Rex,
I will try to answer the first part of your question.
When you are basting the pleats, you start at the apron and grab the first pleat. Baste thru all four layers.
Then grab second pleat and baste the first pleat to the second. This way the basting only goes thru two pleats at a time, or four thicknesses of material.

The only place where you will have less is when you get to the inverted pleat, then you will be basting thru the last pleat and one thickness of the inverted pleat.

Hope this helps,
Wally