How to “re-pleat”

amother

Mon, Aug 26 2024, 5:44 pm

I got uniform skirts for my daughter from a friend. The pleats especially in the back don’t look great. Is there any way to fix that? Can I do it myself without the cleaners? I’ve found the cleaners doesn’t last so I’d rather not pay the money and attempt to do it myself

amother

Brunette

Mon, Aug 26 2024, 5:49 pm

amother OP wrote:

I tried doing it myself and it never had this professional and brand new touch.
I would give in to a cleaners that has a reputation to make uniform pleats pressed and perfect

Chayalle ↓

Mon, Aug 26 2024, 6:38 pm

I've done it myself reasonably well.
Lay the skirt on an ironing board. Use straight pins to hold the pleats down in place.
Heat an iron to nice and hot. Take a thin cloth (I've used DH's undershirts, don't tell him) and make it wet. Lay over skirt. Iron. The steam from the cloth will sizzle and create those strong pleats.
Hang skirt to dry.

dena613 ↓

Mon, Aug 26 2024, 6:44 pm

Chayalle wrote:

Thanks! I want to try this! Where did you pin? Just at the bottom or like at every foot?

↑ Chayalle

Mon, Aug 26 2024, 6:46 pm

dena613 wrote:

Thanks! I want to try this! Where did you pin? Just at the bottom or like at every foot?

It depends on how long the skirt is and how well you can ensure that the pleats stay still under the wet cloth while you iron, so that the pleat comes out on the right place. On a child's skirt I'd put the pin right into the bottom. But on a longer skirt I might pin somewhere in the middle as well.

ETA depending on how many pleats there are, you may need to re-wet the cloth. Also I pin the skirt right to the ironing board, sticking it right in. And then as I pleat, I remove the pins, rotate the skirt, and keep going....