This is my left handed kilt

**Robert Lamb** · 5th June 08, 09:10 AM

What do you think of the left handed (leaning) pleats?
I shall fabricate another left handed kilt from the other half of the fabric.

**Arlen** · 5th June 08, 01:14 PM

I think that actually looks really good.
Of course, some of the purists will spit their eye teeth, but it looks great!

**michaelbeeman** · 5th June 08, 02:50 PM

I had to do a double check on my kilt to confirm the direction! That is seriously cool!

**ardchoille** · 5th June 08, 10:57 PM

Very nice looking. Did you use a left-handed needle and thread?

I had to ask since I'm often guilty of sending people for left-handed things (left-handed screewdriver, left-handed steak knife, left-handed keyboard, etc).

**Wompet** · 6th June 08, 06:17 AM

I like it; but, being left-handed, I'm a little biased.
I have got to find the time to finish my own left-handed kilt. The rate I'm going, everyone else will have theirs done before me.

**James MacMillan** · 6th June 08, 07:23 AM

I really like this idea - and my major reason is that here in the U. S. we have left hand steering (the steering wheel in on the left side of the vehicle!)

With a traditional pleated kilt, every time you slide behind the wheel, the pleats are being stressed open, and require many and practiced contortions to smooth them out.

With a reverse pleated kilt, as you slide behind the wheel, you would be closing the pleats, and it would seem to me, that it would be easier getting in smoothly.

Now, granted, I don't have a reverse pleated kilt to prove my theory, but on the few occassions where I have been a passenger, and slid into the passenger seat, it seems easier.

From a kilt makers prospective, was it really harde reversing the pleats???

Isn't it a factor of sewing right or left handed???

Does anyone really know why the pleats on a traditional kilt are the way they are???

**kiltimabar** · 6th June 08, 07:28 AM

I wonder how many non-kiltmakers (even experienced kilters) would notice or even care if they saw a left-pleated kilt. Until it was mentioned, I never even knew which direction the pleats faced, and it's not as noticeable as the gender-specific apron wrap issue. Now that I'm aware of it though, I perceive one advantage, that it might help keep the pleats flat when seating oneself in a car from the left side. Passengers in the US and Canada may not see an advantage, but since I'm always driving I have trouble with this. Do you suppose one might request this option from any kiltmaker, or could one expect a lot of jaw-clenching, heart palpitations, and resistance?

**Robert Lamb** · 6th June 08, 10:15 AM

I had posted a question a while back wondering why a kilt could not be pleated left.
I have always pleated my other eight home made kilts with the top to my right. I pleated this one with the top to my left, not thinking about a left pleated kilt. After I had pressed and pined the kilt I held it up to see how it will look and lo and behold a lefty kilt, WOW.
I do all of my sewing on my old Singer. After hand basting the horizontal stripes in place I just starting sewing my usual 8" fall into place.
This is a other wise left over right closing kilt.
I still have the other half of the cloth I used for this kit and I belive I shall make it a lefty also.
As for getting in to an auto I diidn't think about that. I just finished the kilt yesterday and have not driven the car yet, so will let you know how that works out.
It does work well for walking I can vouch for.