Ruffle Dress

I have been longing for some ruffle fabric for ages but it is super expensive. If you haven't heard of this stuff here is your introduction.  It is a stretchy fabric that comes pre-ruffled.  It really is fabulous and when we were in New York I found some in the Fashion District for only $3 per yard.  It is usually at least $15 per yard. As you can imagine, I was ecstatic. Unfortunately, I am kicking myself now for not buying more than 3 yards.  I whipped up a dress which also doubles as a long skirt. The process was very experimental so I didn't take pictures. It ended up being really simple. Trust me, I don't do anything too complicated.

Step 1:  Wrap the fabric around you to figure out how much fabric you will need. It took about a yard of fabric for the dress above. Allow a couple of inches for a seam allowance and cut your desired length.

Step 2:  Fold the fabric in half, right sides together, and sew together creating a long tube

Step 3:  Leaving the fabric inside out, fold the top of your fabric tube over about an inch and sew to create a casing for your elastic. Remember to leave an opening to thread your elastic.

Step 4:  Your elastic should be about half of whatever you measure around. In other words, half the length of the fabric you cut.  Using a safety pin thread the elastic through the casing. Use a zigzag stitch to sew the elastic together and then close your casing.

 Step 5: Cut a long strip to tie around your middle or just wear it as a skirt.  No hemming necessary!