Hello sew-friends! Today, I have a fun tutorial that will add an extra ruffle and a bit of stretch to the straps of your dress or top. I'm using my Eva Tops & Sundress pattern but any pattern that has a separate pattern piece for the strap should work.

For this design, the fabric for the strap works as a casing for elastic. The ruffle is created by making the casing a little wider than the elastic and topstitching, like you would do for a paper bag waistband. In this tutorial, I'll show you how to draft the pattern piece and sew the straps.

Have you ever wanted a dress or top to be a little more fitted at the waist, but you don't want to add darts or change the seam lines? A simple solution is to add ties at the waist. Waist ties are quick to sew and can be added to the side seam of any dress or top. Plus, they’re adjustable! When I was younger, I remember so many of my dresses and tops had ties that were pulled to the back and tied in a bow. The tie is easy to adjust, easy to sew and adds a cute bow detail. You can also make longer ties that wrap all the way around the body or even tie in the front.