So I've come to the part in my kirtle project where I need to work out what I want to do for the skirt.
I want to use my current three-panel gored skirt pattern and knife pleat the panels. (I had a link here to a pretty kirtle by Alyxx Ian with a knife-pleated skirt, but for some reason it was confusing people!! So you'll just have to use your imagination.)
I am having real trouble figuring out how to distribute the fullness/pleats from the unpleated section in front, around the waist to the openings, and then across the rest of the back (which is only 7.5" wide at the base). It's those darn side-back openings that are confusing me! How do I determine how many pleats I need (the total skirt width is 83", my waist is 28", and there is a 8 3/8" section left unpleated in the center)? And how do I deal with the openings?
I'm about *this close* to giving up and cartridge pleating the thing, but I would honestly prefer to knife-pleat it. I know several of you have made gorgeous side-back-opening gowns, so I'd really appreciate any suggestions you lot might have!!
Help?!
Gramercy!
Humm... It must be some skirt. When I click the link I get "Forbidden". :o
Quote from: Sorcha on January 27, 2011, 02:11:43 PM
Humm... It must be some skirt. When I click the link I get "Forbidden". :o
me too ;)
Offending link has been removed. Now, back to my question:
Anyone have suggestions about the pleats and the bodice?
Thanks!!
I'm big on knife pleats. What I do is divide the sections I wish to pleat by halves.
So, first off, I straight pin the beginning and end of the two sections together. One on top of the other, the smaller section (that will be over the pleats) and the longer (pleated) section.
Then, find the middle of the smaller (unpleated) section, mark it with a pin
Then, find the middle of the longer (pleated) section, and mark it with a pin.
Place these two together, and pin them together.
Now, do the same thing on both sides of that center pin, dividing each of the smaller sections in half, and pinning them together.
Repeat as necessary until you have the look you want.
Now, since you are doing knife pleats, fold all of the pleated section ONE WAY, and pin the individual pleats down.
Run a seam.
Repeat for the other side, but consider doing the pleats the other way.
This method also works for making box pleats by alternating the direction of the individual pleats.
Again, this works for me. You may wish to try it. I like it better than measuring with inches or centimeters.
Good luck!
How close together are your side openings? Because at this point, I know you're pleating 75" into 20", but I can't tell you where to divide them to find the openings...
However, I would say to have the pleats change direction at your side openings. That's what seems to happen most of the time for 18th c knife-pleated skirts, which all have side openings.
Thanks, everyone! I was able to get the result I wanted by draping (on my new dressform!), pretty much using Butch's "divide & conquer" method. SOOOO much easier than trying to calculate it! The skirt is looking a bit skimpy at the moment, although I know there's plenty of fullness at the hem (it's the same pattern as this skirt (http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL417/1033223/4707019/208845029.jpg)), so I'm thinking I'll need to stiffen the hem somehow. Also, there's a little pull across the unpleated area in front that isn't right. Hoping that disappears when I actually wear it. Hmmm.
Now the problem is how to pin the mockup's pleats in place so I can take it off the form (it's currently pinned *to* her, which is probably not the attachment technique I wish to use in the final). ;)
Glad it worked out easily for you Gem. I had a whole mathmatical theory laid out for you last night about 2AM and realised it sounded so bonkers I'd best delete it before you read it this morning and had me carted off. :D :D
*...not kidding here....* :D
Ha!! Anna, you have no idea how touched I am that you were thinking of my kirtle at 2 am. ;D
I used an unfinished skirt for the mockup, and it's a really really really dark purple, so it's impossible to see what's going on with it. But I fluffed out the skirt and by daylight it looks a little more like I want it to. At any rate, this mockup was sort of a placeholder to check if the pattern I wanted would work, before I actually cut the skirt pieces from my damask. And it will, so now I can work on finishing the bodice, and tackle the skirt again when that's done!