How to Sew Ruffled Ball Gowns

Add some ruffles to a simple, beautiful dress.

Create a modern, ruffled ball gown from your favorite luxurious fabric for any special occasion. Make your bridesmaid's dresses from scratch to create the exact look you would like at a fraction of the cost of dresses at a bridal specialty shop. You can also create the ruffled gowns for an inexpensive, yet beautiful, prom dress, or make miniature versions of the gown from leftover pieces of fabric for a child to wear for dress-up play.

Things You'll Need

• Sewing tape measure
• Satin, rayon-blend or lined chiffon fabric
• Iron
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Elastic thread
• 1-inch-wide elastic
• Gemstone or rhinestone buttons
• Straight pins
• Satin ribbon bows (optional)
• Imitation gemstones or rhinestones (optional)

Instructions

Bodice

1. Measure the circumference of the fullest part of your bust and add 2 1/2 inches for the width of the fabric for the bodice. Measure the length for the bodice from your underarms to about an inch beneath your bust and add 2 inches.

2. Cut a piece of satin, rayon-blend or lined chiffon fabric according to the measurements in Step 1.

3. Fold over one-half inch along the two short sides of the fabric. Iron and sew a running stitch along the folds.

4. Fold over 1-inch along one of the long sides and sew a running stitch down the length with elastic thread. Tug on the thread to gather the length to the circumference of your chest beneath your bust.

5. Fold over 1 1/2 inches along the last long edge and iron. Sew a running stitch away from the folded edge.

6. Cut a piece of 1-inch-wide elastic to 2 inches less than the circumference of your chest above your bust line. Thread the elastic through the 1 1/2-inch fold and sew the ends to the short edges of the bodice.

7. Measure and mark every inch along both short ends of the bodice to prepare the bodice for buttons. Make slits through each mark on one short side and sew a buttonhole stitch around the slits. Sew rhinestone or gemstone buttons onto the marks on the other short side of the bodice.

Skirt

1. Measure around your chest beneath your bust and multiply the circumference by one and a half. This is the width of the top of the skirt. Multiply the measurement by three for the width of the bottom of the skirt. Measure from beneath your bust to your ankles and multiply the measurement by two for the length of the skirt.

2. Draw the shape from the measurements above on your fabric. The shape will end up looking like a triangle with the pointed top cut off.

3. Bring the long sides of the skirt together with the good sides inward and sew a running stitch down the entire length. Fold one-half-inch over at the bottom of the skirt, iron and sew a running stitch all the way around.

4. Sew a wider running stitch along the top of the skirt with the elastic thread, then tug on the thread to gather the top of the skirt to the circumference of your chest, beneath your bust line.

5. Slide the top of the skirt underneath the bottom edge of the bodice and sew a running stitch with the elastic thread to join the pieces of the dress together.

Ruffles

1. Try on the dress. Pinch the fabric at the right side seam, about 18 inches from the bottom of the skirt.

2. Pull the fabric between your fingers upward to just above knee-height. Pin the pinched fabric to the skirt.

3. Reach behind, grasp the fabric about 24 inches from the bottom and pull it up to mid-thigh height. Pin the pinched fabric to the skirt.

4. Continue to pull up the fabric in random places along the skirt until the bottom hem of the skirt brushes the top of your feet, all the way around the skirt. Each time you pull up a piece of fabric, you create a ruffle in the skirt of the ball gown.

5. Remove the dress and sew the fabric at each pin to the skirt from the wrong side. Sew a small satin ribbon bow over top of each section of stitches if they are visible or glue on an imitation gemstone or rhinestone.

References

• "The Party Dress Book: How to Sew the Best Dress in the Room"; Mary Adams and Amy Sedaris; 2010
• "The Sewing Book"; Alison Smith; 2009