sewing techniques

[Guest bassclarinets]

Hey you guys have some incredible construction skills on your capes. How do you get the pleats (seams down the back) to look the way that you do. I know basically how to put pleats into garments, but was wondering what technique you used for the cape.

 

Jen

[Guest Anonymous]

Hey you guys have some incredible construction skills on your capes. How do you get the pleats (seams down the back) to look the way that you do. I know basically how to put pleats into garments, but was wondering what technique you used for the cape.

 

Jen

 

Well, for real information I'll pass questions along to my friend Sherice, who made the cape. I am a LOUSY seamstress - something I must correct.

 

However, in my case, the cape is box-pleated all the way down. However, the box-pleats were tacked down with liquid stitch for the first 1/3rd of so of the length, then left not tacked down to billow for the remainder of the cloak. It was an attempt to simulate the look here:

 

 

Not the most elegant photo, but you can see the box pleating and how the liquid stitch makes the pleats "tighter" at the top and looser toward the bottom.

 

FYI, liquid stitch proclaims to be machine washable. I used it to tack down pleats on my Hakama and washed the Hakama on delicate in cold water...and the liquid stitch completely came apart. DOH! So, you are warned. I'm going to physically stitch the pleats down next time.

[Guest bassclarinets]

pleating is a pain to do - I was actually just reading in one of my sewing book (again) and was for some reason in the draperies section and there was a GREAT illustration on making box pleats.. I will have to scan it later to share - its a OLD OLD book that has been handed down MANY times, so I will try to get that scanned in later

 

Jen

[Guest bassclarinets]

ok - so when i was looking through my OLD sewing book (been handed down a few times, now in my possession), i found 2 good pictures of box pleats with instructions.. so here they are.. gah.. i am glad that i have not had to use this technique (yet!) because it looks like a pain..

 

below the pics are the links to the LARGE sized images so you can actually see it all better

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/b ... leats2.jpg

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/b ... leats1.jpg

[Guest Anonymous]

That's a great resource! Thank you so much for posting that! Hooray!!!!

 

- Carolyn

[Guest Darth Revan]

*Head sewing-machine Head sewing-machine*

 

After all the dam drapes my step-mother made me make, you would think that I would of remembered box pleats.

 

*Head sewing-machine Head sewing-machine*

[Guest Cleverlilminx]

Don't beat up the sewing machine dude!!!!

[Guest bassclarinets]

(I almost threw mine across the room last night - then i jammed my serger)

 

calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean..

 

the sewing machine is my friend

 

Jen

[Guest Anonymous]

*Head sewing-machine Head sewing-machine*

 

After all the dam drapes my step-mother made me make, you would think that I would of remembered box pleats.

 

*Head sewing-machine Head sewing-machine*

 

So, does this mean your Revan costume gets lovely box pleats on his cape?

 

I MUST get over my sewing machine phobia. Learning to cast in resin? No problem. Vacuforming? Cool! I wanna learn more! Heck, even things like chain mail? Count me in!

 

Sewing a seam with a machine? AIGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So lame...

 

- Carolyn

[Guest Anonymous]

After sering my own traditional hakima for kendo and now (pretty much the same principle) after having done Revan's cape and skirt, I have found, the ONLY sure fire way to keep crisp pleats that you can find after washing them, is to sew the edge...

 

Amen. Well, I did a variation of this. The pleats on the cape are sewn down about halfway or so down the length. That holds the pleat, like you mentioned, but also (as you also mentioned) allows the last portion to move freely. It also looks more like the graphic, since the cape does have a bit of an A-line toward the bottom and the pleats look tighter at the top, for lack of a better term.

 

Fold the whole thing carefully then one at a time, sew a straight stich all the way down each edge (inside pleat edges and outside pleat edges).

 

I'm going to sew down the Hakama pleats as well. I tried Liquid Stitch and was MOST displeased with the result. Liquid Stitch claimed to be machine washable. It is most definitely NOT. I washed it on delicate in cold water and every single pleat came unstuck. I then had it dry-cleaned by someone good with pleats and got the pleats back in nice crisp shape. I'm going to sew them down this time.

 

Did you hand-sew or machine sew?

 

Hope this helps.

 

-Xeco

 

Thanks for the great advice on this!!! I'm such a sewing n00b and I figure I can't be completely alone in this, even on a costuming board!

 

- Carolyn

[Guest Anonymous]

Hi,

 

I've just started designing my revan costume. I was looking at the cape and noticed how the center of the cape is symmetrical.

 

It appears knife pleats were used starting from opposite ends and meeting in the center. Knife pleats are pleats that are folded over each sorta like fallen dominoes

 

http://www.elizabethancostume.net/pleats/

 

My wife and I are going to be working on my revan suit, and both of us are new to costume designing, at least from scratch.

 

My two main focuses right now are 1) obtain an inexpensive, sewing machine, Singer brand i think, and 2) build a vacu-form machine.

 

I'm going to design mine based on the machine here in this link:

 

http://www.halloweenfear.com/vacuumformintro.html

 

He built the machine where he can pull a good vaccum, but also can use his ShopVac for it's original uses still by having a disconnect port for the hose.

 

I'm thinking my main focuses for costume construction should be the mask and armor. I believe the cape and other tailored items should be sewed once I know how the chestplate will fit.

 

I'll keep posted on progress. And I will keep checking back. There's a wealth of information in all of these posts.

[Guest Anonymous]

Looking forward to seeing how your costume progresses! Also interested in seeing how the knife-pleat concept works. I did box pleats, as did some others, but it's always good to explore other avenues to see what gives the most accurate look and feel. After all, Revan's costume exists only in a computer graphic, so we're all just doing our best to approximate what we see.

 

Welcome aboard, and good luck on your costuming! Please keep us all up to date on how you do and share photos and stories! I'm looking forward to it!

 

- Carolyn

[Guest Anonymous]

Has anyone ever used that tape you iron on for hems? Some of it's called "stitch witchery" or just hem tape. they have some that you can stitch over afterwards that won't "gum up" your machine...anyone?

[Guest Cleverlilminx]

I haven't used that for holding a pleat yet but I thought I recommended it here to Carolyn to try out for her costume.

[Guest Cleverlilminx]

Do you just sew in plain straight stitch onto the pleats or do you sew in a blind stitch so the stitches do not show up?

[Guest Sakara]

when i made the cape for SJ3's revan i found a professional pleating company in the UK who did the pleating for me. They add a compound when they put in the pleats that prevents them coming out easily.

[Guest braea_kast]

I spoke with my old costuming instructor and after she looked at both the videos I had and the pictures, she even went as far as to say that the cape might not just be pleated, but even quilted...

 

I found material at my local Wal-Mart that actually matches the material in the video game pics. Glossy, 100% polyester, swirled, crinkled material.

 

Check out the material here and lmk what you think...

 

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g37/c ... fabric.jpg

[Guest Cleverlilminx]

I would not go so far to say that Revan's cape is quilted.

[Guest braea_kast]

I just found a website that gives step by step instructions on how to make a pleated cape. (It happens to be a Narnia fan site, but it still is wonderfully explained).

 

Take a look...

 

Quick Cape

~ instructions by Philo

 

This cape takes an incredibly little amount of time - I think I made mine in half an hour. The stylish mandarin collar is achieved simply by the flat trim that forms the neck, and it fitsanyone, from little kids to grown ups. There's plenty room for imagination and design, too, so make sure to check out the Variations section at the bottom.

 

Materials:

 

* 60" width fabric, where the length is the finished length of cape

* two 21" pieces of trim, minimum recommended width 7/8"

* thread

* your choice of fastening

 

Instructions:

 

1. Cut and finish sides and bottom edges of fabric as desired. Use your imagination here: the cape can have square or curved corners, be hemmed or unhemmed, etc. Consider your fabric, too. sample cutting layout

 

For example, for my cape of knit panne velvet, I folded the fabric on the center fold and free-handed a scalloped edge with curved corners, then left it unhemmed - the knit kept the unhemmed fabric from unraveling while the scallops kept the knit from curling.

 

Leave the top edge straight cut.

 

2. Marking the top edge in ten 6" sections, fold each section into a 2" pleat. Make half of the pleats going one way, half going the other, so that the two center pleats meet each other in the underside center (see drawing below). The fabric should now measure 20" wide.

 

 

3. Baste pleats in place.

 

4. Placing one piece of trim directly on top of the other with right sides together, sew shorter ends together with 1/2" seam allowances. Turn right sides out, match up top edges and topstitch close to the top edge (forming an upside-down "pocket").

 

5. Place the pleated fabric between the unsewn bottom edges of the trim. Pin and topstitch these bottom edges, catching both trim layers and pleated fabric.

 

6. Fasten the neck edges with a hook and eye, frogs, or a brooch.

 

Variations:

 

Consider lining the cape for extra warmth, or using a decorative trim or cording around the bottom and side edges.

 

To make a tie-closure, use two pieces of trim where the first is 21" and the second is 21" + the length of each tie. Mark off the center 20" of the longer piece, then sew the shorter piece onto this 20" section, tucking under 1/2" seam allowances. Sew the top edges together as in step 4 and proceed (omitting step 6).

 

The cape works equally well full-length or hip-length, like the fauns' coronation capes.[/img]

[Guest Cleverlilminx]

Thank you for the information...

 

 

For some sewing machines, you can also purchase a "ruffler" presser foot and it can do something like this as well.

 

Since I have a Bernina sewing machine, here is the ruffler for my machine as an example:

 

http://www.berninausa.com/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441761571&PRODUCT%3C%3Esku_id=1689949371894363&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=282574488339253&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181831&bmUID=1174705834955