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There are so many different types of pleats that add, not only to the functionality of a garment but also to the style, interest, and decorative look. The Kick Pleat is functional. It is usually placed on the back of a straight dress or skirt. It flares while you walk and allows your legs to move freely. Like the Kick Pleat, the Inverted Pleat can be functional but it is also decorative. It falls into the Flat Peat Category because the top of the pleat is flattened out and then stitched across to hold it in place. The other pleats that fall into the Flat Pleat Category are the Knife Pleat and the Beautiful Box Pleat. Although these pleats lat flat in the seam, they are intended to add fullness to your garment. Today, we’re going to focus on the Box Pleat, and I am going to show you how to make the Perfect Box Pleat For Your Waist Size every time.
The Box Pleat
As I mentioned, the Box Pleat adds fullness and volume to your garment. They are formed by two pleats folded and facing away from each other. A Box Pleat can be pressed to form a sharp crease from top to bottom or you can leave them unpressed and flowing. For a permanent creased look, you can edgestitch the inner and outer folds. You can stitch a Box Pleat to a certain point, (which is called a release point) either on the wrong side or on the right side as in topstitching.
The Mechanics Of The Box Pleat
The following diagram is what I call the mechanics of the Box Pleat. It shows the Pleat Depth, the Placement Line, the Inner and Outer Folds, and the Under Fold, which is also referred to as the Underlay. As you can see when you fold your pleat to the Placement Line you create three important parts. You create the Outer Fold, the Inner Fold, and the Under Fold. All of these make up the Pleat Depth. As mentioned, they are folded facing away from each other. When you continue this process along the top of your fabric, you create continuous Box Pleats.
One really awesome mechanic of the Box Pleat is that it can be adjusted. Depending on the construction of the garment, the Under Fold can be Deep or Shallow. A Deep Under Fold, when unfolded, will be exactly the same width as the Pleat Depth. On the other hand, a Shallow Under Fold can be adjusted to a width that allows you to get your desired Pleat Depth and fit your correct waist measurement. For example, if you have patterned out and cut a Full Circle Skirt and you decide to make a double waist with Box Pleats, a Shallow Under Fold will work perfectly. Check out my video on how to make Perfect Pleats.
Forming The Box Pleat
Forming the Box Pleat to fit your exact waist size is easy to do when you know the right formula. Yes, you can start by deciding what size pleats you want and work from there, but depending on your waist size, that does not always work and it can become frustrating trying to get it right. For example, if you have an odd size waist such as 31″ or 33″, using 2″, 3″, or even 4″ pleats may not work. You may end up with one pleat too many, half of a pleat, or not enough pleats. Instead, start by measuring your waist.
- Determine Your Waist Size: For this tutorial let’s use 30″
- Divide Your Waist Size By 4 (30 / 4 = 7.5): Why? Because our skirt or dress has four quadrants or sections. Two front sections and two back sections. (1) Sideseam to Center Front. (2) Center Front to Sideseam. (3) Sideseam to Center Back. (4) Center Back to Sideseam.
- Determine Your Desired Amount of Pleats: For this tutorial let’s use 8. Two Box Pleats for each section.
- Divide Section (7.5) by 2 (Two Box Pleats for each section) (7.5 / 2 = 3.75)
- Mark Your Placement Lines: Determine your desired seam allowance and place a pin there. Measure 3.75″ away from the first pin. Continue placing pins 3.75″ away from each other until you reach the end of your fabric. The pins represent your Placement Lines.
- Fold Your Pleats: Remember Box Pleats are two pleats folded and facing away from each other. Start by folding your second pin towards your first pin. Secure the pleat in place. Next, fold what was your third pin to your fourth pin. Secure the pleat in place. You now have two pleats facing away from each other. The measurement from the left outer edge to the right outer edge should measure 3.75″. Continue this process to the last pin. Eight perfect pleats, 3.75″ in width will each 30″. Make sure you add your seam allowance on both ends.
This formula and process will work for any size waist. You don’t even have to be a Math wiz. All you need is a calculator and a ruler or tape measurer. As an added bonus, use my Handy Dandy Ruler to find the decimals from your calculator on any ruler.
Handy Dandy Fraction to Decimal Ruler
Box Pleats can be so beautiful. They add fullness and style to your garment and they are easy to make, with the right tools, tips, and techniques. I hope that you were able to gain some valuable knowledge on how to make Perfect Box Pleats.
Thanks For Reading!
