Uniform hacking!

So yeah classic plaid jumpers. $40 they want for one of them. Had to go to 5 different stores on two different days (we won't talk about my online hunt, Pinterest history will attest that California was an option at one time until the shipping killed it), but tracked down the right plaid finally -- at the store next to the great Bernstein Haberdashery where I want to spend copious amounts of money on chambray and shirting. At $8 for a 60-width yard, all good! I also got some fun floral slightly stretchy denim and some upholstery-weight navy vaguely Asian-derived print -- perhaps for backpacks..
Anyway, started with New Look 6018 view A as a jumping-off point, but lined instead of all those partial facings. It has the following pieces: a front bodice, two back bodices joined with a zipper, waistbands cut on the bias, and the skirt has front and back pieces cut on a slight curve, and pleats that all face one way.
Used some mustard-yellow paisley, sort of Provencal-vibe, that I'd gotten originally for myself, lined with yellow voile (singing the praises of Pacific Trimming, they had the perfect color zipper as well as buttons, buttonhole elastic, and so much other lovelies). Sewing it together I felt like such a tool! I made the Mobius of un-invertible horror. Once I figured out that it was not as simple as a strappy sundress we got along better.

As you can see, cute but not perfect yet. Tweaked the neckline, narrowed the shoulder line and bodice a bit, and voila the new and improved pattern. 

To do the skirt -- from the picture, I knew it had to have the pleats be as wide as the yellow-to-yellow repeat, with a red line in the center of each box pleat, and three across the width. It worked out perfectly to just take the 60' width and cut it to a generous length for growing room (note to self: generous. Overcompensated on the second to make up for the first.) Of course, I figured this out after I'd cut an arc-shaped piece from the precious plaid. Because of this, I had to kind of cheat-fit some of the back bodice pieces to have the red stripe running horizontal instead of vertical, and one was a bit of a patch job, but it's the back! I was slightly stunned to get 3 whole jumpers out of two yards. (booyah, $120 versus $20 for fabric (broadcloth lining), $1.50 for zippers, $ 6 for buttons and $3 for thread.)

serged bottom edge, measure for the hem. 

press well.

start pinning the box pleats from the center mark, so there's a flat "apron" at center front.

pin and press, working outward from center front. I ended up fudging the sides so that there is not a full pleat, sort of a narrower box pleat, so that it lies flat and doesn't flare out so much. Pin and press, a lot, with steam.

Use your waistband pattern piece to adjust the top edge of the skirt into a curve. Move the pleats on an angle so that the outer pleats go under the center ones inward, and follow the arc shape of the waistband. Press again, and serge the top edge to hold everything in place.

Optional last part of the skirt: edgestitch on the inside to hold the pleats in place. I have my two fingers on the inside pleats where this really makes a difference -- the front "apron."

The lined bodice actually gave me more trouble than I thought it would. I tried a few different approaches:

Version 1-- according to Fashionsewingblogtv, zipper and side seams done then poke the strap parts out through the bottom and finish as a tube. Super-tiny, had to do it by hand -- not a hassle since it was short, but fiddly. 

 Version 2 -- according to slapdashsewist -- batwing/BSJ style: shoulder seams, neck and armholes first, then feeding the seamed-up bodice through the strap tunnels, then add zipper and seam up sides. Worked out okay but had to redo the zipper.

Version 3 -- according to freshly-picked -- Sew the neckline on both pieces, sew up the armholes partially, turn and press. Pin and stitch the shoulders lining to lining and outer to outer, then topstitch to close. I put the zipper in after the neckline/armholes but before the side seams, like v 2.
another, more comprehensive way:Angela Kane, relevant part is at the beginning of part 8.

  
I chose to only line the bodice and waistband, not the skirt, because that's what the bought one is like... topstitching around the waistband finished the lining to the waistband.

 I splurged on the buttons ($1 each!)but really like the results. 

 Next time I'm buying them from sew true (which is surprisingly out-of-the-way but worth investigating)..

Next on the agenda: white buttoned-up Peter Pan blouses. I made one out of habotai silk with s16 snaps (she's wearing this one in the pic), and one broadcloth with heart snaps, out of Burda 9792 with just a re-drafted collar. The last, I fiddled with my frequent-flier o&s Jump Rope pattern again, with sewn-in buttons, because I didn't have enough broadcloth for another Burda. It came out short, but ok for wearing under the jumpers.