Advice few sewing box pleats?

[Barb T]

OK - just so it's clear, I'll try describing it again. I think some of you have got it, but I think there's still some confusion. And the method below doesn't work really well with outside top stitching, so I'm assuming that you're stitching by hand. I'm sorry that I'm not home right now - I'm in San Jose. If I were home, I'd sketch it and scan it and post it, but I can't do that from out here.

For clarification, stitching box pleats is _not_ done by folding two pleat edges toward one another and then stitching the two edges together. So, it helps to completely take it out of your head that you are making box pleats. The box comes later.

Here goes again with another attempt at a description!!

Don't worry about doing this on a kilt. Just grab any piece of plain fabric and a hand full of pins. Once you get the idea on something without stripes, you can then stitch your kilt.

-Lay the cloth out long ways away from you on a table. Mark 4 width-wise lines on the fabric as follows. Mark the first one 12" from the edge that's nearest to you. Mark the next one 4" farther away. Then mark one 2" from that. Then put the fourth line 4" from line 3. Don't worry at this point if you can't see why. Just do it.

-Go to your first line, fold the cloth along the line, and pin the edge to hold the fold.

-Bring the pinned fold to the second chalk line, and pin _through only one thickness below_. Stitch the edge of the fold through only one thickness. This does not look like a box pleat, but it will eventually. Trust me.

-Then go to the next line you chalked (line 3), fold along that line and pin to hold.

-Line this new fold up with line four, pin, and stitch edge through one thickness below.

Now, if you look at what you have, you have two seams, and one "tube" or loop of fabric behind each of the seams. Place the cloth with the seam side down on the table, and the "tubes" up. Flatten each tube, laying half the tube down on one side of the seam and half on the other. Voila - an instant box pleat from each tube.