Wamberal Sweater Hack - Adding a Ruffle Skirt!

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Hi everyone, I'm Mia and I'm a pattern hacking addict!

I've been working on a couple of Wamberal Sweater hacks that I'll love to share with you.

If you haven't purchased the pattern yet, you can find it here.

Fabrics used in this creation is Plaids in Yellow Jersey, Navy Fleecy French Terry and Glitter in Navy Ribbing (it may no longer available depending on when you come across this blog but not to worry, there's always plenty of options available at Wicked Fabrics).

First up is the ruffle skirt hack; one thing to note is the width of your ruffle. I love a "boss" ruffle, but for a minimal look you could reduce the width or for "super boss", add a bit more to suit your taste.

Wicked Patterns Wamberal Sweater + Ruffle Skirt

I used the standard bodice with hood and raw hem finish for the ruffle in this hack.

Step 1

To create a template for the width of your ruffle, you will need plain paper, the waistband pattern piece, scissors and a pen.

Take your waistband piece and lay it on the paper, mark the end and the top. Move the waistband piece so the start is now lined up with the end line you just drew, and mark the top and end (your ruffle piece should be approximately twice the width of your waist band).

Cut your template and label as pictured. This is how long you will need to cut your strip.

Step 2

Cut your fabric and follow pattern instructions until you’re up to attaching the waistband. Sew the short ends of ruffle right sides together; it is time to decide how you want to finish off the edge of the ruffle, hemmed, rolled hem or raw. I'll be leaving it raw.

Step 3

Sew 2 rows of gathering stitches along the unfinished edge using your sewing machine, use the longest stitch length and highest tension. You may need to hand gather to get even ruffles and the correct width so it matches your bodice opening.

Step 4

Pin and baste the ruffle to the bodice, right sides together, before adding the waistband. Your layers should be: bodice + ruffle (right sides together) + waistband.

Step 5

Time to finish your Wamberal following the pattern instructions. Don’t forget to press your ruffle at the end!

What I love about this method is that the sweater stays in place due to the waist band keeping her nice and warm. If you end up following this tutorial hash tag #wamberalsweaterhack so I can check out all your makes!

Sewn and Photographed by Mia Cadusch