How to add ruffles to your Honeycomb Dress
Want to know how to sew and add ruffles to your Honeycomb dress? Here is a super quick and easy tutorial to include a lovely ruffle along the princess seams of your Honeycomb (or any other) dress. Ready to start?
Step-by-step tutorial
Following the steps on how to sew your Honeycomb dress either using the booklet with the instructions, our YouTube Channel or the sew along on the blog, you will need to add the two ruffle pieces (one for each seam) when sewing the front bodice pieces to the side panels, along with the ties for the side bows.
First step
Cut a rectangular strip of fabric 5-6 cm wide and doubling the length of the bodice. Mine were not exactly a rectangular shape as I wanted them to be narrower on one side and wider on the other. That way they kind of grow from the top of the bodice and also I didn't want to have very big ruffles on that area, near the neckline.
Now, as soon as you have your two ruffle pieces, sew a mini hem along one of the long sides of the piece. Repeat on the other ruffle. (You just need to fold by 0.5cm and press and then again fold and press. Stitch).
Next step is to sew a line of gather stitches along the opposite edge of the ruffle piece. Repeat on the other one.
Create the ruffles
Pull gently from the gather stitches from both sides on both pieces to create the ruffle. The more you pull, the more gathered it will look. You can adjust if you want more subtle gathers and then cut if the piece is bigger than the bodice.
Place all layers together
Place your ruffle piece between the front bodice and side panel pieces, with the right side facing down as shown below. Side panel and bodice are right sides together.
Your side ties come at this stage as well (you have 4. Two go between front bodice and side panel and the other two between side panel and back bodice). Place your tie on top of the ruffle piece as shown in the picture below.
Pin and stitch
Pin all layers together and stitch using the usual 3/8'' or 1cm seam allowance. Finish that seam with a zig zag stitch, overlocker or pinking scissors.
And you are done! Give it a good press and if you want you can also topstitch or edgestitch the ruffle piece so that it stays in place. If your ruffles are not big it won't be necessary. Repeat on the other front bodice and side panel pieces, using your other ruffle and tie.
Now keep following the tutorial on the CocoWawa Crafts YouTube, the booklet that comes with the pattern or the sew along to finish your lovely Honeycomb!
For this version I have also changed the collar, completely avoiding it and just using bias tape to finish it. You might need to move the buttons a bit starting from the top, so finish your neckline first and then stitch buttonholes and add buttons.
Last addition I have made to this version of the Honeycomb dress is the way I finished the hem. I have used in this case bias tape again to make it look extra neat.
For this version I used this beautiful cotton lawn from See You At Six and glittery buttons from Atelier Brunette.
Hope you like this tutorial and that you can now use it for both the Honeycomb dress and shirt pattern or any other dress or project out there!
Happy sewing,
Ana
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