Friday, June 7, 2013

De-pleated

I'm home today, working on V1287. Sure, it took me an hour to consider alterations and to cut the pieces. Then it took an hour to cut. Then an hour to mark. Then an hour to baste in the pleats. But I think my low fun-expectations are standing me in good stead.

There really are a LOT of pleats:

This is the actual colour of the fabric...

This is the weirdness that happened as my flash died (following which, my camera wouldn't take any non-blurry photos)
In the end, I cut the size 10 and I don't think it's going to be too large. I altered it minimally, by shortening the skirt 3 inches and the bodice by 1.5 inches on the front and back pieces. There are lengthen-shorten lines on all of the relevant pieces, which is the only way I could figure out where exactly to make these alterations. The pieces are very tricky to interpret before the pleats go in.


So, whatcha you think of pleat insertion on knits? Do you hate it? Do you find it kind of fun in an "it never ends" way?

12 comments:

  1. I'm not sure I've ever had full out pleating in a knit. I could see it being annoying and yet might work well for bust adjustments on the fly.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I lied, I have sewn gathers, but not pleats. I totally forgot about the bathing suit I made with gathers at the side. That was awesome for getting the body length right. I had cut out some length, but the gathering really let me fine tune it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They're similar, but I think pleats are much fussier - and also more knowable. Gathers kind of freak me out.

      Delete
  3. I've done a few lightly pleated knits, but they're not my favorite thing to do!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You kind of have to go into the zone, yes?

      Delete
  4. Bwahaha on your puntastic headline ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. ugh i hate pleating my knits! i don't know why, but it feels inherently wrong. i almost always swap them out for gathers, though that probably wouldn't be a good idea for this pattern. it's such a cute dress, i hope it works out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's interesting that you prefer gathers. I don't much like gathers (as you know from the last shirt!) I feel I never know exactly how to disperse the fullness.

      Delete
  6. No experience with pleating the knits but love the headlines!!!

    ReplyDelete