I've got cartridge pleats on my mind!
I recently used this pleating technique on a dress and was thrilled with the result, but a lot of people asked me what the heck a cartridge pleat is and what's so great about them?
If you have a LOT of fabric you want to cram into a small space, and you enjoy a little hand sewing, cartridge pleats are for you.
This technique was quite common in the 15th and 16 centuries, and probably existed far before then.
Unlike your typical knife or box pleat, the edges of cartridge pleats aren’t sewn into a seam, but stand at a 90 degree angle to the garment they are sewn to.
They’re made by creating multiple rows of long running stitches along a finished edge.
These stitches are made with a strong thread, then pulled to gather into perfect little pleats.
The pleats then have to be hand sewn in place; they’re far too bulky to be sewn by machine.
This is a great way to create lots of dramatic volume in a garment!
(This is also a great way to illustrate the effects of different lighting on your fabric colors!)
You can see a simple tutorial on this technique here.
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