A ruffle or a frill is a piece of fabric gathered or pleated on one edge and attached to the garment. And a ruffle or frill sleeve is a sleeve that is formed by a fabric piece gathered or pleated.
The best fabric for gathered ruffled sleeves is a thin lightweight fabric with good drape. You can make pleated frills with medium weight fabrics.
Ruffles are equated with girly, feminine looks. This kind of sleeves are best suited for the tops and dresses you mean to have a cute meets pretty style. It seems many are eager for it – read this article which says ruffles are back in a big way
Frill Sleeves – Type 1
This is the most common frill sleeve today. This sleeve involves an extra long piece of fabric and then added to the regular sleeve or a drop shouldered bodice. The fabric piece is gathered before fitting to the sleeve edge.
You can follow the tutorial for making a drop shouldered top with frill sleeves for making this kind of sleeve.
Frill Sleeves – Type 2
This is a short ruffle added to the sleeve hem. You can add this kind of ruffle to an ordinary t-shirt sleeve to turn it into a ruffle sleeved one. Follow the post DIY T-shirts for details on making this.
Frill Sleeves – Type 3
You can add this kind of frills by cutting a circular ruffle. Check out this post for making a ruffle like this or this tutorial for making a similar sleeved top.
Frill Sleeves – Type 4
This kind of ruffled sleeve is very popular with frocks for kids. A simple 2 inch or so wide fabric piece is pleated and added to the armhole as a frilly sleeve.
Frill Sleeves – Type 5
You can add lace or net which is gathered to the sleeve hem for a cute frilly sleeve.
Frill Sleeves – Type 6
Take a wide chiffon fabric cut on the bias folded by the middle and slightly gathered and add to the armhole for a fluttery frilly sleeve – perfectly suitable for girls tops and dresses.
Frill Sleeves – Type 7
You can add a small piece of ruffled fabric to an ordinary sleeve to make it frilly.
Frill Sleeves – Type 8
This ruffle sleeve is made frilly with simple shirring. You will be cutting wide sleeves which you then shirr along the hemline so that you get a kind of frilled sleeve. You can find the tutorial to shirr with your sewing machine here.
Frill Sleeves – Type 9
This sleeve is frilly because it is shirred from the top of the sleeve to almost to the hem.
Frill Sleeves – Type 10
This sleeve has a band along the hem with ruffles below and above the band.
Related posts : All the different types of sleeves; How to draft and sew sleeves.; Sewing tips for puff sleeves
Very helpful. Thanks