Skirt slit modification.

(I occasionally post about sewing and mending.)

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I don’t like skirts with long slits. I liked this skirt at the thrift shop, but knew that if I were to sew up the slit, I wouldn’t be able to walk. But I had an idea. Why not put in some contrasting fabric as a reverse box pleat?


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I figured out that I wanted the folded fabric inside to go halfway across the back of the skirt. Therefore, the panel needed to be the width of the skirt, plus some seam allowance. The entire skirt back is 28 inchesĀ  wide, and I left a half inch for each side of the slit – the panel was thus 29 inches wide. I don’t recall the length of the slit, but I added 2 inches to that measurement for hem and seam allowance, and cut a rectangle.

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I hemmed one long edge of the rectangle to match the rest of the skirt, and then made a box pleat with the right side on the inside, making sure to fold back the seam allowances for the slit and pressing everything in place.

Then I laid the right side of one edge of the new fabric against the corresponding edge of the skirt slit (sorry I didn’t get pictures of this stage) and hand stitched the edges together using what my mother called invisible stitch, but seems to be better known as ladder, hidden, or blind stitch. (video) I started at the edge with the hem. After the first side was done, I did the second side, again starting at the hem end.

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I folded everything into its proper place and pressed it. Then I opened it out and admired the result.

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Next I pinned the pleat to itself at the top, seamed it without attaching it to the skirt, and finished the raw edges.

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I tried just tacking each corner to the skirt with a tiny stitch, but it turned out to make the skirt hang oddly in back.

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I marked a seam line on the outside of the skirt with a gridded ruler, and pinned the pleat in place.

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Because I couldn’t find thread that remotely matched the skirt fabric (a little frustrating), I ended up using thread that didn’t match, and embroidering over it. I’m not entirely satisfied with how that looks, but am not sure what else to do. Anyway, I feel happier about wearing the skirt now.

For a drapier skirt, a friend pointed out that a godet (made of georgette or something light and elegant like that) might be a nice alternative.