In my previous blog post I described sewing box pleats: hem the fabric, draw vertical lines, pin or baste the fold and press the fabric. However, you can make box pleats without pressing the fabric and create a soft look of the final folds.
These unpressed box pleats have the same properties as the pressed ones. They add fullness to a garment or its part. You can use them to make a full pleated skirt or simply as decoration for different clothing – for example, tunic, skirt, dress hems, or sleeve cuffs. As they are easier to make, they are also much less time-consuming.
This page contains a box pleats calculator . It computes the fabric consumption based on the required dimensions.
In this tutorial you will learn the following:
- Tools needed to make pleats
- Fabrics suitable for making pleats
- Fabric preparation before sewing box pleats
- Formulas to calculate fabric consumption
- Box pleats calculator
- How to make box pleats
Tools needed to make pleats
- Ruler
- Textile marker
- Pins
Suitable fabric
As you are not going to press the fabric, you can use almost any fabric you like. Both woven and knit fabrics are suitable. However, avoid thick fabrics that would create too much bulk at the top of the folds (velvet, corduroy, thick denim, etc.).
Both woven and knit fabrics are suitable to sew box pleats without pressing. Knit fabric will drape nicely.
In the images below you can see examples of different fabrics used to sew the same skirt. You can notice the difference between them. Choose a fabric that most suits your design intentions. As you can see, Duchesse satin as a stiff fabric, makes the pleats stand out. A medium-weight knit jersey drapes splendidly and forms soft folds.
Fabric preparation before sewing
Prepare the fabric for sewing by washing, drying, and pressing it.
Do not finish the raw edges of the box pleats in the place where they are going to be sewn to another pattern piece. Doing so would add too much bulk to the folds (see the images below). If your fabric frays badly, finish the raw edge AFTER you have completed the pleats.
Formulas to calculate fabric consumption
Consider the size and depth of the individual box pleats before you cut your design fabric. By pleat size, I mean the width of one box pleat front. By pleat depth, I mean how deep you fold the fabric under the box (see the schemes below).
Calculate fabric consumption for box pleats according to the following formula:
fabric width = number of box pleats ⨯ (pleat width + 4 ⨯ pleat depth)
fabric length = pleat length
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Do not forget to add seam allowances and hem allowances.
Box pleats calculator
Calculated fabric consumption for box pleats
Do not forget to add seam allowances and hem allowances before cutting fabric.
How to fold fabric: Sewing box pleats
1. Mark the left-hand side seam allowance
I usually start at the left-hand side by marking the seam allowance. This way I know where the first crease of the box pleat will go (see the image below).
2. Draw pairs of markings on top of the fabric
Using a ruler and textile marker, draw pairs of markings on the RIGHT SIDE of the prepared fabric. The distance between individual markings is determined by the box pleat width and pleat depth (see the images below).
Make sure your textile marker can be washed out from the fabric you use to draw box pleat fold lines.
3. Connect the pairs of markings
Connect the pairs of markings drawing a short line. You do not have to draw them all the way down the fabric, about 10 cm (4 inch) line is sufficient. I like to add little arrows (or triangles) on the lines that will be folded and moved to create a pleat (see the images below).
4. Fold and pin the fabric at the markings
At the top of the fabric take the marked line and move it towards the line without marking. At this line, the edges of the box pleat will meet (see the image below).
Pin the folds you have made. Add extra pins into the middle to hold the folds under the box pleat in place (see the image below). The pins in the center hold the fabric in place and prevent it from being folded in the opposite direction while sewing.
5. Sew the top of the box pleats
Now that you have pinned the box pleats, sew the top of them. Use a straight stitch on your sewing machine. Also, finish the seam allowance at the top if necessary.
You can use the stitching as basting and remove it after you have sewn the pleats to another pattern piece. Or leave it hidden in the seam allowance.
At this phase, you can finish the seam allowances at the box pleats top if necessary. Use an overlock machine or a standard sewing machine to do so and continue with your project.
As you can see, the pleats have a softer look than the pressed ones. Also, they may be slightly different at the hem (see the images below).
Conclusion: Sewing box pleats
With little effort, you can create soft and visually appealing folds in quite a short time. The outcome is rewarding, isn’t it?
