So I was thinking about adding a ruffle to a quilt. I was wondering how I would go about doing this? I found a couple different, vague tutorials that I didn't like. I saw a lot of sew right sides together with the ruffle on the inside. Then turn right side out. But if you do it that way you can't have batting in the quilt. So does anyone know an easy way to do this? No I do not have a serger (also saw that was the preffered way). Thanks for the tips and advice

You can have batting using that method, you sandwich them all together along with the ruffle, stitch around the sides leaving a spot unsewn to turn it out. Then hand or machine stitch the opening closed.

These directions seem o.k. if you don't use too thick of a batting. With this method, you are not turning the whole quilt inside out. Your just working with the outside edges.

Quilt your layers together, but leave the outer 1" edge of your quilt free from any quilting.
- Trim all layers even with quilt top.
- Fold only your quilt top right-sides together towards the center of quilt and pin.
- With right sides together, sew ruffle on top of quilt back and batting.
- Iron ruffle up away from backing and press seam allowance down towards inside of quilt.
- Remove pins from your quilt top and unfold. Now fold the quilt top under 1/4" all the way around to hide raw edge. Press.
- Top stitch all around the quilt sewing through all layers. You could use a decorative stitch here to add more detail.
Hope this helps. Good luck!

I was surprised to see your question....because I have been thinking about the same thing!!! LOL I have considered using a wide eyelet lace that is pregathered and tacking it to the binding on the backside on a quilt that is already finished. I am also working on a Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt that needs to be a bit larger than I can make it --- running short on material and patience with this one. Trying to figure out a way to expand it and thought eyelet lace might be a solution for me. Can't wait to hear other suggestions.

OK... I was REALLY confused when I read this the first time....

You mean to say:

-Quilt the quilt except for 1" around the edges (check)
- Fold the 1" of the quilt top (only) over on itself and pin.
- put the ruffle and the outside of the quilt back together and stitch around the edge.

I was trying to visualize turning a quilted top inside out and my brain exploded. :)

I no longer gather the ruffle with the 2 rows of stitching like I learned way back as a teenager. I use dental floss & stitch a zig-zag stitch over it. Dental floss won't break like pulling on the bobbin stitches of rows of thread. Before pulling the floss to gather, I put pins to mark off the 4 sides of the quilt, so that I get equal gathering on each side of the quilt.

Perle Cotton or small crochet thread works well also, like the dental floss.

Ok so I have never made a ruffle. From what I was reading they kept folding it under and sewing. What is this pulling business? Very curious.

Yeah I was thinking about buying some lace like that too. But then I was kind of thinking a ruffle. I got stuck on how to get it to go together nicely though. Good Luck! hopefully we can get something figured out

The way I (and others) were taught is similar to smocking, where you sew two lines in the fabric with a loose basting stitch on the machine, then pull the bobbin threads to gather the fabric. I learned this technique making set-in sleeves.