Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Lotte’s Pleated Skirt Instructions



Fabric: homespun or shirt/dress fabric, 1/3 yd (for yoke cut on the bias) or 1/4 yd (for yoke cut on crosswise straight-of-grain. (If you have to piece the skirt, you can hide the seam inside a pleat. Just be sure to match up any stripes or plaids. You can use a different fabric for the yoke if you don't have enough of the skirt fabric.
For Happy Kidz:

1/4” wide elastic, at least 8.5” (longer is better, because you can cut it after insertion.)
Cut a strip of fabric 3.75” wide and 35” long for skirt
Cut another strip of fabric 3.5” wide and 12” long, either on the bias or crosswise straight-of-grain, for yoke.

For Little Kidz:

1/4” wide elastic, at least 7"
Cut a strip of fabric 3.25” wide and 28.5” long for skirt
Cut another strip of fabric 3” wide and 10” long, either on the bias or crosswise straight-of-grain, for yoke.


Turn up long edge of skirt 1/4” and press. Turn up again and press again. Sew close to first fold for hem.

Turn under long edge of yoke 1/4” and press. Turn up again 1/2” and press. Sew close to first fold for elastic casing. Mark elastic at 8 1/2”. Attach safety pin to other end of elastic, insert into casing and bring out the other end. Remove safety pin and sew right along the edge of the elastic where it comes out of the casing. Pull elastic through to the mark and sew again at that point. Cut of excess. Right sides together, sew yoke shorter ends together. Press seam open.

Make pleats as wide or as narrow as you like, keeping in mind that pleats should take up three layers. If you have a plaid fabric, you can use the design as a guide. Right sides together, sew short edges of skirt together for a back seam. Do not press. Pin pleats along the raw edge of skirt, starting with the back seam, arranging the seam so it is on the inside of a pleat. Fold and pin each pleat, all the way around. Check and make sure the top edge of the skirt and the bottom edge of the yoke are close to the same size. The yoke will stretch or contract a bit, even if you have cut it on the crosswise straight of grain. When you are satisfied, pin bottom of pleats to match top. Sew 1/8” in from raw edge along top using a basting stitch. Pin bottom of yoke and top of skirt all the way around, right sides together. Use plenty of pins to ease in any excess yoke fabric, if needed. Finish seam with zigzag or straight stitch, or serge. Top stitch yoke right above skirt all the way around.


This pattern is protected by copyright. Any items made from it may be sold.

Copyright © 2019 by Peggy Stuart

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