This is one of those hacks that is easier than it looks. I’ll admit, it is also a little outside my style comfort zone, but sometimes you just have to go for it, you know? Choose that purple gingham fabric and sew that Reynolds ruffle top you keep dreaming about! Why the heck not!?
You can grab the Reynolds Top and Dress for 20% off during our anniversary sale! Sale ends midnight PST August 23rd, 2021.
Making the shoulder ruffles
For this pattern hack I only needed to change one of the pattern pieces. I cut the strap in two and added a seam allowance. Then I cut four of the strap pieces so I could sandwich a shoulder ruffle in there. If you are skipping the shoulder ruffle, no need to change anything!
Fold in each lengthwise edge of your four strap pieces and press.
I was just playing around with fabric and thought this was cute. This might not be the best way to do this, but it worked! I cut a long rectangle and trimmed it down to have a sort of oval shape. Mine was about 12” (30.5 cm) long by 4” (10 cm) wide.
Turn the curved sides under ½” (1.3 cm) twice and topstitch.
Sew two lines of basting stitches down the middle, spaced about ¾” (1.9 cm) apart. Leave long thread tails and gather the fabric until it is a length you think will work well for your shoulder ruffle.
Sandwich the shoulder ruffle in between the two strap pieces and pin in place. You can hold it up on your shoulder to see if you like it. Topstitch the straps to sew them together and secure the ruffle in between. Now you can proceed with sewing your Reynolds Top.
Making the facing ruffle
Sew to step 17 in the instructions and then do the following.
We’re going to sew the facing on the outside of the top. Now, this sounds simple, and it is, but I still managed to sew it on the wrong way, which was actually the right way, but not the way I wanted . . . now I’m getting confused all over again! You want to sew the straps onto the wrong side of the top and sew the facing with the right side of the facing facing the wrong side of the top. It is the opposite of what is indicated in the instructions.
Measure along the bottom edge of your facing pieces and multiply that length by 1.3. Cut two strips of fabric about 4” (10 cm) tall by the width you just calculated.
Fold one lengthwise edge of each rectangle under ⅜” (1 cm) two times and topstitch. It is easier to hem the ruffle when it's flat like this, not after it has been gathered.
Gather the other lengthwise edge of the long rectangles using your preferred method. You can check out our post on how to sew gathers here for more info. Gather until the width matches the curved edge of your facings.
Sew the gathered pieces together at the short ends with right sides together. Finish the seam and press to one side. Topstitch the seam allowance down if desired.
Tuck the gathered edge in between the facing and top and pin in place. The further in you tuck it, the shorter the ruffle will be. Take your time here and spread the gathers out evenly as best you can. I find putting a quilting ruler inside my garment separates the back and the front so you don’t accidentally pin through all the layers as you go around.
Topstitch the facing with the ruffle sandwiched in between.
This hack was so fun to make! I really love the final result even if it is outside my usual style. It’s really cute for summer and this crinkle cotton from Blackbird Fabrics was lovely to sew with. I have another print in this fabric in my collection and I can’t wait to sew it up!
You can grab the Reynolds Top and Dress for 20% off during our anniversary sale! Sale ends midnight PST August 23rd, 2021.
