I have a cheat I use. As I form pleats I use Stitch Witchery to hold them in place. I just put a piece of it cut so it's a hair shorter than the section of pleat that I'll be stitching down. Also, anyone that sews much has at least one dead iron laying around. Instead of clappers and stuff I put a dead iron on top of a ziplock bag of ice. After I press a pleat I take that COLD iron and press again with that.