Cartridge pleating and seam finiahing questions

[chargirlgenius]

Cartridge pleating question

I'm planning on cartridge pleating the sleeves onto Jeff's gown. I've never cartridge pleated before, though I'm sure I can handle it. I have a slight problem, in that the edge of the armhole of the gown was finished assuming that I would have a seam allowance (I hadn't thought about cartridge pleating when I did it).

I know that you're supposed to sew the pleats directly to the edge of the fabric. Is it worth me refinishing that edge (maybe folding it over, etc.) or can I pleat the edge of the sleeve to a arm hole with a seam allowance?

I'm also toying with the Elizabethan sewing technique of finishing all of the edges first. The sleeves are fully lined. I've sewn one of the silk sleeves shut, but I didn't finish the raw edges first, so I'm not sure if this is going to work. Perhaps I should have sewn the flat lining to the flat silk, first? I have another technique I'll probably do, along the sleeve length seam, at least. Stitch the layer of lining down in the ditch, folk it over, and then whip the other half of the lining down. As far as I know, though, this isn't documentable, but a more modern tailoring technique.



Brief explanation: The black lines are the silk, and the red lines are the linen. Stitches are left out. The two silk pieces are sewn together with a running stitch. The bottom (straight) red line is sewn to the silk with a running stich that comes out in the seam of the silk, thus hiding it from view. The second (top, bent) red line is sewn to the first lining, and maybe to the seam allowance of the silk, but not all the way through, with a whip stitch.

For the sleevehead, I might just sew the sleeves right side together, for my nice finished edge. I was looking at attack-laurel's description of the process, and she suggests sanwiching them together, right sides out, and doing a running stitch. Only trouble is, this is a significant curve, and I'm not sure how I can avoid seam clipping. Maybe it doesn't matter so much, as a good portion of the sleeve will be cartridge-pleated in to my armhole, but maybe there's a better way?

*sigh* I have lots of ideas, but so far, none of them are jumping out as exactly right, or right without any problems (self-caused or inherent). I'm open to thoughts from people who have used these techniques.

Comments

[chargirlgenius.livejournal.com]

I don't really like the way that the knife pleats hang down on Jeff's gown. I want something springier. At very least, I'll do box pleats.

The knife pleats on Jeff's current gowns just don't look like the ones in this picture:


I also understand that many of the 15th century Italian people use cartridge pleating on the sleeves, and thought I'd see how it worked.

If you think about it, though, what is the era the same as? I'm basing my GFD linings on 14th century (and heck, a much older linen shirt!), and to tell you the truth, mostly unlined garments. With the dearth of extant 15th century seams, I'm open to the idea of experimentation. There's earlier examples of the finishing technique that Attack Laurel calls the Elizabethan Seam Finishing (I think they're Viking? - there may be others).

[ciorstan.livejournal.com]

That is exactly the garment set my husband wants me to make for him-- though he wants black hose, a red silk twill doublet and a black wool pleated short gown. Since he's up and down ladders and stairs all day (and has been doing that for the last seventeen years) I can truthfully assert that I'm married to the Buffest Butt in California. And his legs are scrumptious, too.

I've been following along and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how your husband's gown looks, because up until now, the very idea of making one of these short pleated gowns has utterly baffled me.

[chargirlgenius.livejournal.com]

Then I will try to post as many pictures as possible when I'm done, of the process, and of the detail. I think there are MANY ways that this gown can be accomplished. I have about four other methods that I'd like to try.

Poke me if I don't get to it quickly.

Do you have a doublet pattern yet? Are you doing the balled shoulders? I have some ideas on that...

[tashadandelion.livejournal.com]

Mistress Kamillah uses cartridge pleating on the skirts of her gamurras (you mentioned sleeves, but the skirts are where it really pops), and hers are the best I've seen out there, re-creation-wise in SCA-land. These are contemporaneous with your gown's time, so I think cartridge pleats are a viable solution, lacking absolute proof. (To me, "viable" is everything -- if you can make a reasoned argument and provide encapsulating evidence where absolute proof is scant, then you're doin' yer job to the best of anyone's ability.)

Can't wait to see your Ken Doll wearing it!

[chargirlgenius.livejournal.com]

I have evidence now... Most of the gowns in The Advocate have cartridge-pleated sleeves. ;-)

Actually, even though it's not "real" evidence, I got to see the idea implemented and it looks *really* good.