ruffled Archives - Spoonful of Imagination

It’s been a while since I took on a good sewing project and the kids’ bathroom was calling to me. I did away with the old rubber ducky shower curtain they have had for years and created this DIY Ruffled Shower Curtain to take its place. It was relatively easy to sew. It just requires doing the same few steps over and over (for as many ruffled rows you want to create).

Here is how I made mine in case you want to make it as well! I started with gathering some fabrics together that I loved. I had some on hand, but I also went out and bought a few more to have enough fabric. I used a painter’s drop cloth as the foundation that I sewed my fabrics onto. I love the way the drop cloth added a heaviness to this project as well as a plastic lining that I think will help it to hold up well.

I cut all my fabrics into 12″ wide strips. I didn’t measure the actual length in inches but just sewed enough 12″ strips together to make a long strand that I could then use to ruffle up to cover the length of the drop cloth (which just so happened to measure the width of our shower stall). After all my fabric strips were cut, I ironed the edge of one side of each strip about 1/4″ up and sewed down that fold to create a nice finished edge for my strips to become ruffles.

I then folded and pinned my fabric in a way much like I did on my ruffled fabric bag to create ruffles. I simply sewed down the line of pins to attache the ruffles to my drop cloth. Make sure you are not sewing along the edge of your strip you just hemmed. You want that neat, pretty side to stick out and show. This was the start of my shower curtain coming together. Note: if you have any seems you want to try to hide, space your ruffles so they get hidden in the center.

After I had the first ruffled row sewn on, I drew small little lines where the edge of the ruffle laid on my drop cloth. I then pinned a row of pins two inches above those penned line marks. I wanted my ruffles to overlap a good bit, and this two-inch space created that. I then simply picked up each pin and pinned it right back down to hold the next ruffle in place. After that whole ruffled row was pinned, I sewed it. I then started this process back over until all my fabric rows were complete.

At the end of my fabric ruffles, I saw I had a small margin of drop cloth to still cover and my new shower curtain was way shorter than my old shower curtain (when laid on top).

I decided to line burlap and create a ruffle using that for the bottom of my shower curtain. I decided that the contrast in fabrics would look good, especially since this last ruffled row measures more like 17″ than my 12″ fabric ruffled rows. Once the burlap ruffle was attached, I folded all my fabrics over the edge to wrap around the drop cloth, and I sewed down the side. This step created a finished side and now prevents any of the ruffles from completely flying up.

I then turned the shower curtain over and trimmed all the back pieces off to make the inside look clean and finished; although, I will still use a cheap plastic shower curtain to hang with this decorative shower curtain.

I couldn’t decide if I wanted to create loops, make eye holes, or sew my new shower curtain onto an old one to create the eyelet holes at the top in order to be able to hang it. I think I will go back and create the eyelet holes, but for now I was afraid I would ruin it, if I was to try that. I am a lazy sewer and don’t like changing the foot on my machine. 🙂 I simply folded some ribbon over to create a double thick loop that I sewed onto the top of my shower curtain. These could be easily removed later down the road, if I get brave enough to try the eyelet holes, but they work for now.

I love the way it came out! I have some fun art and other accessories that I am working on using in this bathroom, but the space already feels so much different with the new shower curtain.

It turned out a bit more girlish than I was intending, and as my six-year-old son pointed out, there are two boys using this bathroom. I promised him green towels and a boy-ish picture on the wall to help compensate…more to come on this I am sure 🙂

I love the way these fabrics look together. I used some of my scraps to sew two embroidered hoops. I would like to give them away to one of you! Simply, let the rafflecopter widget load below the picture, and enter as many ways as you want! I will announce the winner right here on Friday, July 12, 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
I hope you had a great Independence Day and are enjoying this weekend!

Now that Christmas is over, I can show you some things I made as presents and gave away this year. I’m not a fan of surprises but people I love are, so I have been withholding showing these presents. I am excited to start with a walk through on this ruffled fabric bag!

Do sewing patterns scare you? They scare me! I have used sewing patterns twice with my mother-in-law’s assistance, and I’m still intimidated. I think there is something with how they have to be precise and accurate that keeps me away.

Instead of buying a simple sewing pattern with canvas material, I preferred to buy a canvas bag for $2.99 (that I got when it was 50% off) to use as my template. I would rather see what it is supposed to look like finished and take the time to deconstruct the bag by literally picking all the stitches out, just to sew it back together later. Is this messed up? Probably.

After taking apart a brand new bag, I picked out the fabrics I wanted to use as my ruffles. I wanted to make the ruffles fun but also not too bright since this gift was for Matt’s aunt. I cut my fabric into 3″ strips, and I then lightly folded the fabric slightly over every inch or so. This created a ruffled look once I sewed a line at the top on the fold.

Once I had several ruffled fabric strips, I started pinning them onto my bag, leaving a little overlap of the two ruffles to cover the seam. I started at the bottom of the bag and worked up. Once they were all pinned on both sides of the bag, I was ready to sew the strips on.

After the strips were all sewn on the bag, I trimmed the “extra” ruffles that were hanging off the side of the bag. Those you can just throw away. The next step is to turn your bag inside out and sew up the edge of the bag to join the two sides of the bag together again.

To have the feminine flare at the end of the bag like mine, simply push the last two ruffles up so they do not catch in your sewn seam down the side of the bag. An easy way to measure this is to fold the bottom of the bag back to what is was like and leave your ruffles out of that fold, so when you sew down the edge of the bag they are not caught.

I went back and added a ruffle on the top of my bag. Since my bag was already closed all the way around, I simply overlapped the ruffle at the top and ended the new ruffle edge folded over so it looked like a ruffle. I think the edge is pretty hidden this way.

I also covered the straps of my bag with a matching fabric. To do this, cut two 2.5″ wide strips. I then ironed my fabric strips to create a fold like this…

My bag’s straps were 1″ wide, so I ironed the fabric strip covers with a 1″ margin, so they would wrap around the original strap and could be sewn down the middle.

I literally then sewed down the middle of the strap, so my fabric covers were attached to the original straps.

Where the fabric covers started and ended I added a row of stitches to seal the fabric closed (as shown above).

It was not the prettiest finished look, so I hand sewed some big buttons over the handles’ edge to cover up the transitioning seam of fabrics.

I really liked it with the buttons, But I decided to pin on a big floppy flower I found at Old Navy for $2.99. The bag can be worn with the flower, or it can easily be taken off for a different look.

I really love how it came out! Now, that I have completed one bag, I think I could make it a lot faster a second time and might be brave enough to try just buying some canvas rather than a bag to add that destroying step at the beginning.

What do you think? Do you ever add steps that seem to make your project easier, but they might actually make it harder?

Did you make any Christmas gifts this year to give away?

I hope you have a great weekend with your family and enjoy the last of this year! If you have not entered my Year in Review Giveaway, please do! It’s not too late!

Linked up at: Miss Information

Share this:

Share this: