Ruff Calculator

One of the most tedious aspects of making a ruff is figuring out just how much fabric will be required. This calculator will hopefully make it a bit easier for those ruff-makers out there. The formula that the calculator uses was graciously provided by Margo Anderson, hostess of The One Tough Costumer Website and creator of the Elizabethan Woman's Wardrobe Pattern set.

To calculate the amount of fabric required for a ruff, provide the following measurements in inches. Round to the nearest half inch, and use decimal numbers (i.e., "1.5" instead of "1 1/2")

1. Circumference of Neck: (in inches)
You can measure loosely. You don't want your ruff to be too tight.

2. Depth of the ruff: (in inches)
This is the measurement from your neck to the outer edge of the ruff. Ruffs of the 1560s averaged 1-2 inches in depth; ruffs of the 1570s were often 3 to 4 inches in depth, and ruffs of the 1580s and 1590s could be 8 inches or more in depth.

3. Width of each sett: (in inches)
This is the width of the figure-eight ruffles around the outside of the ruff.

4. Height of the ruff: (in inches)
The height of the outer edge of the ruff, from bottom to top. Ruffs of the 1570s were quite high, averaging around 3.5 inches; ruffs of the 1580s and 1590s tended to be somewhat flatter, averaging around 2 inches high.

Home