Military Box Pleats: how much "excess" to cut-out of the fell?

[jhockin]

just to clarify - Military box-pleats look like this

It depends - like most things which are a matter of experience.

If the fabric is firmly woven then you can cut out more than if it is loose and likely to fray.

Maybe if you trim to 1 inch from the fold - as the pleats are 1 inch wide, so the number of layers are minimised but there is a smooth surface for pressing, no lumps or dips to make an uneven surface.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

thanks Anne - I may try that; I figure always better to leave a little extra, rather than cut-out too much ; esp. since both way2fractious & JohnH both warned about leaving more seam allowance than 1/2" ( but didn't specify HOW MUCH to leave)