RUFFLES (PLEATS) AS PROMISED!

Me, Barb of Bejewels) again today…running on slow mode today.  Here is the finished product.
I wanted pink or blue pleats but didn’t have the fabric and didn’t want to go purchase some.


First before you even begin, you cut your backing  and batting down to the same size as your front.


I cut four  4” strips from selvage to selvage.  For me, it is better to have more than not enough.  Nothing is more frustrating to be in the middle of a project and need more.
Then I fold it in half and iron.

Now, you get your trusty glue stick.  It is the same as “wipe on, wipe off”, you will swipe your glue underneath the ruffle, then you will put some where you want your pleat to go.  I chose to have mine a little further apart than I normally do.  You decide how far apart you want them.  You can even measure.  I am a perfectionist want a be but…tooooo lazy to measure.  So….you just keep repeating this process, swipe under, swipe over (only where you want your pleat to go)…..then iron it down.  You can actually do several before you iron it down.

 
Now for the ends.  Before you even start you will take the end piece, swipe glue on the wrong side of fabric and then fold from the top to the glue, you are just making a little hem. 
When you get to the end, you will cut off any remaining fabric, and do the same thing and then you will place the the end piece over the beginning (I did it wrong here, I placed the end under the beginning piece).  I just think that it goes with the pleats if the beginning if over the end when you flip it right side up.

This is what it looks like

Take a small seam around the outside before you sandwich your piece.

Now sandwich with the batting on the outside and the backing facing the top of your topper and pin.  This is one of the rare moments that I pin.  Then sew.

Clip your edges.
.  .I cut into the back of the batting and the backing.  Not much, just enough to slip the topper through to the right side.  If you don’t want to do this, just leave an opening and sew it down by hand.

Here is what the back looks like, I used some of the ruffle fabric and made a square with steam a seam or glue.   When I blanket stitched around the middle on the front I just trimmed it to the edges of the blanket stitch and there you have it.  I put the steam a seam under the backing hole and ironed it down, then glued the square over it.