How to Sew a Ruffle Puff Sleeve Crop Top
Jump to Instructions
Overview
Bring the drama with this ruffle sleeve crop top, designed specifically for non-stretch woven fabrics like satin, chiffon, or lightweight polyester. Featuring puffed sleeves, layered ruffle cuffs, and an optional tie-front illusion, this top is perfect for drag performances, fashion shoots, or statement daywear. The pattern includes sizes XS to 4X with inclusive fit considerations, especially for drag queens. With clear instructions and visual flair, this piece is beginner-friendly and stage-ready.
Sizing Details
The top is available in our exclusive drag queen sizes XS–4X.
Drag Queen Sizes
| Sizes | XS | S | M | L | XL | 2X | 3X | 4X | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inches | |||||||||||
| Bust | 35”-37” | 38”-40” | 40”-42” | 44”-46” | 47”-49” | 50”-52” | 53”-55” | 56”-58” | |||
| Waist | 26”-28” | 29”-31” | 32”-34” | 35”-37” | 38”-40” | 41”-43” | 44”-46” | 47”-49” | |||
| Hips | 37”-39” | 40”-42” | 43”-45” | 46”-48” | 49”-51” | 52”-54” | 54”-56” | 58”-60” | |||
| Height | 70" | 70" | 70" | 70" | 70" | 70" | 70" | 70" | |||
| Centimeters | |||||||||||
| Bust | 89-94 | 96-102 | 102-107 | 112-117 | 119-124 | 127-132 | 135-140 | 142-147 | |||
| Waist | 66-71 | 74-79 | 81-86 | 89-94 | 96-102 | 104-109 | 112-117 | 119-124 | |||
| Hips | 94-99 | 102-107 | 109-114 | 117-122 | 124-130 | 132-137 | 137-142 | 147-152 | |||
| Height | 178 | 178 | 178 | 178 | 178 | 178 | 178 | 178 | |||
Our unique drag sizes are based on U.S. Standard Men’s and Women’s Plus sizes, designed to fit male bodies with padding with an average height of 70 inches. They feature longer torsos, wider shoulders, arms, and legs, and a shorter crotch inseam compared to standard women’s sizing, making them inclusive for anyone matching the provided measurements.
Fabric & Notions
Fabric: Use non-stretch woven fabrics such as cotton, polyester, rayon, satin, or chiffon.
Notions: You'll need 1" (2.5 cm) elastic for the arm cuffs and shoulder straps, as well as snaps for the front closure. And pre-made bra cup inserts (optional)
Fabric Yardage
This top is designed for non-stretch woven fabrics such as soft polyester, satin, chiffon, and similar materials—typically found in 54" wide bolts. Refer to the yardage chart below to determine how much fabric you'll need based on your size.
| Yards | Meters | |
|---|---|---|
| XS | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| S | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| M | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| L | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| XL | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| 2X | 2 | 1.5 |
| 3X | 2 | 2 |
| 4X | 2 | 2 |
Sewing Instructions
Color Guide
Pattern Pieces
After cutting your fabric, you should have the following pieces:
- 4 Front Pieces – 2 mirrored for the shell, and 2 mirrored for the lining
- 4 Back Pieces – 2 mirrored for the shell, and 2 mirrored for the lining
- 4 Shoulder Strap Pieces – 2 for the shell, and 2 for the lining
- 2 Sleeve Pieces – mirrored
- 4 Upper Arm Elastic Casing Pieces
- 2 Top Ruffle Pieces – cut on the fold
- 2 Bottom Ruffle Pieces – cut on the fold
Sewing the Darts
Take the four front pieces and sew the darts closed on the wrong side of the fabric for both the shell and lining pieces.
Sewing the Backs
Take the two shell back pieces, place them right sides together, and sew along the center back edge using a straight stitch. Repeat this step with the two lining back pieces.
Front and Back
Take the shell front and back pieces and sew them together along the side seams, right sides facing. Repeat this step for the lining pieces.
Shoulder Straps
Start by gathering one shell and one lining piece for a shoulder strap. Place them right sides together and sew along one long edge.
Flip the strap right side out, then sew along the opposite edge with a topstitch on the right side of the fabric. This creates a tunnel with one raw edge left for attaching the sleeve later.
Insert elastic through the tunnel using a loop turner or a paperclip. Stretch the elastic so both ends line up with the ends of the strap, then sew the ends of the elastic and strap together using a few straight stitches to secure.
Then repeat for opposite strap.
Attaching the Straps
Gather the two strap pieces, along with the top shell and top lining.
Lay the shell right side up. Place the straps on top, aligning their raw edges with the armhole openings, and pin the ends to the front and back notches.
Next, place the lining right side down on top, so the straps are sandwiched between the shell and lining with right sides facing.
Sew the strap ends in place at the front and back positions.
Shell and Lining
Sew the shell and lining together with right sides facing, stitching only along the top back edge, the side edges of the front, and the bottom edge of the top. Leave the armholes open so you can turn the top right side out.
Flip the top right side out through the armholes and press all sewn edges flat.
If you're doing drag, you can insert premade bra cups into the front sections. Then topstitch the shell and lining together along the side seam to create a closed pocket for the cups.
Puff Sleeves
Take one sleeve piece and identify the notches — the back side has two notches, while the front side has one.
Hand sew a loose basting stitch between the notches, leaving long thread tails at each end. Gently pull on the tails to gather the fabric between the notches.
Stretch the shoulder strap (with the elastic inside) and measure it against the gathered section to ensure the lengths match.
Fold the sleeve vertically in half, right sides facing, and sew the underarm seam.
Then, with right sides together, pin and sew the sleeve to the raw armhole edge of the top. This step can be tricky — you’ll need to stretch the elastic in the shoulder strap as you sew, while also securing the gathered section of the sleeve in place. Once sewn you can remove the basting stitch.
Ruffle Sleeves
Take two upper arm cuff casing pieces and place them wrong sides facing. Sew along the top and bottom edges to create a tunnel for the elastic. You should now have one top raw edge and one bottom raw edge.
Insert the elastic into the tunnel, just like before. Stretch it so both ends of the elastic align with the ends of the cuff casing, then sew the elastic and ends in place to secure.
Fold the cuff vertically in half with right sides facing, and sew the short ends together to form a closed cuff loop.
Now take one top ruffle circle and one bottom ruffle circle — the top ruffle should be smaller than the bottom. Stack them right sides together, aligning and pinning along the inner raw edge.
Sew the ruffles together along the pinned edge, then attach them to the bottom raw edge of the cuff.
Finally, sew the top raw edge of the cuff around the bottom of the puff sleeve. You may need to slightly gather the sleeve’s bottom edge to match the width of the cuff.
Finish any exposed or raw edges around the sleeves with a serger or zigzag stitch.
Finishing Snaps
Lastly, install one male and one female snap to the open front ends, following the placement guide on the paper pattern. Use a snap tool for secure installation.
Snap the front closed, then tie the excess front ends around the snap to create a tied look.
Your garment is now finished!
