ITERATIVE SUCCESS IN A MULTI-THREADED WORLD
This weekend I finished my fourth iteration of a pleated
skirt design. I am overwhelmingly satisfied with the
results. For one, I have a beautiful skirt that looks
professionally made. For two, I have a fairly deterministic
process for producing pleated skirts. For three, I have
renewed my confidence and ability as a seamstress.
Prior to this enterprise it had been a number of months
since my last sewing project, in which I experimented with
the construction of sleep dresses. I found some success in
that project---I finally grasped a purpose of lining a
bodice (it can be to avoid the complicated mess of finishing
arm and neck openings)---but wasn't encouraged to produce
any grand discoveries or documentations of process. In the
coming months I expect to revisit those designs and adapt
them for warmer months.
Price, fit, fabric, and a DIY attitude prompted me to get
sewing again. I saw only dumb, expensive, ill-fitting skirts
for sale. I wanted garments better fitted to my wallet and
my ambitions. Likewise, I wanted to become less reliant on
manufacturers for keeping me clothed. Thus, I set out to
become adept at making that classic, ever useful and
flattering garment: the pleated skirt.
I knew the basics of this garment's construction from my
experiences making A-line skirts (i.e.: a skirt that flairs
out like an "A"). You've got one or two panels for the
skirt, proper. And one strip for the waist band. The
enclosure can be either a zipper, a button, or an
elasticized waistband that expands and contracts to get over
one's rump. Obviously, a lot of these details are the same
for a pleated skirt. Obviously, the pleats are unique to
this garment type. And that was the skill for which I was
most deficient.
I like learning through discovery. Thus I opted to discover
for myself how to make pleats instead of consulting a
tutorial. It is not rocket science. I understood the basic
dimension of a pleat by consulting other pleated garments I
own. Joining this knowledge with experience gained from
previous failed attempts, I landed upon a process for
constructing the pleats and an algorithm for determining the
fabric width size and number of pleats required for a given
waist band measurement.
What follows in this post are pictures of each iteration,
and a brief step-by-step detailing how to construct a
pleated skirt. But before going on, I want to take a brief
sojourn reflecting on mindset.
I was aided through the efforts of this project by adopting
language common to programming: "prototype" and
"iteration". From the start, I acknowledged that the work I
would produce might be inadequate and deficient in many
regards. I accepted that each iteration would be flawed, but
also that it would advance through incremental
improvement. In other words, every skirt would be an
experiment, iterating towards improvement over the last
generation---successful in some measured ways, deficient in
others, and always advancing towards improvement. I found
this mindset extremely helpful for two reasons. First, it
allowed me to accept failure as an outcome of efforts
towards growth (and thus not an exertion of effort for
naught). Second, it allowed me to identify and actualize the
important details of a given generation (and thus fulfill
the decree to "publish early and often"). I hope to continue
applying this mindset throughout my life.
Advances and discoveries in each iteration
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IMG Iteration 1: Green gingham
The first iteration (in green gingham) allowed met o regain
some basic foundations in sewing. Most importantly, it
included an implementation of my button enclosure
mechanism. Although pleats are largely the subject of this
post, it is the button enclosure that began this sewing
foray. This first iteration successfully demonstrates the
button enclosure, which is achieved through clever overlap
of fabric resulting in the appearance of a pleat. This
iteration also begins my experiments with the planning and
construction of pleats. Some details like the waist band and
hem were not properly finished.
IMG Iteration 2: Plaid
The second iteration (in plaid) allowed me to refine the
construction of pleats. I learned how to use pins to set
them in advance of being sewed down. I also learned how to
properly finish a waist band using a top stitch. This
technique hides the gory details of how the waist band is
joined with the skirt panels. Later, when I revisited this
iteration when a wide hem was joined using another bit of
top stitching.
IMG Iteration 3: Floral linen
The third iteration (in flower linen) allowed me to converge
all my skills towards producing a garment using a fabric I
actually really liked! (The two previous iterations used
scrap fabric). The stakes were high. But pressure did not
thwart my attempts. I chose to document the fabrication
process because I believed the steps to be well enough
understood and repeatable. All in all, this iteration took
the longest, clocking an at about ten to fifteen hours.
IMG Iteration 4: Gray cotton linen
The fourth iteration (in gray) allowed me to observe the
potential for economizing process. In other words, I sought
to follow the steps and measurements discovered in the
previous iteration with hopes that I would yield output
sooner. Indeed, I completed the skirt in seven to ten hours,
probably a reduction by half. Better yet, I added other
improvements in construction: a hem properly hidden,
overlocked edges, stitches properly back-stitched, and
better fitted waist band measurements. The garment very
nearly looks like something you can buy in store.
IMG Sneaky stitching to finish waistband
IMG Reinforced seam near button enclosure
IMG Overlocked seam, sewed flat with top stitch
IMG Button enclosure (before adding buttons)
Pleated skirt: step-by-step
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This guide is a work in progress. Presently, it covers
setting up the fabric for pleating based on a 27 inch waist
size. If you need help understanding the steps adapting to
your fit, just contact me.
Cut waist band to 32 by 6 inches. Make sure that the long
edge of the fabric carries the strongest tensile
strength. In other words, the long edge has less stretch
than the short edge. This is desirable for a waistband that
is resistant to stretching over time.
Cut skirt panel or panels. I used two 31.5 by 27 inch
panels. Again, the long edge carries the strongest tensile
strength, since it wraps around the body (and is desired to
not stretch). The short edge carries the length of the
skirt. Alternatively, one panel can be used. Unconfirmed,
but I suspect the width would need to be 63 to 27 inches.
If working with multiple panels, join and finish the panels
along a single seam. Ideally, the seam edges are first
overlocked. Then, they are stitched together. Optionally, a
top stitch can be used to make the seam lay flat against the
panel. This adds detail and improves the skirt's drape.
Lay waist band face up (by face, I mean the fabric you want
the world to see). Mark pleat locations using a temporary
marking tool like chalk or a friction-erase pen. Marks can
be very subtle, just grazed over the edge of the
fabric. Begin these marks one inch in from right edge of
waistband. Mark every two inches. Mark on the side of fabric
closest to you.
Lay skirt face down over the band. Producing the following
alignments and offsets:
- The short edge of the skirt hangs over the right side of
short edge of the waist band by one inch.
- The long edge of the skirt aligns with the long edge of the
waist band.
- The long edge of the skirt is offset from the long edge of
the waist band by 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch.
Secure the fabric together with two pins crossed over to
form an "X". Do this within the first inch of where the
fabrics overlap.
Lay a ruler with a 3/4 inch width (? confirm) down over top
of the fabrics, next to the third mark from the right of the
waist band. Produce the following alignments:
- The long edge of the ruler should be perpendicular to the
long edge of the waist band.
- The left side of the ruler should just touch the pleat mark.
IMG Fabric folded over ruler
Gently lift up a bit of the panel fabric. Fold one inch of
the fabric over top of the ruler. Fold the rest of the
fabric back towards its initial direction. With one finger,
press down over top of the pleat while gently removing the
ruler. Pin the pleat to the waist band. The pin should
travel across the short edge of the waist band, with the
dulled end pointing to you.
IMG Fabric folded and ruler removed
Repeat the sequence above until pleats are pinned across the
waist band. Periodically measure the distance between each
pinned pleat to ensure consistent spacing. It should be
around 1 and 7/8 inches.
IMG Pleats pinned up
Take a measuring tape. Place one end of the tape two inches
in from the right edge of the waistband. Mark a mark at the
beginning of the tape. Lay the rest of the tape across the
waistband towards its left side. Identify the position of
the desired waistband size. For me, it is the 27th
inch. Take note of this position in your mind or with use of
the ruler. Then, adjust this position so that it matches the
distance between every other pleat. You may need to undo
pleats or adjust the desired waist size position to fulfill
this requirement. Mark the final position. Undo all pleats,
if any, to the left of the last mark. Take the garment and
delicately test its fit around your waist.
Now, sew or overlock the two layers together. The stitch
should begin at the mark one the right side, and go until
the first pleat before the mark on the left side. Aim to
have the stitch positioned about one quarter of an inch in
from the edge. Use your judgement of course and adjust to
ensure integrity of the garment.
To be continued... (Sorry, I know I shouldn't just end this
abruptly but I am absolutely very grumpy right now and I'd
rather "publish early and often" then only when things are
perfect).