Dropped Shoulder with Ruffle

I've been wanting to attempt a self-drafted dropped shoulder pattern for a while. I loved this top and wanted to do something similar by incorporating a ruffle.  

The pattern came together pretty easily and I was confident I would be happy with the outcome. 

To get the perfect ruffle, I cut a strip that was half the width of the under sleeve, and 1.5 times the length. When I'm creating something with ruffles, I always choose to use a 1:1.5 ratio. It is the perfect fullness in my opinion. 

At the cents of style wall with my sister-in-law and our kids!

Fit test!

Close up of the ruffle and double-needle hem

I used a double needle for all of the hems and I was so happy with the outcome! It gives such a clean, professional finish.

I love this top because it is a simple, casual tee with a fun, unique detail that makes it a very versatile top. I'm such a sucker for sleeve details. 

Dressed down!

Dressed up!

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Ruffle Sleeve Tee

All of the sleeve details this year have been so cool. I've seen bell, ruffled, trumpet, flutter, bishop, dropped bishop, and lantern sleeves. I have been wanting to make myself a top with bell sleeves since Spring!

Bodice front, bodice back, sleeve, and ruffle patterns

As I go through my fabric stash, it is getting harder and harder to find usable pieces. Most of my fabric is in smaller pieces, so sometimes I have to get creative with how I use a piece or pair multiple pieces together in one project.
In this case, I didn't have enough of the white fabric for the ruffle detail on the sleeve. Since that ruffle detail is the most important part of the design, I couldn't just remove that from the plans.
I used a white ribbing fabric for the ruffled sleeve.



Each pattern piece was cut on the fold. I measured the ruffle detail to be a 2:1 ratio to the sleeve. I always reference this ruffle ratio guide when sewing with ruffles. The ratio used can make a big difference in the overall look of the project.

Love the side slit look

Ruffle detail

I love the way the two different fabrics look together. I love the ruffle sleeve and the ribbing fabric adds even more interest to the sleeves. I also left the ruffle hem unfinished because the fabric was so thin, I didn't want a hem to affect the drape. I added a facing to the neckline rather than incorporating more ribbing fabric. It gives it a less casual look and has a very clean finish.

I can't wait to try another fun sleeve detail on my next project. I've got big plans for sleeves!