Sewing Pleated Skirt Patterns, tips, techniques

I've made a few simple pleated skirts for various dolls. It's pretty easy and I usually just sort of wing it. I measure around the waist where I want the waistline to sit and add a bit of length to accomodate fasteners and then add seam allowance all around. Sew the waistband leaving the bottom open (I always 'line' the waistband). Then I figure out how long I want the skirt to be and cut a piece of fabric at the correct width to accomodate a decent hem at the bottom and a seam allowance at the top. I cut it more than generously long. I decide how deep I want the pleats and start measuring, folding, measuring, folding...pinning at the top of each pleat. Once I do the length of the fabric I baste the pleats down and press. I align the skirt to the waistband with some adjusting to get the pleats to meet nicely in the back, pin and sew to waistband. Stitch up the back seam of the skirt a little and neaten up the back edges. Handstitch or carefully machine stitch the waistband lining and then add press studs or hooks and eyes to fasten.

I hope that made some sense! It's pretty much like making a simple gathered skirt with a waistband except you pleat instead of gather. The trickiest bit is getting the pleats to come together nicely at the back. You could, in a pinch, hem the skirt edges and just let them overlap at the back. :grin:

 

I've heard (never tried it personally) that you should form the pleats around the hips, where it's the widest, so the skirt will fall more smoothly. I'm guessing the pleats get deeper as you reach the waist and the skirt tapers to fit.

 

The pleated skirt is just a long piece of rectangular fabric that you pleat. I don't have a foot to do the pleating so I just fold like you fold a fan and then pin and iron and repeat. Then when you are done pleating you just sew the end together w/ an opening like you do a skirt. I hope this helps a little. But if you have a pattern you can just follow it.

 

Hello! I have been searching for a pleated skirt pattern much like a Japanese School uniform skirt. I could use one in any size, all I'd have to do it resize it, but I don't want to have to look a human sized one. If someone out there knows of one and they would mind pointing me in the right direction I would be most appriciative. Thank You Anyone for tips!

 

It wouldn't be that hard to alter James' skirt pattern to a pleated one. Instead of using flat fabric for the skirt, pre-pleat it and cut or even double the width of the pattern piece and use that double width to pleat.

I know that didn't make sense - maybe someone who can actually translate sew-speak can say it better. I can see it in my head, but have a hard time spelling it out.

All you really need is a waistband and length of fabric to go around the hips, times 2 or so, depending on the depth of the pleats.

 

I used James MSD skirt pattern which calls for 30" and just double it and cut it out so you would have a long rectangular piece and then pleat as you would fold a paper fan, pin as you go along, then measure the doll to see if it fits and cut off if it is longer than what you need to cover the doll's waist. And then iron it. Then I spray the skirt w/ some hairspray and wait for about 15 seconds and then iron it again and repeat a few times and it would hold the shape of the pleats.

 

Hairspray>? WOuldnt that ruin an iron? Doesn't spray starch work?

 

For a traditional way of making a pleated skirt:
Take a strip of fabric 3X the measurement of the widest part of the hips +ease and seam allowance at each end.
Hem the bottom edge.
Pleat and press.
Baste across pleats at hip level or use a piece of masking tape.
Measure doll's waist and hips.
Subtract waist from hips to find the "Difference" between the 2 measurements.
Count "Number" of pleats.
Divide the "Difference" by the "Number" of pleats. This tells you how much you must scoot the top edge of each pleat over so that the waist will fit.

Example:
Lets say that your doll's waist is 2" smaller than her hips ("Difference"). And your skirt has 16 pleats ("Number"). So 2/16" or 1/8" is how much you must slide over the top edge of each pleat so it will fit the waist. Do not change the crease on the outside of the skirt; just move the top of the crease over 1/8". As you move the top edge of the pleats over, the pleats will taper from the hip up to the waist and the top of the pleats will start to overlap on the inside of the skirt.

Once you have pinned the top of each pleat into its new location, press the skirt from the waist down to hip level to set the new folds on the inside.

Add your waistband or facing and finish as desired.

BTW, this is how a kilt is made, with the pleats stitched in place from waist to hip. A kilt, of course, has a flat, un-pleated panel at each end that overlaps in the front.

 

Hii, I've been able to find a lot of simple patterns for bjds, and the sticky in this forum is uber helpful... but I can't really find any pleated skirts help >_<. I've never made one before, not even for humans, so I was wondering if anyone had any advice/tut/pattern on them? Any size is fine really :X... I just can't seem to be able to find anything than a tight secretary type skirt, or a really big, floofy, loose, dress-skirt. I'm thinking more along the lines of a pleated, school-uniform skirt... either long or mini

 

When I make pleated skirts, I usually just cut a long rectangle, hem it, make the folds for the pleats, pin it, and sew in a strait line across the top for the waist. if you make it long enough, it can be a wrap around with a cute safety pin or button. There are ways to make a more finished waist band, and "invert and sew" so that it doesn't have to be a wrap around, too. If you need more instructions or want me to draw a diagram or something, I'd be glad to!

 

i made one for my school uniforms with a yoke and pleated skirt

pleated skirts are easy but fiddly. without a yoke they're easier (i kept sewing it on backwards or upside down)

take a piece of fabric, about 32" is right for an SD but chose your length, then mark it at one inch intervals with pins, now this piece of fabric is a straight rectangle with no curves, just a box.

pull the centre pin of each set of three so that pin 1 and 2 are together

ie

pin 1 ---- pin 2 ---- pin 3

becomes

--pin 2--
pin1-- --pin 3

sew a line of about an inch vertically along pin 1 and pin 3 (or at least pin at this stage), only go a small way down the fabric so the pleat can open.

so now have

--pin 2-- (aka pleat 1)
pin 1-- --pin 3 ---- pin 4 ---- pin 5

repeat for pin 4 then pin the first pleat down and when you sew pleat 2 into place tack it down. When you add your waistband (and you can copy this from a normal pattern) make sure to attach the pleats to it as well as the fabric.
Congratulations you have a pleated skirt.
i would advise hemming it before you start pleating though.

if you're feeling brave when you've stitched pin 1 and pin 3 you can actually cut away the fabric just short of the line you've stitched to cut down on bulk around the stomach, or actually cut out the darts before hand. That's scary to do though.

If you only pleat half of it you have a kilt.

 

You could try making a long pleated piece of card with the pleats the size you want em. Then push the fabric into the card and iron it.

With a good creasing fabric, it should give you nice pleats quickly, and you can use it time and time again.

(Of course you want to hem your fabric etc first)

 

YAY! i tried this and it worked! the first doll cloths i've EVER made!





heres how i did it, i used seraphim's instructions and started with a 32" rectangle i made the skirt about 5" long with 1/2" seams. i hemed it then marked 1" along the langth with chalk cuz i dont have many pins like this:



then as i was sewing (this was hard at first but then it got really easy) i pulled 1 mark to the other skiping one just like this:



the dotted line is a fold. it was much easier then i thought it'd be. i messed up a bit i think i was post to hem and fold at the same time and...that didnt happen i had to hem it all then sew again for the folds. it didnt make much sence to me till i actualy did it O.o i kinda jumped blindly into this but i think it turned out lovely! too bad my doll is still shipping...and a boy

 

Dunno if this has been solved yet, but here's how I do my pleats.

Fold fabric over to approx. pleat size wanted. Measure the pleat (the part hidden under the fabric) and add about 1/16th of an inch. Then at the edge of the pleat (where you ironed) measure the size of the pleat plus the 1/16th", and pleat at that next mark. Continue this across a strip of fabric (I use a 40" strip of fabric for my SD girls).

Then measure the pleated fabric, and cut at the right width (I cut at about 14" for SD girls, I think, because I use elastic in the waistband of most of my pleated skirts). Then sew up the edges to about 1 1/2" from the top if you're making a flat waistband (not-elastic). Sew on your waistband and add snaps or clasps, and yay! You're done.

Or, for elastic waistbands, do NOT sew up the skirts edges. Instead, sew one edge of the waistband onto the skirt piece, THEN sew up along the sides. Pin down your waistband and sew it onto the front - stop when you have about 1" of the waistband not sewn down, and feed your elastic into the 'tube' of the waistband. Then stretch the fabric carefully and sew that last inch (if you're really good at this, you can keep the stitching in the same place and no one can see you stopped the stitch ^^ ).

I dunno if that makes sense, but I hope it helps. ^^;;;;

 

What type of pleat? Box, knife, kick, inverted pleatm strait, round, gored, drop-waisted...

If you're making a simple skirt, make a waist band. Cut fabric 3 to 4 times longer then the band, hem the bototm, and pleat. When it's long enough, iron it flat, sew halfwau up the back, sew to the waistband, and hem the opening. Add a snap and it's done.

 

there is a pleated skirt pattern in the gothic loli book #4, which you can pick up at the kinokunia (spelling?)

~Angel Kat

 

I found this thread the other day and thought this would be easy...
the no pattern sewing....was I wrong...
I tried the 1 inch pleat but it was just too big for my MSD...
then I got some different material...
and tried the double pleat...
I think I got it down now...
this is what I came up with...
let me know what you think...



I added a slip cause the material was alittle see thru...

~scott~

 

That so cute! Both the colour and the shape are adorable, and the lace looks just great!

But how did you sew on the top flat part, the one that goes around the waist?

 

thank you Anayokari so far its the best thing that Ive made for my girls...

what I did was after I pinned the pleats,
I took another piece of material folded long ways to go around her waist...
then I pinned it to the skirt, good sides together...
I then sewed the pleats and the top waist band at the same time...

hope this helps...

*is teaching himself to sew*

~scott~

 

Hey, do you think I could use this info to pleat a pair of hakama? Because all the patterns I've found scare me...

 

You could, yes. It works the same, but Hakama only have three pleats on the front and back of each pant leg.

 

Being in a fashion rut, I did what I always do: Go to ebay and search "japan goth" and "japan punk" because THEY know how to do it right. Not US emo, but cute. So in my search, they had this adorable set of leg warmers+pleated skirt. Now I don't have the buckles for a garters, and I didn't do it as intricate, but I think they're so cute. They skirt still needs to get closures put in (the joys of pins) and my girl needs undies afore I'll let her wear it anywhere. But I think it might be her outfit for Anime Boston in May... it is May for 09, right?
Working on my own pair, black, at the moment. Thinking of putting a white butterfly on it. But anyway. I'd be happy to post pattern/directions if people really need them (but, honestly, how hard is it to pleat a skirt, or make two tubes of fabric with a flare at one end with elastic at the top?) The pleats in her skirt are .5 inch wide.
Sera is 1/3 scale.

PICCIES!
I'll try to get some better ones tomorrow.

 

Going a bit off topic here...

http://www.bodyline.co.jp/bodyline/ is a good place for affordable human-sized japanese punk/goth and lolita clothing. It's also a great place to go for design ideas for BJD cltohes

 

Does anyone know of a pattern for a pleated skirt? I have been trying to follow a pattern in japanese but even when it's translated it's still confusing.
Has anyone MADE a pleated skirt that would be willing to share how they did it?

 

here is a very simple pattern for a kilt that I got off a defucted GI joe site. Its "pattern free" but gives you the basics for making a kilt...which as a scot I can say is a pleated skirt without the pleats in front.

I've used this patten to make kilts for SD sized dolls. Just make it longer and keep pleating!

http://www.leviathanstudios.com/figures/macjoe/patterns.html

 

You can also do an over-under alternating fold, more like a schoolgirl skirt, using the same pattern torimiko posted. It helps to lay your fabric alongside a ruler as you go, so you can keep your pleats even. Iron or pin the pleats as you go if you've got a lot to make

 

If you're looking to be a bit more ambitious later, I've used this site to make a Modern Kilt. Just enter your doll's measurements in cm and keep in mind that seam/hem allowances may be a bit different for the dolls, and if you're off a cm, it mean's a lot more in 1/3 scale. ^_^0

 

Heyla!

I was thinking that I'd like to make a pleated skirt for my MSD-sized doll, but I was thinking that my initial plans for going about it would make the waist pretty thick. What tips and tricks do the people of DoA use when making pleated skirts for their MSD dolls?

Thanks for your help!
TheKeeper

 

First of all make sure you do not use a synthetic blend fabric. Making a pleated skirt is all about being able to press the pleats down. I would strongly suggest using quilting cotton . When making clothes for an MSD you are basically working in 1/4 scale, so the fabric thickness should also be a lot thinner than what you would use in human scale sewing. Base yourself on the hip measurement of your doll. Pleat the fabric and then overlaps the pleats slightly as you sew in the waistband.

 

...Don't sew the skirt side seam(s) until AFTER you've pressed the pleats... really not one of my brightest moments...

 

I made a pleated skirt with a waistband, a front and a back for myself for a cosplay. I did the pleats first before sewing one side together, then the waistband and than the side with the zipper. But a question, how do you close the skirt? I used a zipper and a button, but where can you find a zipper so small that it will fit a BJD skirt?

 

hikairi, there's a website called "Tiny Zippers" (http://www.tinyzippers.com/) for doll-sized notions!!

 

Well, I managed to make a nice pleated wrap skirt for my MSD out of some nice satin material I bought. Unfortunately, after ironing it out and getting it put together, the ironed creases just, well, went away. Does satin not hold pleats very well, then? (I feel like I made a classic beginner's mistake. The skirt still manages to look nice with the outfit I made, but it's just not what I had intended.)

And thank you for the link, Peppermintsheep! I've been having a heck of a time finding things small enough to look right for my doll!

 

Satin drapes well, but doesn't hold a pleat for beans. Most synthetic fabrics don't. I'd go with a good cotton, personally.

 

If you're going to do a lot of pleating, this site has the instructions for making your own mini pleater, as well as a few other handy tips when sewing for dolls.

http://etreasureshoppe.wordpress.com

 

Thank you for that link! Wish I had that a few days ago. Hehe. But since I plan on making more pleated skirts, that site is still very much a godsend for me, as I've discovered just how hard it is to make a pleated skirt for my dolls, especially out of fabric that refuses to cooperate!

 

I just made a pleated skirt last night for the first time. To make the pleats, I took a ruler and made a short mark at the half inches and a long one at the inches. Then I pinched the small mark and brought it over to the large mark and pinned. Then I used a basting stitch to keep them together. Ironed the pleats flat and zig zagged the top of the fabric (the tops of the pleats) to make it strong and not fray. It worked pretty well, but it ended up too big. I didn't do any measuring or math before, so I really didn't expect it to fit, just getting the technique down.

 

Wow, after looking through the instructions, I find I can't believe how easy it is to make a pleater. I think I'll try my hand at making one, sometime tomorrow. With my boy finally in the States and going through customs, I figure it'd be nice to have his pretty blue kilt ready. Of course, my husband is already complaining that, as my boy is meant to be a minaiture of him, I should have bought the proper tartan colors for the clan he hails from, if I'm to make a kilt for my boy. Eh. I like the blue, anyhoo.

 

This was a big help, thanks. I suck at pleats.

 

I made these kilts for my boys for St. Paddy's day:


The thing about kilts vs simple pleated skirts is that they have (a) the unpleated flap is an overlap. Both layers are unpleated on the front placket to make it lie flat. The ends can be frayed rather than finished (even top and bottom) because historically, it was a strip of fabric right off a loom, gathered around the waist and held by a belt. Over the centuries, this has become a careful pleating that preserves the plaid when laid flat, so that the pleats aren't even, but rather are dependent upon the pattern itself. (I haven't successfully done that yet! I know theoretically, but this was my first pleat job.) The thing is, most kilts require 3-4 YARDS of fabric for an average person, whereas a pleated skirt needs a max of three times the waist measurement.

 

It is nece skirt and it seend simple

 

photoscott
Your skirt is great, to my mind!

 

While I never got around to properly blogging about it, I did put up a series of photos showing all the steps I use to make pleated skirts. I use a sort of pattern I came up with that has a crescent-shaped piece for the top waist part of the skirt, and uses a long rectangular piece for the pleated bottom part. But it's more of a design than a pattern, as each time I make a new skirt I decide on the lengths, number of pleats and taper, and then I work the math out on a piece of graph paper before I cut the fabric. I've even uploaded a shot of the graph paper so you can see how I make use of simple maths (high-school level geometry and algebra) to generate the shapes and the overlap ratios of the pleat folds at the top and bottom edges.

Here are a few of the steps (my Flickr stream has a lot more, this is just a sampling of like every 4th step)


Skirt pieces by abs plastic, on Flickr


Skirt Pleat Math! by abs plastic, on Flickr


Dany's New Skirt: Top piece pinned by abs plastic, on Flickr


Starting to pin upper to lower by abs plastic, on Flickr


Pinning the lower pleats by abs plastic, on Flickr


I made Dany a skirt :-) by abs plastic, on Flickr

 

the pleated look is so cute i want a short one for my doll too , i am not really that great at sewing. I wonder if it's difficult to make.

 

It's possible to sew a smaller skirt with this pattern? I mean tiny doll size? Looks lovely!