Red pleated skirt... that inspires a kilt

[Spirou003]

Hello,

In Seb's topic, I've spoken a bit about an idea of pleated skirt I had in mind, but kept anything else for myself to not pollute his topic. Now that I've finished it, it took me one month before to get motivated enough to write about it :-D ()

First, a description of it: it is a pleated skirt, made with red textile. I suppose it is cotton twill, I did not check the details, I choose it by "touching it" in the shop. The skirt is also wrap skirt. I made it shorter in front than in back, so that when sitting there's always some textile between my legs and the seat. The fastening is made using a belt that makes two loops around my body. I made two little bags serving as pockets, that hang on the belt, so that I can choose whether I want to add them or not (they can be seen as optional accessories).
Honestly, it really inspires me a kilt, much more than a skirt. This was not intended, but not something I specifically wanted to avoid. I'll say "it is what it is", and I'm fine with it.

I will not enter in conception details, however, because sewing involves a lot of technical words that would give me a very hard time to translate. In addition to my inclination to postpone things that can't be done quickly, if I want the message to be written, I have no choice but making it faster to write (1).

Then, pictures time now. First, the skirt from all sides:
https://snipboard.io/f5WsZk.jpg
https://snipboard.io/5A4J73.jpg
https://snipboard.io/LrjYzR.jpg
https://snipboard.io/43zqoK.jpg
Second, with the pockets:
https://snipboard.io/iLBe78.jpg
https://snipboard.io/E21O3X.jpg
The "double-loop" belt:
https://snipboard.io/3FC1fu.jpg
And now, an effect that I find odd when I bend over:
https://snipboard.io/mk1u2U.jpg

As you can see, pleats are not really neat. This is due to an accumulation of factors while stitching them, ironing will probably not be of any help unfortunately (I will still give it a try: we never know). Only the front panel will befenit from a good ironing. This is the main disappointment I feel from it. The second one, is that I wanted it to be shorter in the front than it is. I wanted it to be above the knee, and it is below the knee. I didn't take in consideration the belted part, this made the difference (but not all the difference). The third disappointment, is with pockets especially the one for my right hand. The zip has been wrongly placed and the belt loops are too close from each other (in both sides). Considering their conception, this will take a very long time to correct

Not particularly satisfied of the result due to the above, especially knowing that I did spend ~22 hours to do it, without counting the thinking hours. I'll say, my feeling is neutral about it, a kind of "meh" :-/

I've not worn it yet. Weather was really not good for skirting until very recently, and I still never have worn any skirt by cold or rainy day. No, tights/leggings/etc. are not an option for me, if I wear skirt it is bare legged, and what I need to figure out is how far I can get without becoming the "stupid frozen skirted guy" if you see what I mean. I plan to wear it on a week-end vacation with a friend. I've already asked her if she would have any problem that I come skirted, greenlight from her, so I will take the occasion to wear this new one if weather permits.

I also consider wearing it on a specific day at work. We will have elections of staff representative (or something like that, I'm not into these things at all) and I've been proposed to be assessor. It will be in May, and I've said yes because I like to diversify my activities, making such a "oneshot thing" something I will happily give a try. The only thing I want to figure out before to give the skirt a go, is how confortable I am wearing it. I mean, with the clothing itself, I expect the belt to become uncomfortable after wearing it a few hours, and the event I'm considering implies to wear it seven hours in a row (or more than twelve if I don't change until I come back home)... better not wearing something uncomfortable that day!

Have a nice day,

Spirou



(1) As an example, I'm member of a french sewing forum. I was willing to write a nice, detailed topic including conception parts etc. I finally gave up and wrote a few days ago something very fast on an evening that followed a long and tiresome day, that barely includes the expected details. Reason: I would never have written it otherwise.

[Seb]

Thank you very much for sharing!

I think it looks good, just needs a good ironing I think to get done of the wrinkles out(they are probably not as pronounced in real as they are on the photos anyway). I like the way the hem looks, angling up in the front and those small(3cm?) pleats look really nice, a whole lot of work I know!

I would as you say try wearing it at home a day so you know it feels okay before taking it out for a long day.

[Mouse]

As you can see, pleats are not really neat. This is due to an accumulation of factors while stitching them, ironing will probably not be of any help unfortunately (I will still give it a try: we never know). Only the front panel will befenit from a good ironing. This is the main disappointment I feel from it. The second one, is that I wanted it to be shorter in the front than it is. I wanted it to be above the knee, and it is below the knee. I didn't take in consideration the belted part, this made the difference (but not all the difference). The third disappointment, is with pockets especially the one for my right hand. The zip has been wrongly placed and the belt loops are too close from each other (in both sides). Considering their conception, this will take a very long time to correct

Not particularly satisfied of the result due to the above, especially knowing that I did spend ~22 hours to do it, without counting the thinking hours. I'll say, my feeling is neutral about it, a kind of "meh" :-/

The big thing is that you have actually made something. What ever you think of what you have made, you will have learnt a great deal and the next thing you make will be better. You only get better by practice.

Whether you use the skirt at work is entity down to how you feel about your creation. If you are not 100% with it, you should wear a different skirt. You don't want your confidence to be reduced by your worry about the skirt.

[rode_kater]

That actually looks really cool. I can't imagine a bit of ironing will do nothing at all. Pleats take absolutely ages and I can understand if they didn't all come out well.

These are all straight knife pleats, right? I've always wondered if there should be a point in the middle at the back where the pleat change direction, but I don't think anyone actually bothers with that.

[Seb]

I've always wondered if there should be a point in the middle at the back where the pleat change direction, but I don't think anyone actually bothers with that.

I do, so the pleats point backwards on both sides. It makes putting side seam pockets on both sides very straightforward, as they go into the deep end of the pleats where I place the side seams. I start them with a box pleat in front and finish with a inverse box pleat in the back and knife pleats running in between them.

IMG_20240415_184840-01.jpeg

Not the best picture, but you can see the center where the knife pleats meet and become(in this case rather small) inverse box pleat.

Box pleats are also good way to adjust the size of the skirt to fit a bodice or waistband of your measurements are a little off or sloppy

[Spirou003]

Hello,

Thanks all for the compliments :-)

The wrinkles are unfortunately true to reality. Ironing will most likely not be enough, I suspect this is caused by one or several of the following:
- textile not having been ironed before sewing (it did not looked that badly wrinkled)
- machine being unadapted to such a large fabric: https://snipboard.io/IP1lt9.jpg
- table being so close to a wall that I often needed to "roll" the skirt while sewing
- lines drawn with school chalk
- lines not necessarily really straight
- me not being that efficient at doing a straight sewn line (not helped by the previous two points)

Pleats are indeed knife pleats, and 3 cm large. As Seb mentionned, each side has its own direction and in the middle they oppose into an inverted box pleat. Two pictures showing it: https://snipboard.io/6NpPSO.jpg - https://snipboard.io/XwYO2e.jpg (one with flash, one without). I also sewn two panels in that area, thinking it is the best one to hide it.

Regarding pockets, I didn't succeed in finding a good design for integrating them into the pleats without either killing the pleats or having a pocket hanging "the way it wants" which I find unpleasant. Another point, is that pockets hidden into pleats, require me to search which pleat has the pocket. Combined to my propension to always check that stuffs in the pockets are still present in the pocket (being a bit paranoid with this), I would end up being constantly checking the pockets! That's why I choose the attached bags: no alteration of the skirt itself, thus no ugly bulge (caused by stuffs in the pockets). Rather, something intentionnally displayed to fulfill a certain function. If the situation permits, I omit them. If one day I want them to look different, I simply take different bags. And that's it.

That is definitely true, Mouse. I did learn things while doing that skirt, so even the worst sentiment I could have with it, will never erase these leanings. That's one of the things I love the most of doing things myself: learning new stuffs, combining techniques, not necessarily all from the same domain, eventually using tools that seemed out of place but are finally a real plus, etc. As an example (not for the skirt), I used wood-glue to prevent some fabric to fray, when sewing would have led to too much layers and then something very hard or eventually impossible to place (it was already hard before protecting against fray).

As for being comfortable with it, wearing it at home is not really a good plan: either I'm quite static, either I'm moving all over the places in a not-so-clean-house (thanks to the endless renovation work), or eventually I'm doing these renovation works. I already tried the first one, which seems to indicate that a long wear could become uncomfortable. Now I'm hoping the weather revisions will change and weather be a bit warmer, otherwise skirting on this week-end will be off :-/

[Mouse]

Spirou, When I sew I have to make do with the dining room table so I know how getting a work area to sew on is difficult. From your picture of the sewing machine next to the wall, I think I would try to relocate that to somewhere flat so you can feed the material as you want.

The other thing I found when I made my two kilts, was that the iron was needed as much as the sewing machine. Each pleat, I would get everything folded as I wanted, then carefully iron the folds, so when I came to sew, the pleat was in place already and the sewing was just locking it in position.

Please note, I am a self taught at this, so take advice from multiple sources, not just me.

Do keep making, each thing you make will be better than the previous.

Mouse

[Spirou003]

I have a dedicated table for cutting, pinning, measuring, etc., it is 120 x 80 cm. Not so big, but actually enough to work on most projects I have realized up to now. Bigger would have been nice, but not required and in fact I don't reasonnably have any space for it (especially because an equivalent of 4 rooms of my house are currently lost due to renovation which takes forever). The picture of my machine shows its location in my previous home. It's different now but not any better.

That may be a good way for doing the pleats without these ugly wrinkles. Already ironing once before starting would probably have helped, but I feel your suggestion is another step in the right direction. Combined to a machine embedded in the table (to not have to elevate the textile from the table) could already be enough to get clean pleats. I think that just the integrated machine would have made a huge difference, maybe more than the ironing. If I'm right my father has such a sewing machine. I may check with him if he still uses it (out of just accumulating random things inside it) and ask to get it, but... I would need to speak with him! So I'll maybe wait to be on yesterday to do it.
Another remark about the pleats, I decided to make them "in batch" to gain time. It already took me 21-22 hours, it would have been much longer when ironing it between each pleat (I mean, not counting the ironing time). Not sure I really want to spend that long for a skirt, considering all other things that are awaiting.

I'll try ironing it tomorrow. Today it's end of day after being back from work in office, tomorrow I'm off so I'll have time for it, and ironing other clothes awaiting it as well.

[rode_kater]

As the others have said, I've found ironing the pleats first, then sewing helps a lot in getting then straight. Also, sometimes theres a foot which helps keeping the needle a constant distance from the edge.

Regarding pockets, I didn't succeed in finding a good design for integrating them into the pleats without either killing the pleats or having a pocket hanging "the way it wants" which I find unpleasant.

Ah nuts, I'd hoped you'd find a solution for that.

[Spirou003]

After two ironing attempts, here is the best I could get: https://snipboard.io/3N4yVo.jpg
But now that I'm posting this, I just figured out a way I could have tried but I don't have thought about. It will be for a next time.

The problem is not more the machine foot than the need to elevate textile while sewing. In this regard my machine is unappropriate for what I've been doing, because I needed to:
- follow the (blur) line
- hold the textile (gravity wanted it to fall, which deviated the sewing)
- roll it at the left to avoid it falling of the table (which deviated the sewing as well) for half the pleats
- roll it at the right to make it pass into the machine (in my picture, at the right of the needle) for the other half
- "roll it" to avoid hitting the wall
- "roll it" the other side to avoid it to try occupying the same space than my body
And all in synchronization. Just replace the table + machine by a machine integrated in its own table, and you remove at least half of the complications I faced