Cartridge Pleating. .A Modern Way to get that "Period" Look.

[gem]

I am bumping this up, as I'm getting ready to try this for the first time.

One bit of confusion: unlike most skirts, where you sew up all the seams of the skirt (so you have a tube) BEFORE pleating, am I right in thinking that this is done while the panels are still one flat length? Then if you're making a closed skirt, you sew up that last seam at the end?

I'm also confused about how you hem a skirt *before* attaching it to the waistband and trying it on. Is that necessary?

[Kate XXXXXX]

You CAN do all the seams if you want to: you just start and finish the pleats at the opening.

To hem the skirt beforehand, you need to know the finished length.  You can do this by putting on all the underpinnings and popping the nekkid waistband round your waist.  You then drape the tape measure over your farthingale and bum roll and under petticoat to the desired hem length at CF, each side and CB, and make a note of the numbers.  You can then finish your hem before doing the waistband.  It's easier in some ways, as it's always easier to manipulate something flat than something gathered or pleated into a bunch.  The other advantage is that if you have a border print or straight guards or braid to put round the hem, you can have a straight hem and adjust the length for accommodating the bum roll etc. from the top, like fixing the kilt length.  You do the same measurement but measure UP from the hemline and make a curved top.  It's not usually so curved that it distorts the cartridge pleating noticeably.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

I am bumping this up, as I'm getting ready to try this for the first time.

One bit of confusion: unlike most skirts, where you sew up all the seams of the skirt (so you have a tube) BEFORE pleating, am I right in thinking that this is done while the panels are still one flat length? Then if you're making a closed skirt, you sew up that last seam at the end?

I'm also confused about how you hem a skirt *before* attaching it to the waistband and trying it on. Is that necessary?

gem....

By following the Gingham Method for Cartridge pleating, I always hem the skirt before I pleat it. I use the Cross Catch Stitch.

Knowing the finished length of a skirt with Farthingale or petticoats on helps in knowing how deep of a hem to make, let alone cutting the skirt panels the correct length to begin with. My hems are 2" at the most.

Hope this helps.

As for a closed skirt that is going to be cartridge pleated, one can hem first

[Lady Rebecca]

Bumping this again

I'm about to try my first cartridge pleating, and I have two questions -
1) about how long should the fabric be (width-wise at the waist) that needs to be pleated? I have about a 40" waist.
2) I happen to have some gingham duck, but the checks are only 1/6" each. Would it be easier to just go out and find some 1" squares instead, or will this work?

[LadyFae]

Bumping this again

I'm about to try my first cartridge pleating, and I have two questions -
1) about how long should the fabric be (width-wise at the waist) that needs to be pleated? I have about a 40" waist.
2) I happen to have some gingham duck, but the checks are only 1/6" each. Would it be easier to just go out and find some 1" squares instead, or will this work?

Giggles had small checks too so she went thru with a Sharpie and made 1" slashes (or something like that, anyway!)

[gem]

For the Much Ado skirts, I folded over 3" on the muslin one, and decided it was more than enough. I only did 2" on the linen one.  (I hope that's what you're asking. I was a little confused by "how long, width-wise.")

I did 1/2" pleats. You should be able to just catch every third (or sixth) square, for half-inch (or inch-wide) pleats, right?  The third ones will be easy to eyeball; if you're doing every sixth one, you might mark them.

[Lady Rebecca]

Actually, what I meant was how many yards of fabric will I need to gather for the skirt? Lady Katherine said 3 60" panels, but I didn't know if she meant 60" wide at the waistband, or long to the floor. If it's wide, then I guess that's 180", or 5yds?

[Lady Rosalind]

Actually, what I meant was how many yards of fabric will I need to gather for the skirt? Lady Katherine said 3 60" panels, but I didn't know if she meant 60" wide at the waistband, or long to the floor. If it's wide, then I guess that's 180", or 5yds?

It's fabric widths. 3 panels of 60" wide, or 4 for 45". For lightweight materials, I sometimes do 5 panels of 45" wide, so hoops won't show, and use wool felt to pad the pleats. To find out how long your lengths need to be, put on your hoop and underskirts, and have someone measure you from waist to where you want your hem to end up. Add 3 inches for the pleating area, and three for the hem.

I must be weird, as I mark my hems last, after the cartridge pleating is done and attached to the waistband. The reason for this is that I want the pleats to be on grain for structure, but I want the hem to be softer looking. I throw the hoop and skirts on the dress-form (or before I got a dress form, I used a round side-table, stacked my bum roll on it, and stacked the table on boxes so the top of the bumroll was waist high - worked great!), and use board-game boxes as hem guides while pinning. I press the hem, then use my rotary cutter and salem rule to trim the excess (this takes practice, but it's fairly quick). I leave 3 inches for the hem, turn over 1/2 inch, then sew. Big confession - I machine sew my hems, then cover it with trim on my noble garb. It's faster.

[gem]

On Lady K's advice, for my Much Ado skirts, I used 5 yards (I did panels for one, and straight uncut yardage for the other). I have a 28" waist, and my MIL's is 32". It is a LOT of fabric, though, so I think 5 yards would certainly be plenty for you, as well, particularly if you're using something heavy/thick.

[ladyharrogate]

glad this got a bump!  I do all my cartridge pleating by hand and have thought of using gingham but the thought slipped my mind before I tried it.  Thanks!!!

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Going back to page 1 of this thread on the Gingham method works every time for even cartridge pleating and less hassle overall.

[gem]

Lady K, I'm really looking forward to trying it! For the Much Ado skirts, the white fabric was too sheer to use anything in the fold, so I marked thirty yards of tiny dots every half inch by hand! 

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

gem!! 

For white fabric, the gingham would have shown through even had you used pink or yellow..

[Lady Rebecca]

My pleats are done! Now I have to attach it to the waistband. I'm so proud of myself! I think they turned out pretty nice. Pictures to follow at some point.

Do you do cartridge pleating on the underskirt, or just gore it?

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

I use the Margo Anderson Underskirt pattern that calls for gores in places and then knife pleated.

From my experience, only the Overskirt is Cartridge pleated.