| 1) Find the widest twill tape you can, drapery store or local fabric store if you are lucky. I found 2 inch wide white and cream colored twill tape at Hancock's in the belt section. It was .69/yd. I asked the recipient what their neck measurement was and they decided that a band of about an inch would be wide enough for them (I was making two). |
| 2) I found that 5 yards made about 10 inches of ruff. I made my dots on the top and the bottom of the band about 2 mm apart and dots about 1.75 inches apart on the top and the bottom of the twill. I started stitching the twill onto the band with out doing the gathers first. |
| 3) I tried just stitching one side as was suggested by one of our readers here but found that the movement that they were going through was giving the ruff too much of a bounce. Has to be a characteristic of the twill not the method. I am sure that for the one that Drea made stitching on one side would have done just great! I finished the stitching to the bottom edge. |
| 4) I then added the ties to the inside of the neck band and was done. I did not have time for the lace or pretty stuff that I usually like to do. |
| The twill held it's shape beautifully and evenly. It lent itself to the curves and looked fuller when the ladies put them on. It was wonderful. As soon as I walked onto the site with them immediately several individuals came to me asking if I was selling them. When I told them that they were not period in material they were surprised and had to touch the twill to believe they were not stiff. They then asked how much to make them one. Sigh. I do not make stuff for fundage so I did not know how to answer. |
| They still look great and the guru told me that it is the sturdiest ruff he has to date, he has thrown it in the washer several times and still it holds it's shape. |
