So I did my first cartridge pleats this weekend, and I have questions.

[gem]

Ok, first of all: WHAT FUN!! I love to sew by hand, so this is a great technique. I just need to find a place to do it where there's less dog hair to get caught up in every. Single. Stitch. Blech.

But I have a couple of questions.

I made up two samples, one in muslin and one in 5.3 oz linen (tests for the Much Ado skirts). I started with 1 yard of fabric and used 1/2" pleats, pulled it down to about 6", and then attached to a sample waistband.

Questions:

1. Is something supposed to cover the back of the pleats?  I used Margaret's table method (picture here), and I stitched each pleat twice with doubled thread, but they still seam so... insecure, just whipstitched to the edge of the waistband like that! But if you fold the waistband over, there's like half an inch of air and it's very thick and odd.

2. My pleats look really rigid. I know you usually want that, on court gowns with gorgeous heavy fabrics... but I was looking for a soft look (see the Much Ado link above, or Silverstah's Campi dress). Will they soften up as they're being worn? Should I make them smaller (1/2" already seems pretty small)?

3. Do you have wiggle room about how tightly you pull up the pleats? I could pull my 1 yard of linen down to about 4", but it was even stiffer that way.

(Hope to have pictures when I straighten out the computer issues. Tomorrow, maybe.)

Gramercy!!

[Rosamundi]

Mmm . . . your questions are way above my pay grade, but I will love learning from those who will answer. Glad you had fun with it!

[CenturiesSewing]

"1. Is something supposed to cover the back of the pleats?"


When I cartridge pleat I sew the top of the finished pleats to the bottom of the waistband or bodice edge, the bottom of the pleats hang down inside and when worn butts up against the body to stand out.

Few examples of various uses of the pleating that might help?


Cartridge pleating on my "Hunting gown" Gored skirt


Huge cartridge pleats on the the back of my Tudor, lightened so they will show up hopefully.


On my "Unicorn" gown, the pleats fall somewhere between very very tiny cartridge with one row of thread for them and precise gathering.


Gathered, basic 3 yard tube of fabric for the skirt in a light weight fabric.


"My pleats look really rigid/Do you have wiggle room about how tightly you pull up the pleats"

Smaller stitches and pulling them up less should help soften the look. There is imho, no hard fast rule when comes to pleating, you are wanting to get something that looks right to you. From looking at the screen caps the skirts look like they have only one or two rows of gathering threads? The waist has a little bulk to it but nothing ridged that gives a "check out my bumroll" look.

[gem]

CS, THANK YOU!!  The pictures are very helpful (and terrifically drool-worthy!).  Removing two of the gathering stitches actually softened everything up by a lot. (And will make marking all those dots on 5 yards of skirt a whole lot easier! Ha!)

Now, as soon as I remember how to make a waistband, I will have one skirt finished (or a mockup, depending on how, um, opaque the muslin is in very bright sunlight. ).