Children’s dress with ruffles

Hello everyone,

I’m currently sewing dresses for my youngest granddaughter, who will turn 2 in early March. Luckily, she loves wearing dresses. That’s why I’m now sewing some for spring and summer.

I started with two dresses, the special feature of which is a sewn-in ruffle with a wavy hem . I’m sewing them on my home sewing machine. The ruffle is sewn between two layers of fabric. Technically, it’s not a ruffle in the traditional sense. It’s a strip of cotton jersey fabric with a wavy edge. But once sewn in, the wavy edge makes the fabric strip look like an elaborately gathered ruffle. The advantage of the ruffle with a wavy edge is that the fabric is only one layer thick and therefore not as thick as a “real ruffle.” The dress pattern is a bit more involved. You have 6 separate pieces for a top and a skirt piece, or 6 separate pieces for a complete dress (without sleeves).



The top pieces are sewn together at the top of the shoulders:


Then you cut out a separate ruffle and give it a wavy edge. You can even do this with a home sewing machine.


The ruffle is now sewn between two pieces. And, of course, the jersey neckband is added (see also my blog post on this topic) :


Now we just need to sew on the sleeves and skirt—and a little girls’ dress with ruffles is ready.


I’ve sewn another version with these ruffles. Here, I cut out 6 pieces (sleeveless) and sewed the ruffle next to the center panels on each one.






If you’re interested in learning more about the dress or the ruffle with the wavy hem , I’d be happy to recommend my related blog post here on CP. Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to include a link here. But I can show you my creations here in the forum.

What do you think—will my granddaughter—and more importantly, her mom—like the dresses? Are ruffles even still in style? In any case, my granddaughter’s closet is full of store-bought dresses with ruffles. Those are probably the dresses she puts on when guests come over :-) That’s why my next project will be sewing “kindergarten-appropriate dresses” without ruffles. My sewing machine is waiting. See you later, then...

Best regards, Ina

Ina, I’m always amazed at how much you’ve really gotten into sewing—it’s just great to see everything you’re sewing all the time! Your rolled-hem ruffle turned out really well, and I also make this rolled hem very often—just with the sewing machine, but using a regular presser foot, since, thank goodness, I have the practice :-) Keep it up, Ina—you’re really quite advanced when it comes to sewing :-)))

Hugs, Inge

You guys are such natural talents. Hats off to you. It definitely looks professional and chic.

Both dresses are beautiful. Although they’re made from the same pattern, they look different because of the lovely fabrics.

The pink dress is very festive, and the red dress would be my summer favorite. 

The little dresses turned out so pretty!
And you sew with such wonderful precision ❤️

Oh, Ina, I’m thrilled every time I see your beautiful sewing projects. You’ve really become a pro. You can tell you’re completely in your element when you’re sewing.

My favorite would also be the red one—it looks very “lively.” But they’ve both turned out beautifully, each one a one-of-a-kind piece.

Hello, everyone! I’m so happy to receive your praise :-) I’m truly delighted that you’ve supported me so encouragingly from the very beginning and that you’ve noticed my progress. Every garment I sew fills me with joy and makes me look forward to the next one. It’s a constant learning process. All the techniques want to be explored, tried out, discarded, and practiced. I never get bored, and thanks to my grandchildren, I also have grateful recipients. When I’m sewing, I always imagine them examining the clothes with wide eyes and jumping around in them. In my mind’s eye, I see the clothes being worn, played in, and loved—it’s so fulfilling.

With this anticipation in my heart, I’ll continue working on the preschool dresses today. Of course, I’ll show them to you then :-)

Have a wonderful day, everyone.
Warm regards, Ina