Chiffon Skirt Ruffled Hem

Now Playing: Jim Henson's The Story Teller
mood: IHOP buttermilk pancakes w/butter pecan syrup

Have you ever wondered how to get that feminine ruffle at the bottom of a chiffon skirt?

It is common to use a "rolled hem" on chiffon, where the edge of the fabric is literally rolled up upon itself very small and tightly, then stitched down to prevent fraying.

Here is what a plain rolled hem looks like on the matching veil. It has a beaded edge but hangs flat and fairly straight. There is no ruffle.

(To interject here, I HATE when chiffon veils have this type of beaded edging. It makes them almost impossible to use for veil work. I have 3 veils like this that came with matching costumes. Not that I do much veil work, but when I do, I have to find another veil to use. The beading makes them too heavy and you can only really use them as wraps or cut them up to make more pieces for the costume. So it isn't really a waste of fabric but for me it usually means more work.)

Here is the ruffly hem of the skirt with the same style beading. A clear plastic thread (similar to fishing line) is threaded through the middle of the rolled hem. You can see how the hem begins to roll and coil from the tension of the plastic thread inside creating the nifty ruffle effect. That's it! No secret skills to make a skirt look awesome. Remember that next time you are paying more $ for a ruffly chiffon skirt versus a plain one.

~N