RTT - Another Ruffle Shirt Tutorial

Here's another entry for the El Cheap-O Shirt Challenge.  I found this cream colored long-sleeved thermal shirt at the Dollar Tree and of course I just had to buy it b/c it was only a buck!

  I decided to give it some ruffles similar to a shirt of my own.  Here's what I came up with:

And here's how you can make one too:

Ruffle Shirt Tutorial

supplies: shirt, scrap knit fabric, buttons, sewing essentials (machine, thread, etc)

1.) Cut a 2" strip from the width of your knit fabric.  Knit fabric works best b/c you don't need to finish the edge and it won't fray.

2.) Gather this strip.  I like to put my machine on the highest stitch length and highest tension, this will automatically gather it for you and you can adjust as needed.  Stitch close to one side of the length of the strip.

3.)  Pin center of ruffle to back of neck.  Continue pinning ruffle around collar of t-shirt and curve down onto front of shirt.  Leave about a 1-2" space in between ruffles on front of shirt.

4.)  Stitch ruffle on to shirt.  It works best to use a stretch stitch or zig-zag stitch on this part since it will still need to stretch over child's head.

5.) Cut out approx. 11" x 3 1/2" rectangle out of knit fabric.

6.) Gather the rectangle by sewing straight down the center length-wise and gathering the same way you did with the ruffle. Gather rectangle until it fits right under the collar and ends where the other gathered strip ends.

7.)  Sew rectangle ruffle down the center to the shirt.

8.) Sew on buttons.  You can go crazy here if you want.  I just did 3 buttons, but I think it would be fun to add a random assortment of a similar color.

You're done!  If you try out this tutorial, I would love to see a picture of your finished product...please email me or add it to the "El Cheap-O Shirt Challenge" MckLinky party...thanks!

  Here are some out-takes from the photoshoot with my little model...she actually wanted to have

her picture taken this time!