Things You'll Need:
- Sewing machine
- Measuring tape
- Fabric
- Thread
- Dressmaker paper
- Pins
- Elastic waist band -- size of waist plus 2" ease
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Step 1
Measure your waist and hip. Use the dressmaker paper to sketch your waist to hip band pattern using the measurements. Add 2 inches ease for the width and a 2-inch turning band for the waist casing.
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Step 2
Measure from your hip to the length you want your skirt to be. This is your length and also the part of the fabric you pleat.
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Step 3
Measure from your hip to the length you want your skirt to be. This is your length and also the part of the fabric you pleat.
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Step 4
To determine how much fabric to purchase, make a sample pleat. You will multiply the width of each pleat times the number of pleats it will take to match your hip measurement to calculate width of fabric.
If a knife pleat is 2 inches on top and 2 inches inside the fold, the pleat equals 4 inches. If a single box pleat is 8 inches, determine how many pleats you will need for your hip measurement. This is the width, and the length measure is where you want the skirt to end, plus 2 inches for a hem. Don't forget to add in the waist-to-hip section. -
Step 5
Knife pleats are made by folding a 2-inch section of fabric to the left. Pin the fold in place. Pick up the adjacent 2-inch section of fabric, fold it to the left and pin. Continue in this manner until you have reached your hip measurement. Iron the pleats from top to bottom to form the knife edge.
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Step 6
Box pleats are equal to two knife pleats but instead of facing left around the skirt, each box pleat faces left to right per pleat. Make a 2-inch knife pleat. Move 4 inches to the left and pick up the adjacent fabric and make a second 2-inch knife pleat, but instead of pinning it as a left-facing pleat, turn it back so that the right and left sides of the pleat meet in the middle. Repeat this process around the fabric until you have enough to match your hip measurement. Iron the pleats from top to bottom.
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Step 7
Make enough pleats to match your hip measurement. Cut out the whole waist to hip fabric and lay it on top of the pleated section, right sides facing. Adjust the pleats to match the top section.
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Step 8
Seam all the way around from side to side, securing the pleats at the hip seam. Make a second seam 1/8 inch above the original seam to insure your pleats stay secured. Seam from top to bottom to close the skirt with a single back seam.
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Step 9
Turn the waist band down 2 inches on the inside and sew a casing. Leave the last 3 inches open. Insert elastic through the open end of the casing all the way around, stitch the ends of the elastic together, trim and hand-sew the casing shut. Hem the skirt, steam press the pleats and wear.
