Instructions on Making Pleated School Girl Skirts
- 1). Measure your hips, waist and the length from your waist to just above your knee.
- 2). Cut several panels of fabric for your skirt. The panels should be 45 inches wide by the length from your waist to above your knee, plus 1 1/2 inches. How many panels you need depends on your hip size. Each 45 inch panel will shrink to about 17 inches once pleated, so if you have a 34 inch hip, you will need two panels. Also cut a strip of fabric for the waistband that measures 4 inches by the width of your waist plus 1 1/2 inches.
- 3). Hem the bottom of each panel by folding the bottom up 1/2 inch and then up another 1/2 inch. Sew in place.
- 4). Insert the fabric into the pleat board, smoothing each fold down with the edge of a ruler or other flat object. You can also fold the pleats by hand. Fold the fabric like an accordion, making 3/4 inch folds until you reach the end.
- 5). If you are using polyester fabric, cover it with your press cloth and iron with a hot iron. You don't need to cover cotton with the press cloth to iron it. Press the pleats to set them.
- 6). Place two panels on top of each other, with right sides facing. Pin along one long side and sew together with a 1/2 inch seam. Continue to join panels together if needed. Finish by sewing the first and last panel together to form a tube of fabric.
- 7). Fold the strip of fabric for the waistband in half lengthwise, with the right side facing in. Sew along the long side and then turn the waistband right side out.
- 8). Cut a length of elastic so that it is 2 inches smaller than your waist measurement. Place a safety pin through each end of the elastic and thread through the waistband, pinning the ends of the elastic in place. Sew the ends of the elastic to the waistband and gather the fabric so that it looks even.
- 9). Pin the bottom of the waistband to the top of the skirt. Sew along the edge, leaving a 1/4 inch seam.