Is there a skirt yardage-to-waist formula?

[gem]

I think I've asked this question before! LOL

Can any amount of skirt be pleated into any sized waistband/bodice waist?

I'm asking because the last time I made a skirt without a pattern, I used box pleats and ended up figuring how many pleats I could have based on my *waist size,* not based on how much fabric I was working with, and while I love the dress, the skirt is only modestly full.  See it here.  For the gown I'm working on now, I want a lot more fullness in the skirt, so I'm thinking of using my standard "wenchy" skirt pattern, which is made of gored panels and has enough fullness to fit over hoops.  But I've only ever made those skirts with *gathered* waistbands, and I'm not sure how to take an existing amount of fabric and pleat it down to a given waist size.  I think I'd like to use knife pleats, if that makes a difference.

Will this work, and will there be math? LOL

Gramercy!

[sealion]

I don't do math. I use the divide and conquer method for pinning pleats! LOL

[GirlChris]

Stacked box pleats are your friends. My Governor's daughter skirt uses stacked box pleats, and I was able to squeeze 4 yards of fabric onto my 28 inch waist.



Sorry about the crappy flash- I was actually taking a picture of the girdle. But there's no padding under the skirt- no hoops, no rolls, no pockets, nothing. Just a lot of fabric crammed in a tiny space.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

When I do a  simple gathered skirt with waistband for a Wench  or Irish Dress ensemble, I do 3 times the waist measurement, plus 2" for the hem and 5/8" for the seam, plus 5" for the folded over waistband. Gathered skirts with a  waistband look better with bodices than a drawstringed or elastic waist. Less bulk to deal with.

For a Cartridge pleated skirt for an Elizabethan  Noblewoman, I do 3-60" panels in the length measured with fathringale on, plus 1/2" for the top seam with 1" wide gingham for the facing and pleating guide. For the hem, I use now the extra wide Quilt Binding Bias Tape for the hem facing.  If fabric is 45" wide. I will do 3 1/2 panels for pleating.

Knife Pleated Skirts, I use 1" wide  fold over pleats(2") next to one another. One's waist measurement times 2 usually works. Or 2 to 2 1/2 yards of fabric for a Knife pleated waist. I use my thumbnail as a guide. My nail from tip to nail bed is about an inch. I taught myself that truck years ago.

It does help to experiment using a cheaper fabric to get the right formula for the anount of fullness one is looking for. Hope this helps.