Inverted Pleats: Sewing Tutorial

An inverted pleat is formed by two knife pleats folded toward each other so the folds meet at the center on the outside.

make an inverted pleat, you will need three times the fabric that you normally need. ie if you want to sew a 2 inch wide inverted pleat you will need to take 6 inches fabric.

How to sew an Inverted pleat

Checkout this video on sewing the inverted pleat on a top to control the fulness. This method shows a different method of sewing the inverted pleat from the back.

To make an inverted pleat, you will need three times the fabric that you normally need. ie if you want to sew a 2 inch wide inverted pleat you will need to take 6 inches fabric (This is not always true. For eg, when adding decorative pleats as I did in the top above, this rule is not followed).

An inverted pleat looks similar to the back view of a box pleat, but it is constructed differently and a box pleat is a combination of 2 knife pleats made back to back. So it is all in the family of pleats..

But the look of an inverted pleat is quite different from that of box pleats or any other pleats. For one, they are not in-your-face. An inverted pleat very unobtrusively contains the fulness and gives generous ease for comfort and decoration.

Mark 5 vertical lines across the 6-inch area.

Now Fold line 2 to meet line 3 ; Fold line 4 to meet line 3; Both folds meet at the center line.

Fold the other side also to meet the 3rd line.

You can baste stitch your folds in place, before you sew the folds in place.

Sew across the folds as in the picture above, catching the pleat edges. When you reach the end of the stitching of one edge, you will have to pivot the fabric keeping the needle in the fabric and make 3 stitches across the fabric and then pivot again and stitch the next edge.

Inverted pleats are stitched a few inches from the top and then left open below.