# Love differential feed serger! Ruffles!



## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

This is the slip made to go under my today 3 year old granddaughter's "Barn Dance" dress her mom has made her. I was in charge of slip and ruffles.

All the ruffling/gathering is done 1.8 to 1 or 2 to 1 on an Imagin serger using the differential feed. Best darn (expensive) ruffler made.! 

This was cut out about 7 pm and I went to bed with this done just after midnight. 

Rebekah's b'day party is tonight. She's going to love it. This is the little girl that was the flower girl for my older daughter about 2 weeks ago.

Angie


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## PETSNEGGS (Oct 7, 2005)

Angie, that is just way too cool. I love it and it sure will do her little dress justice. Without that ruffler you would have been up all night. If you can send us a pic of her in her new dress. Great job.


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## bopeep (Apr 2, 2007)

:bow:
:cute::cute:
That is really nice, I see I have a lot to learn on my serger.
bopeep


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

The dress her mom (my youngest) made and the apron. The slip doesn't really show, only the results.



This shows the movement of the dress.

This looks like a little girl should. 
She looks a lot like her mother at that age, and loves the dresses also.

Angie


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## naturewoman (Nov 12, 2002)

Angie, I've never used a serger. How do you determine if you have enough fabric to finish right where you want it to? Or do you start with a little bit more than you need and trim off what doesn't get used? And are all the ruffles put together before the final seam turning it into a skirt?

Looks really cool and fast. I'm afraid to ask, but how much is the serger?

I love that last picture...your gd is so adorable and feminine in that dress. And that is the slip peeking out, I presume? I've always loved ruffled petticoats and country style skirts.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

That is the slip peaking out. Now I want to make a dress also.

Now to the serger. You can spend about like for a sewing machine. I'm the type that held out and was not getting one of those darn things cause everyone I'd ever seen was a bear to thread the loopers. I was not up for that headache. When I finally got in job with enough discretionary income (a memory of the past), I bought a Baby Lock Imagin serger that had been previously owned and then reconditioned before reselling. They almost never get one in on trade in - this one they thought was coming in so I put my name down for it. It was $600 or $800 used (I forget). The Babylock Imagin has the air threading of the loopers, so I can change the thread on this thing in about 5 minutes and I do change colors to go with the outfits.
It also does rolled hems and even with the fishline interiors for body. (earned money with it, doing 16 rolled hems before)

BUT, there are many that are in about the $300 range or whatever that can do well. To get the ruffles, you need a differential feed. I've heard that the Janome CP1000 and 900 coverstitch machines can do differential. I'll be trying that soon. The coverstitches are like 1/2 serger, 1/2 sewing machine.

Now to the slip.
It's a top from a dress/jumper pattern with 2 full circles sewn side seams and a 2 to 1 differential gathering. I held the circle to the waist to get the 2 to 1 ratio.

Then the ruffles are just a bunch of strips of fabric, side seams serged 1 to 1 seam. next take the long long long strip of fabric (I had 7 widths sewn together). Gathered this in a 1.8 to 1 ratio. I applied it to the dual circle skirt, that layer took just at 4 of the gathered widths. Next was a narrower set of strips, this time 8 widths sewn and 2 to 1 ratio gathering. Just laid on the previous ruffle and 1 to 1 sewn on it around. The small bottm ruffle is over 8 widths and does have sewing machine embroidery on it. 2 to 1 ratio ruffling.

I had left over strips of gathered fabric. I'd put it around the previous by starting about an inch in and then stopping about 2 inches before where a seam needed to be. Cut the length where I need to seam, and seam the pieces, and go back and attach to the upper ruffle. And just keep doing that.

And you get the above.

It was faster as the serger goes at about 1500 stitches per minute, and my fastest sewing machine is about 1000 stitches per minute.

Hope this explains things.
Angie


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## naturewoman (Nov 12, 2002)

Thanks Angie. That's too rich for my blood. I guess I'll continue basting and gathering the old fashioned way. 

I need a good sewing machine...one of these days I'll have to start a fund for it. I just broke a used Singer I had, about a month ago, and on Sunday got an old vintage white sewing machine, from freecycle. It's in good shape, but can only do straight and zigzag. I will miss the other stitches that were on the singer (it had 20 different stitches on it). I enjoyed playing with those.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

If you have zigzag... get dental floss or crochet thread and zigzag over it (don't catch it) and that pulls and gathers easily. I did gathers by hand/machine for years.

Also for about $29 there is a ruffling attachment that works wonderfully well on sewing machines. I've worn out 2 or 3 of them over the years (2 girls and later me square dancing). That is more attainable.

Angie


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## Shawna (Jul 10, 2007)

Your granddaughter is just too much cute in that dress!!!!

I am in the market for a serger after longing for one for a few years now. Your post helps me to know what to look for!

Very cute pics! Thanks for sharing!

Shawna


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Adorable!


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

That child is adorable! The slip ain't bad either!


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## elliemaeg (May 1, 2005)

Rebekah is a doll and the slip, dress and apron are just adorable makes me want to make something similar for my Katelyn. Her b'day is the 8th.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

ellie - May 8th is my older daughter's birthday... She's the one that just got married on April 12th.

Rebekah was her flower girl.

I think your daughter would like an outfit like this. 

Rebekah is wanting Mommy to have a dancing dress, too. I'll be in charge of that slip/petticoat also.


Angie


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## AR Transplant (Mar 20, 2004)

Angie, thanks for the photo, it is so cute. 
I got a serger about three weeks ago and am still learning all the stuff it does. Now I have learned on more thing.

I'd like to add that you can get that ruffler attachment for your sewing machine for about 20 dollars, just get a coupon from hancocks. Maybe even less. You need to know if your machine is slant or short shank before you buy it. I loved mine and also wore it out.

thanks again, I am going to make a slip!


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