Skirt with Knife Pleats

Example: Outcome
Figure A shows the final Skirt (Working*) Pattern Pieces. (The notches are markings are exaggerated in size).* No seam allowance has been added yet except inside the pleat. These instructions are focused on drafting the pleat; this is not a final production pattern.

Instructions: Drafting the Knife Pleat Skirt – Figure 1
- Trace your skirt blocks onto paper.
- Make sure you mark the dart legs, the dart points and the hip notches.

Instructions: Drafting the Knife Pleat Skirt – Figure 2
Remove your block after you have finished tracing and marking points, then:- Draw in the darts.
- Mark the CB.
- Square out 0.75-inch from the side seam at the hem.
- Blend from that point up to the hip.
- Do this for both the front and the back.

Instructions: Drafting the Knife Pleat Skirt – Figure 3
We will start by drawing in the pleat lines. These pleats will have a depth of 1.5-inches so the pleat underlay will be 3-inches.- Draw in the hip-line, using the hip notch for the placement, and squaring off the CF line. We will use this line to help with alignment when we cut and spread.
- Measure 0.75-inch from the CF line, draw a line from waist to hem, parallel to CF
- Measure in 1-inch from the first line and draw a second line down, parallel to CF
- Repeat a third time measuring 1-inch from the second line.
- Make the pieces 1, 2 & 3.

Instructions: Drafting the Knife Pleat Skirt – Figure 4
We will move the dart over so that it is centered on the pleat-line closest to the side seam.- Measure the dart width.
- Redraw the dart on Pleat line #3 to the original dart depth.
- Cut along lines 1, 2 & 3, separating the pieces
- You will need paper to put underneath, my paper is yellow. Don’t bother placing it underneath yet; we need to draw a guideline on it first.
- It helps to cut out the dart value of the dart that is in the middle of the pleat; if that is left there is can become confusing when drawing in the seam allowance.

Instructions: Drafting the Knife Pleat Skirt – Figure 5
- Draw a line onto the paper; this is the hip-line that will help you line up the pattern pieces correctly
- Place the pattern piece on the paper, allowing 3 inches in between each cut piece.

Instructions: Drafting the Knife Pleat Skirt – Figure 6
- Blend the waist
- Blend the hem

Instructions: Drafting the Knife Pleat Skirt – Figure 7
- Draw a line onto the paper; this is the hip-line that will help you line up the pattern pieces correctly
