Material for TV108

[jewels]

Hi, I'm going to make the Grand Bustle TV 108 but am unsure of what fabric to buy. I think simple cotton might be too flimsy? Would a cotton broadcloth be okay or should I use something else. If the fabric is too heavy I think the ruffles would be too. Any suggestions?
Thanks so much,
Julie

[Heather]

Broadcloth should be just fine. Or you can use use something a bit heavier, if you like, like sheeting. You can make the ruffles out of a lighter fabric, or even lace.

[jewels]

Thanks so much Heather!

[jewels]

I have another question. I'm at the stage where I'm ready to attach the ruffles. I'm assuming that I sew all the ruffle sections together, hem them and gather them in one long piece. I'm a bit confused as to the 2 to 1 ratio though. Do you mean that each ruffle should be twice the length of the marked lines? The top ruffle line is roughly 17 inches so should the top ruffle be 34 inches and so on for each ruffle? I'm planning to use a ruffler attachment (if I can figure out how to use it !)

Also the bottom wire..what would you suggest using to keep it together?

Thanks so much

[Heather]

Yes, ideally, if your line is 17" long, you need 34" of ruffle. If you are using a ruffling attachment it is nearly impossible to get exact results, though. But you want to experiment with stitch length until you get reasonably close. I find the 6 stitch setting best for ruffles (as opposed to the 1 or 12). And then a medium stitch length. But fabrics will behave differently, so you have to do some experimenting.

For the bottom wire, you can use duct tape, or miniature cable ties, or something like that.

[MaryGode]

I'll second the duct tape method. I've used proper metal hoop wire joining thingies and I really prefer a 1.5 inch overlap and a few rounds of white duct tape.

[jewels]

Thanks so much. So would you suggest being as how I'm really am confused on using the ruffler to begin with that I do the gathering just with the basting stitch on the machine?

[Heather]

No, the basting stitch is huge, and will make the gathers too tight. How the ruffler works is it grabs the fabric every set number of stitches, tucking it under the foot to a specified depth, and moves on to the next. Which means that there are 3 settings that effect the outcome of the gather. I kinda had it wrong before, as I haven't used on in a long while.

The first setting on the ruffler is the stitch setting of 1-6-12 for how often the "grab" activates. Every one stitch a an actual gather, where the 6 and 12 are more like small pleats.

The second ruffler setting is the screw for the depth of the "grab", or how much fabric it grabs at each swing. For a true gather, this needs to be tiny. For the pleats, you need to have it be larger. But not all fabrics are the same, and each fabric have a different amount of slippage and will not always be the same size.

The stitch length on the machine is what moves the whole process along, and determines how much fabric is moved forwards for each stitch. It will space your pleats closer together or farther apart, and will make your gathers closer or looser, as the the grab size becomes relative to the stitch length.

What this all means, is that you have to balance out the 3 settings to something that works for your fabric, and for your desired end result. And the only way to figure out what that is, is to test run a piece of fabric. I would suggest cutting a strip of fabric to about 22" or so long. Then run it through the ruffler and measure the results. Assuming that the first and last 1" will not be effected, you want the results to come to the pleated peace measures 12" long. This will give you a 2:1 pleat/gather. If it comes out longer, then you want to either 1) shorten the stitch length, or 2) deepen the "grab" by loosening the screw, or 3) a little bit of both. If it comes out shorter, then you do the opposite; lengthen the stitch length, reduce the grab, or both.

[jewels]

Okay Heather thank you so much. I'm using cotton fabric so I'll experiment and hopefully it'll work out the way I want it to.

[jewels]

Hi Heather. I have another question. I've made the ruffles and was just going to attach ruffle 2 from the top when I saw that if I do it will stitch over the casing for bone 7 on the inside. Have I done something incorrect? Should the casing for bone 7 stop just under where the ruffle attaches? Thanks

[Heather]

Ah, yes, I see the problem. I don't think I though of that when making up the pattern. YOu can either shorten the casing to below the ruffle height (this was most likely how I originally drafted the pattern be fore the CAD version) or you can just not sew the ruffle over the casing, and then go back and hand stitch it later.

[jewels]

Ok I thought I had done something wrong. I'll probably shorten the casing to below the ruffle line. Thanks again!!