How to make a Ruffle Hem Cardigan

This double ruffle cardigan is just the thing for this season and I can’t wait to show you how to make it.

Hi everyone! This is Ilse from @sewsewilse on instagram. I’m glad to be back on the Love Notions blog. Sewing is no longer an ordinary hobby for me, but rather a passion. Today, I want to show you a romantic hack with the Boyfriend Cardigan and get you all ecstatic and convinced that you really have to own this pattern!

First, I want to tell you that today is THE day that the Boyfriend Cardigan is on sale for only $5! The rest of the release weekend the pattern will be on sale for $9, but today you can get your copy for our feature price. Regular price is $12.

The pattern got a full retest, a sizing update and is designed on Tami’s new block. Oh, and there’s a duster length now too! From now on this gem goes up to size 5x.

Why I love Cardigans

I really love cardigans, they are actually suitable for any season and you can always throw them on when it gets chilly. And because I do want a VERY special Boyfriend, read a more romancing one, I got to work. 

It can still be pretty cold this time of year, but I am determined to sew together a beautiful spring collection. I bought this pastel pink linen/jersey blend from ‘De Stoffengalerij’ and a matching viscose jersey to make a nice set. The Laundry Day Tee is definitely one of my favourites because it fits my body so well. It’s fitted at the bust zone and it swings out to my belly area. I know the LDT has lots of options but as spring is just around the corner I went for a short sleeved one. 

Of course in this case an outfit consists of three pieces so I made a Sabrina Slims to go with it. For this I used a satin cotton stretch from Senzalimits. I adore the fabrics sooo much!

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My romantic ruffle hem hack:

What did I do to achieve this look?

I wanted an extra ruffled band to start from my waist and as it needed to be at the right height I tied a waist ribbon around my waist. I asked for help from my youngest and he had to measure my front length and back length. I need both of these to indicate my personal waist height on my front pattern piece and back pattern piece. The manner I use below is one you can use to your own preferences to where you want the ruffle to start.

We did this as follows:

Here is how I measured for the ruffle additions:

To measure my front length, I placed the tape measure at my shoulder neck point, ran it across my chest to the center of the front length and this to my waist point. For me, this distance is 38.2 cm or 15.04″ . 

To measure my back length, I placed the tape measure on my back neck point and measured the distance to my waist point. This distance for me is 41 cm or 16.14″.

I mark these distances on my pattern pieces, let them gradually converge and this will be my cut line and place where my new gathered band or ruffle will start. 

How long should my ruffle be?

First of all I have to say I shortened my Boyfriend front and back pattern piece with 16 cm or 6.3”, dropped my slit and I also had to shorten my shawl collar by the same distance. (16 cm or 6.3”) 

Then I measured the distance between my waist ribbon and the hem of my Boyfriend Cardigan. Now I still had a height of 27 cm or 10.6” (SA included).

I divided the distance into two. Taking into account the seam value and hem value, my height now had to be 15.5 cm or 6.1”.

How long should my ruffle be? I measured the width of my two fronts and back, counted them together and subtracted the seam values. I multiply this width by 1.5 and I have my new length of my ruffle.

I also wanted to slightly frill my bottom part of the cardigan where the ruffle will be over. So I measured the width of my two fronts and back, counted them together and subtracted the seam values. I multiply this width by 1.2 and I have my new length of my bottom part.

How to add my ruffle to the cardigan?

My front and back pattern pieces consist of two parts. So I can fully assemble the cardigan (my bottom part with a ruffle has to wait) until I start attaching the shawl collar. 

But first I need to hem my ruffle and bottom part. Needless to say, I used my twin needle. Now we can start gathering both pieces.

I sew two rows, without securing, with a large stitch at the top of my two strips. When doing this, I stay within the seam value. First I attached my smallest part to my bodice (my ruffle) and gathered the strip so it gets the same distance as the bodice.

Second I attached the bottom part on top of my ruffle. 

From then on I continued with the shawl collar (shortened 16 cm or 6.3”) and hemming my sleeves.

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Done and ready to go!

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to get your Boyfriend Cardigan today or this weekend now it’s on sale!

See you, Ilse

@sewsewilse

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Here are some more Boyfriend Cardigan Resources!

Fabric Ideas – fabric ideas for your Boyfriend Cardigan

Boyfriend Cardigan Sewalong – how to sew the Boyfriend Cardigan from start to finish

The Canyon Cardigan – and how to sew with sweater knit

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