Tutorial: The Box Pleat Baby Skirt

This past week I'd hoped to participate in the KCWC with Elsie Marley, but unfortunately life didn't allow it.  I did manage to make a few articles of kids clothing, but none of them were for my children.  There's a new baby girl that was born to a member of our congregation.  She is the firstborn, so I'm sure that she needs some new clothing.  I've had this scrap piece of corduroy sitting in my drawer for about 15 months.  I love the print, and thought that it would make an awful cute baby skirt.  I didn't have enough material to make the piped pocket skirt, so that Box Pleat Baby Skirt was born.

Baby skirts are really easy to make, take up very little time, and require very small amounts of material. They are great beginner projects.  

Want to make one?  Here we go....

Instructions are for a 0-3 month skirt

Materials:

1/4 yard of material

8 inches of elastic

16 inches of ribbon

26" of trim 

Cut two rectangles of material that are 9x13 inches.  Fold both pieces of material in half (creating a 6.5x9 inch rect.).  Measure in 1/4" from the upper edge of the material, angle a straight edge between the 1/4" mark, and the bottom corner.  Trim along the straight edge, creating a more a-line skirt. 

Your unfolded skirt panels should now measure 12.5" along the upper edge, and 13" at the bottom.

Place right sides of the material together, and using 3/8" seam allowances, sew the side seams.  

If you have a serger, you may want to serge the upper and lower edges of the skirt as well.

Turn the bottom edge of the skirt under 1/4".  Press. 

If you aren't using a trim, or your edges aren't serged, press your hem under another 1/4" to encase raw edges.  

If you are attaching trim, aline the center of the trim's lip or base, with the opened pressing line.  Stitch in place.  Overlap the ends of the trim at the side seam.

Turn the trim under.  Topstitch 1/8" away from the bottom of the skirt.

Find the center of  front skirt panel.  Mark the center point with a pin.  Measure and mark 1 inch from the center pin on either side.  Measure and mark an additional 1 inch from each side.  You should be left with 5 pins.  

Take the outermost pin points, and meet them up with the center pin.  The middle pins will mark the inside fold of your pleats.  Press the pleats along the length of the skirt.

Stitch the pleats in place along 1/4" from the upper edge of the skirt. 

Such a high quality shot.

 Next we are going to create the elastic casing/waistband.  Turn the top edge under 1/4", and then again 1".  Press.

Open up the pressed waistband, and align the elastic with the 1" press crease, and the side seam.  Stitch the elastic down along the side seam, with the elastic tail running along the back side of the skirt. Once the elastic is secured on one side, fold it toward the front of the skirt, and out of the way.  Stitch the elastic casing down along the back panel of the skirt, leaving the front casing/waistband open for now.

When the casing is sewn, thread the elastic through and secure the elastic at the remaining side seam.

 Stitch the front waistband down, securing the casing layers.  There isn't any elastic in the front of the skirt, creating a nice little flat front.

You can now attach a bow at the center of the pleat if you'd like.  It's a really quick little skirt, and I'm quite smitten with it.

 Add an appliqued onesie, and a headband and you have a simple and impressive gift.