I finally figured out why my pleated skirts always looked bulky at the waist

For years I'd sew pleats by just folding the fabric and pressing it flat, but they always felt thick and lumpy around the waistband. Last Tuesday I was steaming a skirt I'd made for a student's costume, and I noticed how the pleats sat better near the hem than at the top. Turns out I was supposed to remove some fabric from the seam allowance at the waist to let the pleats lie flatter - like a gradual taper. I tested it on a scrap of cotton that night, and the difference was night and day. Has anyone else had a "wait, that's the trick" moment with something basic like pleating?

3 comments

3 Comments

eva_rivera14d ago

Hold up, you mean I have been fighting with lumpy waistbands for nothing? I literally spent an entire weekend last month trying to figure out why my pleated skirt looked like I stuffed a pillow under the waistband. And here the answer was just shaving off a bit of fabric? That is both frustrating and hilarious at the same time. I am definitely trying that trick tonight on my next project, but I am also a little mad I did not figure it out sooner. Thanks for sharing, seriously.

diana_bell7414d ago

Wait, a whole weekend?! Oh honey no. I would have thrown that thing across the room after like two hours. You have way more patience than me, I'd have just cut it up and called it a "rag doll" or something.

nora73514d ago

Right? That lumpy waistband struggle is real... glad someone finally cracked the code.