As promised, today I will show my work on Anna's pleated skirt.
This was my inspiration. Most versions of this costume don't have actual working box pleats and for a good reason. It is LOTS of work to sew and even more work to figure out the pattern.
My hat goes off several times in a row for the person who made a fabulous pleated version of this dress for Costume Con in Toronto this year. If anyone knows, please write in and tell me her name so I can give her proper credit.
My hat goes off several times in a row for the person who made a fabulous pleated version of this dress for Costume Con in Toronto this year. If anyone knows, please write in and tell me her name so I can give her proper credit.
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Because these flaring pleats need support, I designed the pattern to fit over a standard smooth waisted bridal petticoat. |
The skirt is made up of 10 identical pleats. There are 3 main pattern pieces, the outer panel, the narrow central stripe of the outer panel that gets the design pieces put on it and the recessed box pleat piece. You can see by this photo that I sewed some stiff interfacing behind each of the outer panel pieces. The darker center piece is sewn on with a zig zap appliqué stitch on either side. Then all the cut out pieces are ironed on.
One of the big reasons I decided to make the skirts and bodices separate in this pattern was to be able to use the same pattern pieces over and over for all ten pleats. If the skirt was sewn to the bodice with that point at the center front, I would have had to make completely separate pattern pieces for all three parts the front and side front pleats to correspond to the slope of the bodice front waist seam. This would be so confusing AND require much more pattern tissue. Then there might not have been enough room for the big, wonderful snowflake cape in the pattern envelope.
One of the big reasons I decided to make the skirts and bodices separate in this pattern was to be able to use the same pattern pieces over and over for all ten pleats. If the skirt was sewn to the bodice with that point at the center front, I would have had to make completely separate pattern pieces for all three parts the front and side front pleats to correspond to the slope of the bodice front waist seam. This would be so confusing AND require much more pattern tissue. Then there might not have been enough room for the big, wonderful snowflake cape in the pattern envelope.
This is the pattern piece for the inner box pleat. It flares out at the same angle as the outer panel.
This is how I got the exact design for all those motifs. The pattern is repeated five times, getting progressively larger from waist to hem. So, I traced the best illustration I could find first.
After I determined the length of the skirt, I could then use my proportional scale to help. I only drew out the design once and used my copy machine to get the five different sizes of motif repeats.
Using my preferred method, permanent fusible webbing, I traced all the motifs, ten times over, organizing them by color.
I devised a labeling system to prevent mixing up the pieces. So many of them look so similar.
To properly space the pieces, I like to use the pattern folded in half as a guide, rather than mark on the fabric.
The white/iridescent dots are made with a small bottle of squeeze paint.
It works best to press the pleats in all the box pleat pieces before sewing them. The skirt becomes very heavy and unwieldily as the sections get sewn together.
I finished all the seams with a wavy rotary cutter, instead of serging, to keep unnecessary bulk out.
You can see how the white looking squeeze paint dries into nice glowy iridescent dots.
One last thing. Inside the hem at the inner corner off all ten box pleat pieces, I sewed a metal washer to help the pleats stay pleated, so 20 weights in all.
Box pleats, or actually any kind of pleat do not really work being flared out like this. But, of course, anything is possible in animation!!!!! Which makes life interesting/difficult for costume makers.
Pleats really should be cut straight and hang straight. Even the pleats on a kilt are stitched down in the upper section that is shaped over the hips. They don't open until they reach the point where they become perfectly straight.
This is why I had to build these pleats over that conically shaped petticoat and put weights in the hem. This skirt looks beautiful in motion, but even with the weights, it will need help from time to time to make the pleats lie flat after they've open up.
So, this is all I have to say about Frozen for a while. Rumors have it there is a sequel in the works ... ahhhhhhh!!!!
Box pleats, or actually any kind of pleat do not really work being flared out like this. But, of course, anything is possible in animation!!!!! Which makes life interesting/difficult for costume makers.
Pleats really should be cut straight and hang straight. Even the pleats on a kilt are stitched down in the upper section that is shaped over the hips. They don't open until they reach the point where they become perfectly straight.
This is why I had to build these pleats over that conically shaped petticoat and put weights in the hem. This skirt looks beautiful in motion, but even with the weights, it will need help from time to time to make the pleats lie flat after they've open up.
So, this is all I have to say about Frozen for a while. Rumors have it there is a sequel in the works ... ahhhhhhh!!!!
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