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How to Box Pleat a Skirt

Box-pleat skirts are a classic style that have been around for years. They add a coy sophistication to women&'s outfits and a playfulness to girls&'. The inverted pleats are often seen in school uniforms, but these classic skirts will always be in style. Changing the length of the skirt will change the entire outfit, so play around with lengths and sew yourself a few skirts. Longer skirts add a more business-like quality, while shorter skirts add more casual attitude.

Things You'll Need

Fabric of your choice
Measuring tape
Fabric chalk
Scissors
Pins
Sewing machine
Snap buttons

Instructions

- 1
  Measure around your waist and determine how wide you&'d like your waist band to be. Trace your measurements onto your fabric, adding 1/2 inch around the entire thing and approximately 1 to 2 inches to the length.
- 2
  Fold and iron the extra length under and sew your hems.
- 3
  Measure panels for the skirt with your measuring tape. The box-pleat panels should be approximately 2 inches wider than your other panels and, once folded, will equal the width of the smaller panels. Lay your fabric right-side down and the wider panels will be folded and ironed with the ends meeting in the center. You should have enough panels, to meet the length of your waist measurement.
- 4
  Once your box-pleat panels have been ironed, unfold and pin your regular panel, right sides and edges together, to the pleated panel. Sew and repeat with each panel.
- 5
  Once all panels have been sewn, re-iron your pleats and pin to your waistband, right sides and edges together. Sew.
- 6
  Hold your skirt around your waist and determine how much wiggle room you will need to pull it on and off. Sew up the sides of your skirt, right sides together. On one side leave about 4-inches un-sewn to the top of the side seam.
- 7
  Tun the edges on each side of the unsewn side seam under 1/4 inch and stitch close to each edge. This creates a flap for getting the skirt on an off. Sew your snap buttons to the waistband so the flap overlaps slightly to finish.

Sewing