What You Need to Know Before You Start
Sewing frills onto a dress means gathering fabric into ruffles and stitching them to the hem, neckline, or sleeves. The process has three main parts: preparing the frill fabric, gathering it to the right length, and sewing it securely to your dress. Most frills take between one and three hours, depending on how much fabric you're gathering and how long the edge you're attaching to.
The key to a neat frill is even gathering and a straight seam. If your gathering is bunched in one spot and loose in another, the frill will look uneven. If your seam wavers, the frill will pull away from the dress. Both problems are fixable as you work, so don't worry if your first attempt isn't perfect.
Key Takeaways
- Cut your frill fabric two to three times longer than the edge you're attaching it to, because gathering shrinks the length.
- Use two parallel rows of long stitches to gather the fabric, then pull the threads to bunch it to the right size.
- Pin the gathered frill to your dress in quarters before sewing, so the gathers stay even as you stitch.
- Sew the frill with a straight stitch about 1/4 inch from the edge, then trim and finish the raw seam with a zigzag stitch or binding.
- Press the seam flat with an iron after sewing to make the frill sit smoothly against the dress.
Measure and Cut Your Frill Fabric
Measure the edge of the dress where you want the frill to go. If you're adding a frill to the hem, measure all the way around. If you're adding it to a neckline or armhole, measure just that section. Write down the measurement.
Cut your frill fabric two to two-and-a-half times that length. For example, if your hem is 60 inches around, cut a frill strip that is 120 to 150 inches long. The extra length is what gathers up into ruffles. If you don't have one long piece of fabric, you can sew shorter pieces end-to-end with a straight seam, then treat the joined strip as one frill.
The width of your frill strip depends on how full and fluffy you want it to look. A 2-inch-wide strip makes a delicate frill. A 4-inch-wide strip makes a bolder one. Cut your strip straight along the grain of the fabric, and trim both long edges so they're even.
Prepare the Frill Edges
Before you gather, finish the outer edge of your frill strip—the edge that will show when the frill is sewn on. If you leave it raw, it will fray and look messy. You have two choices: a narrow hem or a zigzag stitch.
For a narrow hem, fold the outer edge under by 1/4 inch, press it with an iron, then fold it under again by another 1/4 inch and press. Sew along the fold with a straight stitch, using a thread color that matches your fabric. This takes a few extra minutes but gives a very neat finish.
For a faster finish, run a zigzag stitch along the outer edge. Set your machine to a medium-width zigzag (about 2.5 to 3 millimeters wide) and sew so the stitch catches both the fabric and the air beyond the edge. This seals the edge and prevents fraying without adding bulk.
Gather the Frill with Two Rows of Stitches
Set your sewing machine to the longest stitch length—usually 4 to 5 millimeters. You want stitches long enough to pull easily without breaking. Do not use a backstitch at the beginning or end; you'll be pulling these threads, so you need them loose.
Sew a straight line 1/4 inch from the raw edge (the edge you just finished) along the entire length of your frill strip. When you reach the end, cut the thread, leaving a 4-inch tail on both ends. Sew a second parallel line 1/2 inch away from the first one, again leaving long thread tails.
You now have two rows of long stitches running the length of your frill. The threads on both ends should be loose and hanging. Gently pull the bottom thread on one end of the first row. The fabric will bunch up toward you. Keep pulling until the frill is gathered down to the length you need—the measurement you wrote down at the start. Tie off the threads so they don't slip.
Repeat with the second row of stitches, pulling until the gathers match the first row. The frill should now be the same length as the edge you're attaching it to, but bunched and ruffled all along its length.
Pin the Frill to Your Dress in Quarters
Lay your dress flat on a table or your lap. Find the midpoint of the edge where the frill goes—if it's a hem, find the center front or back. Find the midpoint of your gathered frill. Pin these two points together with the right sides of the fabric facing each other (the pretty sides touching). The raw edge of the frill should line up with the raw edge of the dress.
Now find the two quarter-points. If you're working on a hem, these are the side seams. If you're working on a neckline, these are the shoulder seams. Pin the frill at each quarter-point, making sure the gathers are spread evenly between the pins. You should have four sections, each with gathers that look roughly the same.
Add more pins between these main pins, spacing them about 2 inches apart. As you pin, check that the gathers stay even and that the raw edges line up. If one section has tighter gathers than another, loosen the gathering threads slightly and redistribute the fabric.
Sew the Frill to the Dress
Set your machine back to a normal stitch length—about 2.5 millimeters. Thread your needle with thread that matches your dress. Sew along the line where you gathered the frill, about 1/4 inch from the raw edge. Sew slowly and remove pins as you approach them. Keep the edge of your presser foot aligned with the gathering stitches so your new seam is straight.
When you reach the end, backstitch a few stitches to lock the seam. Remove the gathering threads by gently pulling them out. If they resist, use a seam ripper to cut them every few inches, then pull them free. Do not pull hard or you may tear the fabric.
Press the seam flat with an iron. Lay the dress on an ironing board with the seam facing up, and press along the stitching line. This flattens the seam and makes the frill sit smoothly. If the seam allowance (the raw edge between your stitching and the edge of the fabric) is more than 1/2 inch wide, trim it down with scissors.
Finish the Seam for a Professional Look
The raw seam allowance inside the dress will fray if you leave it bare. Finish it with a zigzag stitch or binding. A zigzag stitch is faster; binding looks more polished.
For a zigzag finish, set your machine to a medium zigzag and sew along the raw edge of the seam allowance. The stitch should catch the fabric and the air beyond it, sealing the edge. This takes just a few minutes and is invisible from the outside.
For binding, cut a strip of bias tape (pre-made bias tape is available at fabric stores) or cut your own from a contrasting or matching fabric. Fold the binding in half lengthwise and press it. Wrap it around the raw seam allowance and sew it down with a straight stitch. Binding adds a decorative detail and is especially nice on dresses where the inside might show—like a sleeveless dress or one with a low back.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Uneven gathers. If some sections of the frill are bunched tightly and others are loose, the frill will look lumpy. To fix this before sewing, loosen the gathering threads slightly and redistribute the bunched fabric by hand. Slide the gathers along the thread until they're even, then re-tighten the threads. If you've already sewn it, you can carefully cut the gathering threads and re-gather just the uneven section.
Frill too short or too long. If you cut your frill strip less than twice the length of the edge, it won't gather enough and will look skimpy. If you cut it much longer than three times the length, it will be very full and heavy. For your next frill, aim for two-and-a-half times the length. If this one is already cut, you can add a second frill on top of the first for extra fullness, or accept the result and adjust next time.
Seam puckers or pulls. If your seam is wavy or the fabric bunches around the stitching, your tension may be too tight or you may have pulled the fabric as you sewed. Check your machine's tension (consult your manual for how to adjust it), and practice sewing slowly without pulling. If the damage is minor, press the seam hard with an iron and it may relax.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add a frill to a dress that's already finished?
Yes, but you'll need to open a seam or hem to attach it. If you're adding a frill to the hem, carefully cut the stitches holding the hem and remove it. Attach the frill to the raw edge, then fold the hem back up and sew it closed. This works best on straightforward hems; complex finishes like bound edges are harder to reopen.
What fabric works best for frills?
Cotton, cotton blends, and lightweight linen gather smoothly and hold their shape. Silk and silk-like fabrics are beautiful but slippery and harder to control. Avoid heavy fabrics like denim or canvas—they don't gather well and will be stiff. Match the weight of your frill fabric to the weight of your dress so the frill doesn't pull the dress out of shape.
How do I make a double frill?
Cut two frill strips and gather them separately. Sew the first frill to the dress, then sew the second frill on top of it, aligned with the first. The two ruffles will layer and create a fuller, more dramatic effect. Make sure both frills are the same width so they look balanced.
Do I need to pre-wash my frill fabric?
If your dress fabric has been pre-washed, wash your frill fabric the same way. If your dress is unwashed, you can leave the frill unwashed too. Washing can shrink fabric and change how it gathers, so consistency matters more than the choice itself.
What if my dress has a curved edge, like an armhole?
Curved edges are trickier because the frill wants to bunch up on the inside of the curve. Gather your frill slightly less than you would for a straight edge, and use more pins—space them every 1 inch instead of every 2 inches. Sew slowly and let the machine do the work; don't pull the fabric. You may need to ease the frill gently as you sew to keep it from bunching.