Anthoropolgoie look and you can make anything with these fabrics at a fraction of the cost. If you are ever in need of matching fabrics go to our website www.jandofabrics.com and you can order samples of any of our fabrics.

Keep up the good work!!!!