To pin or not to pin!

**Emmet** · 19th February 12, 11:56 AM

How do you pin?

I normally pin one at the top where the book says but then pin another two just through the edge of the pleat thats been folded up.

**okiwen** · 19th February 12, 01:11 PM

I'm glad you came clean on this. I hope that this makes things better for the rest of us. I know your better for it.

I will now allow myself to pin in public withour fear of scorn. Now if you can tell me how to stitch by hand and hide the threads then I will feel better yet. I might as well just top-sew for as good a job as I get done the first time through.

**Barb T** · 19th February 12, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by Emmet

How do you pin?

I put 4 or 5 pins, starting with one half way between the waist pin and the needle that anchors the bottom of the fell. I commonly measure at that pin to make sure that the mid-pleat stays about the same width across the back. Then, depending on the length of the fell, I put in two pins or so on each side of the mid one. I put all pins in perpendicular to the folded edge. Does that help?

**Emmet** · 20th February 12, 01:18 AM

Thank you,

One more question, Why do you put the pins in perpendicular?

**TheBrus** · 20th February 12, 05:01 AM

You mention that pinning has improved your pleating. So, even if it takes 30 seconds extra for each pleat, think of the time you saved re-doing pleats that didn't come out as perfectly as if you had pinned. It's gotta be a wash at the very least.

**Barb T** · 20th February 12, 06:18 AM

Originally Posted by Emmet

Thank you,

One more question, Why do you put the pins in perpendicular?

If you put them in perpendicular, the fabric doesn't skew parallel to the pleat. If you put them in parallel, the fabric can slip along the length of the pleat, and it makes it much harder to keep the stripes aligned.

You mention that pinning has improved your pleating. So, even if it takes 30 seconds extra for each pleat, think of the time you saved re-doing pleats that didn't come out as perfectly as if you had pinned. It's gotta be a wash at the very least.

Oh, it's *vastly* more than a wash. Taking out and re-doing a pleat is quite literally 25-30x the amount of time that it takes to pin a pleat. Another very good reason to pin, in my estimation.