Ruffles

Ruffles are the main feature of Belle Époque petticoats, in both fashion illustrations and in all six of the extant petticoats we’re analyzing. Three of the petticoats only have a single decorative ruffle, which is what many sewing manuals illustrate. This simplicity is infrequently seen in fashion illustrations. Bess Moser’s petticoat is the only one of the six that has layered ruffles, which are a common feature in fashion illustrations (as the pictures above show). The Eyelet Petticoat and the Cutwork Petticoat both have tiered ruffles; their embroidered ruffles are gathered along the hem of a larger decorative ruffle.

1903-4 An example of layered ruffles (e.g. the ruffle head of the bottom ruffle is covered by the bottom of the top ruffle.)	Grands Magasins, 1903-4   An example of tiered ruffles (e.g. the bottom edge of the top ruffle is the ruffle head of the next ruffle)	1903 Catalogue of the Grand Opening at H.P. Munson’s Store   An example with both tiered and layered ruffles

Bess Moser’s ruffles are layered so that they overlap each other. The circumference of the bottom ruffle is slightly wider then the top (118” to 128”) and they overlap by 1 1/4” (including the lace edging).	The Eyelet Petticoat has a tiered ruffle. The bottom tier is approximately 1.25 times the length of the top tier (105” compared to 133”)	The Cutwork Petticoat also has a tiered ruffle. The bottom tier is approximately 1.3 times the length of the top tier (116” compared to 155”)

Adding Body to the Ruffle

Adding extra body to the hem of the petticoat was a concern, especially in the mid-1890s when the fashionable skirt silhouette was almost triangular, although it becomes a different concern in the late 1900s when the skirts seemed to cling; then the worry was adding too much “floof” to the skirt, at too high a point, while still adding enough “floof” to allow the wearer to walk easily.

The six vintage petticoats we’re analyzing illustrate three different patterning techniques vis-à-vis the decorative ruffle:

1. The petticoat is constructed like a tiered skirt: the body of the petticoat ends at the top of the decorative ruffle; there is nothing behind the decorative ruffle to give it extra body. The Eyelet Petticoat and the Cutwork Petticoat both use this construction.

2. The petticoat is constructed like a full length skirt; the body of the petticoat extends to the hem. The decorative ruffle is applied on top of the skirt. This leaves the hem of the petticoat behind the decorative ruffle, adding an extra layer to the ruffle which gives it extra “floof”. Bess Moser’s Petticoat and the Embroidered Petticoat both use this construction.

3. The petticoat is constructed like a full length skirt; the body of the petticoat extends nearly to the hem, where a short extra ruffle is added. The main decorative ruffle is then applied on top of the skirt, covering the flounce. The extra flounce pushes the decorative ruffle out more; giving it more “floof” then it would have on its own. The Lacy Petticoat and the Woven Lace Petticoat use this construction.

Dust Ruffle

I’m using the term “dust ruffle” to describe a ruffle underneath the decorative petticoat ruffle. (The third patterning method described above.) Two of the six petticoats have this extra ruffle.

Lacy Petticoat

The dust ruffle is fairly short, only 3" long. The dust ruffle is about 1.6 times the hem of the petticoat at top of the dust ruffle (The hem of the ruffle is 141 inches and the top of the ruffle is gathered into a 90 inch length). The ruffle head is decorated with a ribbon that has a raised decoration, which almost looks like embroidery.

Dust ruffle (as seen from the outside, underneath the decorative petticoat ruffle)	Dust ruffle from the inside of the petticoat
Dust ruffle head	Reverse
Dust ruffle hem	Reverse
The hem of the dust ruffle was turned up 3/8”, the seam allowance is folded under and machine stitched down with very tiny stitches. Then the lace edging was machine stitched to the underside of the hem at the very edge of the hem.

The top of the ruffle is sandwiched between the edge of the petticoat body (with the seam allowance tucked under) and the decorative ribbon.

This could have been achieved in a number of ways. The simplest way:

1. Gather the dust ruffle (use your normal seam allowance)
2. Fold the seam allowance on the petticoat edge up, towards the outside of the garment. Iron it in place.
3. Pin the gathered dust ruffle to the folded edge of the petticoat, so that the gathering line is just above the folded edge.
4. (Optional) Baste into place.
5. Position the ribbon so that the bottom edge matches the folded edge of the petticoat body, with the gathering sandwiched between. Sew along the bottom edge.
6. Trim the seam allowance off the dust ruffle, so that it is shorter than the top of the ribbon.
7. Sew the top of the ribbon onto the body of the petticoat along the upper edge. Make sure to sew in the same direction (right-to-left or left-to-right) that you did in step 5.

Woven Lace Petticoat

The dust ruffle is 7½ inches long and the width of the ruffle head is just ¼”. The dust ruffle is about 1.6 times the hem of the petticoat at top of the dust ruffle (The hem of the ruffle is 130 inches and the top of the ruffle is gathered into a 79.5 inch length). The ruffle head is formed by a strip of self-fabric bias tape, with the seam allowance tucked under. The hem of the dust ruffle is finished with eyelet embroidery.

Dust ruffle	Back of dust ruffle
Dust ruffle decoration	Reverse
Head of the dust ruffle	Reverse

The top of the ruffle is sandwiched between the folded edge of the petticoat body and the bias tape. This could’ve been achieved in a number of ways. The simplest way:

1. Gather the dust ruffle (use your normal seam allowance)
2. Cut a narrow bias strip (¼” plus a narrow seam allowance). Fold the seam allowance down on either side and iron it.
3. Fold up the petticoat edge to make a ¼” (or slightly longer) facing and tuck the seam allowance towards the petticoat.
4. Top stitch the bottom of the bias strip, sandwiching the gathers with the petticoat edge. (Leave an extra long seam allowance on the petticoat side, ¼” plus extra seam allowance).
5. Trim the seam allowance off the dust ruffle, so that it is shorter than the top of the bias tape.
6. Top stitch the top edge of the bias strip, sandwiching the gathering with the petticoat. Make sure to catch the top of the petticoat hem facing while stitching.

Inside Hem

Two of the petticoats have the decorative ruffle applied to the body of the petticoat, leaving an interior hem beneath the decorative ruffle. This extra layer of fabric supports the decorative ruffle, although it doesn’t add as much “floof” as a gathered dust ruffle might.

Bess Moser’s Petticoat

Hem	Inside Hem
Hem Facing	Hem Facing in the light
The facing is on the straight of grain. It’s about 1.5 inches wide (it varies a bit). The facing is topstitched along both its edges, with the seam allowance of the facing and the skirt hem sandwiched inside. Pleats are taken along the top of the hem facing to make it curve around the hem.	Tuck in Hem Facing

Embroidered Petticoat

Hem	Reverse
Hem Facing as seen from the inside	Hem facing as seen from the outside
The facing is on the straight of grain. It’s about 2 inches wide (it varies a bit). The facing is attached the same way as for Bess Moser’s petticoat; however the bottom hem has three extra rows of machine stitching using a whiter thread than the original stitching and a longer stitch length. I think these were added later to reinforce the edge, as occasionally you can see a line of tiny stitches in the same color and weight of thread as the top of the facing was attached with. As in Bess Moser’s Petticoat, pleats are taken along the top of the hem facing to help it curve around the hem.
	Tucks in facing to follow curve of hem