How to Sew Layered Ruffle Sleeves
Layered ruffle sleeves add an element of elegance and beauty to a shirt or dress. However, the sleeves work best when they are made out of a soft and drapey fabric, like thin knit or silk. Most layered ruffle sleeves also work best as cap sleeves, meaning they only cover the top of your shoulder and they don’t have a seam in the armpit area of the garment. This makes them less work to actually add to the garment, even if the ruffles take longer to sew.
Things You'll Need
- Fabric pen
- Scissors
- Thread
- Measuring tape
- Pins
- Sewing machine or serger
- Iron
Instructions
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1
Measure out each layer of the sleeve. They should be shaped like a “D” and each sleeve layer should be two to three times as long as the sleeve cap you’re sewing them on to. Measure the sleeves out 1 inch longer than you want them to be as well. Cut out the sleeves.
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2
Fold the seam over on the straight edge of the sleeve layer and iron them flat. Sew them with a straight stitch.
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3
Sew two rows of stitches along the curved ends of the sleeve layers. Make sure it’s a straight stitch with the loosest possible tension. Pull the bobbin thread to gather the material into a ruffle. Gather the material until it’s slightly over half the width of the actual shoulder of the garment.
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4
Layer the ruffle sleeves on top of each other to form a petal-like pattern. Pin the sleeves together and sew them with a serger or a zigzag stitch.
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5
Pin the sleeves to the shoulder seam of the garment wrong-side out so the seams are on the inside of the garment. The sleeves should go over the top of the shoulders and down to the armpit, but not go under the armpit. Sew the sleeves in place with a straight stitch.
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