I hope you are diligently working on your slipcover for the Slipcover Party this Friday the 13th! Yes? Great! I wanted to show you how I make knife pleats. First measure around where you want your pleats to go and then double it plus about a foot or so more.
Decide how wide you want your pleats. I wanted mine about an inch wide, so I cut my fabric at the length above and about 2.5 inches wide. Fold your fabric in half lengthwise and iron. Then start folding your fabric in pleats about an inch or so wide, iron and pin…as shown below.
Use the previous pleat as a guide for your next pleat. If you’re like my neighbor {Ms. Jones} then you can use a ruler and measure each pleat precisely to have them all exactly the same size OR you can be like me and just eyeball it and let that be good enough. It’s your pleat.
Then iron each pleat and pin. It takes some time, but it’s so worth it. When you see what I put these gorgeous gray linen knife pleats on…you will know why it’s worth the iron. {I know I’m a self-professed loather of the iron} Seriously, it’s becoming a friend.
It's lovely! Can't wait to see the finished product! 🙂
It's beautiful so far… I can't wait for the final reveal! Do you mind me asking where you got the linen? I love the color…
Oooo what a cute idea to put the pleats there. Love the fabric!
Wow, I make pleats so different. Well, I make them the same..but I sew as I pleat in one step. I guess I take the lazy way out.
You can see how I do mine here.
http://www.muchtodowithnothing.com/2010/07/easy-to-sew-custom-bedskirt-tutorial.html
I'll be joining the party this Fri. Thanks so much for hosting it!
Kelly
that ottoman slipcover is ah-flippin-maze-ing
Rhonda,
I was actually at a Walmart out of town…that still had fabric and found it there! I felt like I had won the lottery!
I want the ottoman and the knife pleats–thanks for teaching us teacher!
darling darling darling. just darling.
Every use a ruffler attachment on your sewing machine? Very cool…
I loooove that grey linen!! And the knife pleats.
Thank you, Thank you Thank you for this quick how-to tip. i just started to think about making slipcovers for our dining room chairs and I wanted them to have a knife pleat . I can't wait to get started now! Loving that Gray fabric….can't wait until friday.
oooooh I'm so glad I stumbled upon your blog! 🙂 🙂 🙂
i have never made a knife pleat in my life but I am thrilled to report to the masses that my mama is giving me her sewing machine so i can learn to sew! woo hoo for me!
Thank you for your tutorial. First try – beautiful knife pleats! Thank you! http://ana-white.com/2010/11/drop-cloth-parson-chair-slipcovers.html
Can anyone help me with the length I should cut my fabric, i.e. 2 times the original length for 1/2″ knife pleats, etc?
Thank you!!