Kilt inspired Skirt (help please!)

[ali8780]

Thank you Ken and Anne

I am truly humbled by everyone's kindness and willingness to help

Love to you all

[ccga3359]

Welcome back Ali. I for one am trying to wrap my head around knife pleats around the entire skirt. Would it not be better to be box pleated all the way around?

[ali8780]

Well, I just made up the muslin "practice skirt," and... um... I think it will be ok, I wasn't in love with the muslin skirt, but then again, I basically just threw it together. I didn't press the pleats all the way down which made it really pouffy. So I'm hoping that when I get the wool and press the pleats all the way down it will lay a little bit better. Anyone have experience with working with a muslin first and liking the real version better? I could use the encouragement

Welcome back Ali. I for one am trying to wrap my head around knife pleats around the entire skirt. Would it not be better to be box pleated all the way around?

could be... But I'm actually trying to copy a skirt that I saw in a magazine:

[LadyGriffin]

Ali, I have posted in the Ladies of X-Marks group a few patterns for women's pleated skirts. I can scan the instructions for you, maybe that would help?

Julie

[vmac3205]

I was going to give you sage advice, but it seems that everything has been covered. I would not pleat the front if you are going to wrap and buckle it, but that is a personal opinion.

[Dixiecat]

Ali, I think that those pleats in the picture are not knife pleated, but might be heat set on a circle piece, so that the pleats widen from the top (hip) downwards. The hipline looks too slim to have had knife pleats sewn into it.

It's hard to tell for sure as the image is very small.

[ali8780]

well, I have the actual picture which is a little bigger, and it looks to me like there is a top yoke that is fitted to the hip/waist area and then a pleated skirt that is attached to the bottom of the yoke. And then I assumed that the pleats were evenly spaced all the way down, what do you think Dixiecat (and others)?

Ali, I have posted in the Ladies of X-Marks group a few patterns for women's pleated skirts. I can scan the instructions for you, maybe that would help?

Julie

Thanks Julie, I think that would definitely help if you are able!

I was going to give you sage advice, but it seems that everything has been covered. I would not pleat the front if you are going to wrap and buckle it, but that is a personal opinion.

Why not, too much bulk?

[ChattanCat]

I do like the look of the skirt just not sure if it needs an under apron though. Maybe just sew a join by the buckles and attach the buckles to each side of the skirt above the join. It's like a zipper but with flap and buckles.

[Pleater]

The yoke does a lot of the shaping - to reduce the time required to make the skirt, there isn't going to be a sewn fell - but it does look rather flared - and not a little odd - as though there are box pleats on the left hand side, knife pleats on the right.

Very strange.

You have to press the pleats - there is no alternative, if you don't do it before making up then you have to baste and press afterwards.

You still need to press as you work and smooth out wrinkles at the end but I find that pressing whilst the fabric is still flat, unpleated and unshaped saves time later.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[ChattanCat]

Yes, the material I get from the mills is usually pretty flat and I can make the kilt without having to press the material. I always baste and then press to make sure the pleats are absolutely straight from the fell to the bottom of the kilt.