Well, I just went to my last pattern making class. It was great fun and I met a lot of really cool folks…and I learned a tonne about what you can do with a basic skirt block. I’ll never buy a basic skirt pattern again! I can now go to my perfectly fitting block and make whatever I want and I know it’ll fit like a dream – worth the two hundred bucks if you ask me.
Tonight I learned how to make a skirt with two box pleats in the front. Not unlike this one
Again, really easy if you know how! And here’s how!
Measure the bottom of your skirt (or hip line, they should be the same on a straight skirt block) and divide it into thirds. Cut a line 1/3 distance from the centre front to the dart (if the dart is not there, move it)
Now you’ll have to decide how wide you want your pleat. Apparently anything between 3.5 and 5cm is good. I chose 4cm (this means 4cm on either side of the cut line, so a total of 8cm). So, remember for a box pleat, you’re doubling your fabric. So, if you want a 4cm pleat it’ll be 4 x 4, so a total of 16cm. After you cut, spread your pieces by 16cm, redraw the bits in between and draw a centre line between the two pieces.
On my drawing, the dart is quite sharp, so smooth out the transition between the purple stitching line and the blue line. Now, when you go to fold the fabric, just stitch along the purple line (the former dart) and that’s it! The rest is just pressing and you have your box pleat!
I’m going to do the intermediate Patternmaking course in October, which is bodices, so I’m def brining my calculator for that one…and a few brain pills 
Relax and Enjoy,
Kat
Thanks so much for this. I have recently drawn a skirt block… not yet made up. But I can definitely see the appeal of making your own patterns.
Hi oobop! Glad to hear you made your own block…once you start playing it’s hard to stop. Now that I know how that A-line skirt is made and how dead easy it is to do, I won’t waste my money on a simple skirt pattern again.
Pingback: This week: Rosy | Coletterie·
Thanks for this explanation! it’s exactly what I was looking for!