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Yeah, need help on how to sew a pleated skirt...Im new to cosplaying so sorry if i sound like a noobie ^^;;

-Crystal

Pleated skirts are time-consuming because of all the marking, folding, and pressing, but it's not hard so just be patient.

First, a pattern is a good thing to use. Simplicity 4963 is a new one, and there are some cheerleader skirts that can also work, er Simplicity 9806 is a possibility. The other pattern brands make cheerleader patterns too.

Second, clear off a big space to work. Floor or table, doesn't matter.

If you don't want to baste each fold, pin the folds at the top (waistband) and bottom (hem) before pressing. I always try to press the back of the fabric to avoid iron marks. Since it's your first try, fold and press each pleat one at a time, and let each one cool before moving the fabric for the next fold. Leave the pins in as you go or you'll end up with a mess of ziggety zaggety fabric.

When it's time to attach the waistband, add another pin to each pleat about an inch away from where you'll stitch the waistband in order to stabilize the pleats. Otherwise, they'll hang funny if they're not straight when sewing.

Before doing the hem, and before taking out those bottom pins, press all the pleats one more time.

That's about it. You mainly just follow the instructions that come with the pattern and patiently fold and press over and over.

Im doing a Yuna summoner skirt, and I've been toying with this question: do you think I should paint the flowers on before I pleat the skirt or after? ::confuzzled::

Laura92 wrote:Im doing a Yuna summoner skirt, and I've been toying with this question: do you think I should paint the flowers on before I pleat the skirt or after? ::confuzzled::

Before, defenitley. It'd be MUCH easier

yea, it probably would. ^_^

lol I painted mine on after, It wasnt hard XD I just painted the wrong colors

O.o, I wouldn't know the right way....I embroidered mine afterwards.

Hmm. Here's another way to do it if you either don't have an iron or you hate ironing as much as I do. You still have to iron it afterwards, but you don't have to do such a detailed job and work one pleat at a time. Take three times the width of the final skirt. Figure out how wide you want each pleat to be. Fold over that much, then under the same amount and then over so you have it the width of the first piece. Pin this in place and keep doing that around the whole skirt.

Seam the bottom of the skirt or add anything that needs to be at the bottom. Turn the skirt inside out making sure not to lose any pins and take the edge of each fold and edgestich the fold in place down the entire length of the skirt. Do this for every inner fold. Stitch a 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch from the top edge of the skirt to hold the pleats together. Take a piece of fabric the size you want the waistband to be plus extra for seams, fold it in half right side out pin it on top of the skirt so that the edges are even and stitch it on.

If you are using elastic, have the sides of the waistband (the short piece on the ends of the piece of fabric) sewn together so the band makes a loop and then do this, leaving a little bit at the end unsewn, then add your elastic and stitch the elastic together and finish the rest of the sewing on the waistband. If you're using a zipper, add extra to the sides of the band, seam the edges, and sew the entire thing onto the skirt, leaving the same amount that you used on the seam before extra on the band and fold this in and edge stitch the band together on the ends.

thats how I've done it before ^_^ Thanks for the tips

You're welcome. Yeah, I just finished the skirt I was doing and it seems to be much easier than the ironing. That's just me, though.

heehee ^_^
You don't like ironing, and I don't like basting or undoing basting. ^_^

Whatever works is good, but since the person said it was their first attempt, I figured it'd be best to follow the pattern instructions and go one step at a time. From there, they can decide what they want to leave out or consolidate for the next skirt...you know, once they get the hang of it. Kind of like in math when you first learn something, you write out each step of the problem, and after you've practiced and know what you're doing, you know where to take shortcuts and stuff.

Yeah. I don't know what it is, I've just never worked very well with patterns. Oh well.

patterns...::hiss::

Ick. I don't have an ironing board so ironing those pleasts was a pain in the arse x.X I'm thinking of sewing down the pleats a bit o.o;...After I embroider the pattern and such -shrug- 4 months and still going for my Summoner Yuna costume =D (longest time length on a costume yet...usually it takes me less than a week x.x) It's all the hand embroidering that I decided to do...

Sewing them down seems to last longer anyways. It's not really that difficult once you have them all pinned right. Took me less than an hour to sew 14 pleats I think it was. It's just identical edge-stitching. Actually, that has been my favorite part of the costume so far. It was very easy. Wow, you actually hand-embroidered the designs? Most people I've seen just paint them on or applique. If it was me, I'd probably go for the fabric paint version. Mainly because I lack that patience to do it, and it wouldn't be for me anyways. I'm more of a Paine or a Lulu.

Oh, there is one important thing about this, though. If you have a lot of extra lacy bits or edging or something on the end of your skirt, or if you have a different material than what you made the majority of the skirt out of (this is really just the case for some sailor moon outfits, the one I'm making is SuperS and it has those two bands at the bottom of the skirt) As long as the main part of the skirt is a lot longer than the trim you put on it, you can get away with just stitching the pleats on the main bit of the skirt and the edging should fall and look natural. I say this because I think it might not have come out so good if I had stitched down onto the stretchy lame I used, and if somebody else did that they might run into trouble.

how do you sew pleats down!? I just did the basic sew-at-the-waistband kind *feels inadequate*

After you have each pleat pinned in place, you pull it inside-out and take each inside edge that is a fold and edgestitch a seam on the fold. Then you can stitch a 1/4 seam from the top and add the waistband just like you normally would.

Don't feel bad about that, that's the way I did the first ever skirt I made. I just should've done more research, but I was on a deadline and I did it for a friend for free. Ah well. Good luck with all of your costumes, guys.

Thank you, guys! These directions/advice should definetely help with my Azumanga Daioh costumes.

You're welcome. ^_^ And that other thread about the collar might help you out too. I seem to remember there might've been some schoolgirl pattern through Simplicity, but maybe it was discontinued or something.

The first pleated skirt you will make will seem like a gift from the devil because your back will be sore from all the work and you will go stark raving mad from how tedious it is. But after that, you notice that they aren't hard at all. Just time consuming.

Eh, I don't know. My first wasn't really hard. I just really love making them. But yeah, I do find they are even easier to make now. I can't wait to make a bunch of Ohtori schoolgirl outfits for the Utena group I want to eventually do at a con. So many pleats *.*

dont waste your time ^^ just go to a a a a shit what was I gonna say like valu village and get one there or that uh uh shit what is it called again well if you can figer this out then your good, like aplace were you can drop of cloths and stuff you can find it there my brian is alittel fried so i hope you can under stand that LOL

hmm you mean like a thrift store?

depends on what you like, but a lot of people prefer making the items themselves... for bragging rights and the like ^^

*chuckles * ya that I got my skirt at a thrift store ^^ ya speaking of that i really gotta find the items for my chii coustume

Tia wrote:You're welcome. ^_^ And that other thread about the collar might help you out too. I seem to remember there might've been some schoolgirl pattern through Simplicity, but maybe it was discontinued or something.

Well, for the school girl collars, I had some help from my grandmother on the first one that I attempted to make, and I'll probably just use that as a model. Those aren't too difficult...

Yeah, it seems like a lot of people get help from their grandmothers. Oh well. I think I should be able to get it on this third time. It's just one of those mental block things. I keep thinking it should be curvier than straighter.

umm...lol any one have a pattern for the skirt that they can email me?! sorry i work off of visuals...i have altho been thinkin of goin to a cheerleading supply store and buying a kelly green skirt to be kagome...would that be the right color?

I don't think it's quite kelly green. It's more faded/light green. It's kind of a hard color to find. It'd be hard just to even find the fabric for it without custom dying. If you need a pattern, though, I think there might've been one by Simplicity, but I can't remember what number it is.